ISBN Confusion: Buy ISBN from Bowker or use free Createspace isbn?

CreateSpace will assign your ISBN very early in the process. IIRC you can skip around in the process, too, so there is no need to have a formatted novel ready for them.

The CreateSpace ISBN, however, is only for the paperback edition of your book. If you want your ebook version to have an ISBN, you have to get a separate one somewhere else. FWIW, Draft2Digital will assign free ISBNs to ebooks, but I think they do require you to publish through them to get it.

The CreateSpace ISBN is assigned pretty early. They will automatically add the barcode with ISBN to the back of your book, so you don't need to do this. All you need to do is make sure there's nothing important in the area where they put the barcode.

You don't need to have the final files, but you should have the final title information. Book title, author, series, etc. They aren't changeable once the ISBN is assigned. You can change your interior and cover as often as you need to until it's ready.

Hope I am not highjacking your thread, but I am in the same situation regarding getting an ISBN. Is this advice just for the US or is the UK/Ireland situation the same?

I am in Ireland, and am self-publishing and need an ISBN. Looked at Neilsen, and it costs £144 as you have to buy 10. Wondering if there is another way around this. I am not on Createspace.

http://www.ayearinlisbon.com/blog.html

Lorcanmc said:

Hope I am not highjacking your thread, but I am in the same situation regarding getting an ISBN. Is this advice just for the US or is the UK/Ireland situation the same?

I am in Ireland, and am self-publishing and need an ISBN. Looked at Neilsen, and it costs £144 as you have to buy 10. Wondering if there is another way around this. I am not on Createspace.

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CreateSpace ISBNs are only an option for books published through them. The same is true of other services (POD and ebook) that offer free ISBNs. If you're setting up to get your own offset print runs (which it sounds like you are from your other thread) you'll have to buy them from the ISBN provider in your country. You'll also have to do stuff like back cover barcodes yourself.