What is ISBN Service? A Guide to Third-Party ISBN Resellers for Self-Publishers
ISBN agencies operate as monopolies with complex bureaucracy, making it expensive for self-publishers to obtain ISBNs. Third-party ISBN service providers offer a more affordable alternative, though authors should research these resellers carefully before purchasing.
All ISBN agencies are monopolies. What makes it even worse is that some ISBN agencies add bureaucracy on top of monopoly. Some even go so far as to change the definition of what ISBN is and make obstructive rules in the process of obtaining and using an ISBN.
No doubt the positive impact ISBN has on the book publishing industry, but the way ISBNs are distributed kind of sucks.
Even ISBN costs seem unfair to self-publishers who need fewer than 10 ISBNs. However, purchasing above 100 ISBNs at bulk pricing becomes a good deal. Publishers can obtain 1,000 ISBNs at once with bulk discounts, and if publishers need to obtain more ISBNs at once, then they have to contact the agency directly. This is the case in several countries where ISBN agencies are privatized.
Indie authors (self-publishers) publishing a book may need 3 ISBNs. They have two choices: use the free ISBN provided by the platform or purchase their own ISBN. Authors will have to purchase a 10-ISBN bundle costing $295 in the US. This is why ISBN service providers exist.
Who Are ISBN Service Providers?
It is hard to get a book deal from traditional book publishers. Self-publishing is the only choice left for many authors. In the field of self-publishing, there are several types of service providers—some are good and some are the worst.
Publishing a book requires a lot of work. Editing and proofreading manuscripts takes lots of time, and self-publishers have to pay large sums of money to get their work ready for publishing.
There are service providers disguised as traditional book publishers but charge large upfront service fees and promise good results. Then there are digital service agencies that provide book publishing and marketing services.
ISBN service providers are more publishing and marketing agencies than book publishers. They offer services to get authors’ books assigned an ISBN. ISBN service providers have no affiliation with actual ISBN agencies—they are third-party ISBN resellers. The main selling point of ISBN service is the low cost. There are several other reasons why self-publishers purchase ISBNs from a reseller, such as accessibility, support, no restrictions on obtaining ISBNs, and publishing a book.
Top ISBN Service Providers
1. FreeISBN.com (This is us)
We started a book publishing and marketing agency with an aim of helping authors build a personal brand and sell more books. Later we saw the struggle self-publishers face obtaining ISBNs, which is why we started FreeISBN.com to help authors obtain ISBNs by offering a wealth of information and ISBN services. We have also built several ISBN tools that are available for use for free.
2. ISBNAgency.com
ISBNAgency.com is an ISBN reseller and they offer ISBN services starting from $35. They have no affiliation with any ISBN agency.
3. ISBN-us.com
ISBN-US.com claims to be an “Official ISBN Agency Channel Partner,” which means nothing. They are also an ISBN reseller. One downside is their pricing is confusing—they sell ebook ISBNs for $29, but in general, ISBNs are not locked to a book format, so ebook ISBNs can also be used for print book publishing or any other format.
4. ISBNservices.com
ISBNServices.com appears to be one of the oldest ISBN resellers, offering 1 ISBN for $22.99 for US-based customers only. They also offer bulk discounts on ISBN purchases. They offer additional services such as custom ISBN service, which allows US-based authors to obtain ISBNs under their publishing name.
5. ISBNDirect.com
ISBNDirect.com is a new ISBN service provider with several free ISBN tools such as ISBN validator and ISBN converter. They have also started offering additional services such as book formatting, press releases, and copyright registration.
6. ISBNco.com
ISBNco is very similar to ISBN-us.com in their service offerings and pricing. It is a new website, and its domain name was registered in February 2025 as per domain whois records.
Final Thoughts
ISBN service providers or resellers are seen as scammy business practices by many bloggers online. You may find articles not recommending purchasing cheap ISBNs from unknown websites. In my opinion cheap ISBN worth it especially if you are self publishing on platform like Amazon KDP and it is a good alternative to free ISBN offered by the platform. Please do your own research.
Araix Rand
Book Publicist
Araix Rand is the Founder of Bookllo Publishing, an author, blogger, and photographer. Since 2019, he has been helping authors in self-publishing and marketing their books. Additionally, he writes for various business and marketing blogs.
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