ISBN is an important commercial identifier used by publishers, booksellers, retailers and other supply participants which can identify and track different editions and formats of a book title. ISBN Numbers help in organizing, distributing and managing book inventory globally. Book number ISBN is made only for commercial books, not for books in the public domain and private documents.

When did ISBN start?

ISBN number was created by ISO (International Organization for standardization to create the book industry with a universal product book coding system, when automation started playing a role in inventory management, order fulfilment and sales processing. 10 ISBN and 13 ISBN indicate the digits in the ISBN are these are two systems to identify books. Before the year 2007, there was only ISBN which was increased to ISBN 13 to increase the availability of ISBN all over the world.

ISBN 10 Vs ISBN 13 Differences

• ISBN 10 is a group identifier (example: 1, 0) which identifies a country, geographical, or language area. It ends with a check digit not identical to the one in ISBN- 13.
• ISBN 13 is a 13-digit number that starts with a prefix ----978, or 979 and this ends with a check digit not identical to ISBN-10.
• ISBN-10 has four sections and each section has a different meaning.
• The group identifier is for the country, or region it has been published and the publisher identifier identifies the publisher of the book and the check digit was created using the first nine digits and is used to check accuracy and if suppose, you got an ISBN 10 for your book, and you must be wondering how to convert ISBN 10 to 13? There is a simple answer: take the first 9 digits of your ISBN and add the prefix 978 to the front and calculate the check digit for ISBN 13 would be:
• Each ISBN 13 has five sections in the example: ISBN 978-0-061-96436-7 In addition to the prefix element and the check digit, all sections can be connected to ISBN 10
• The prefix element of ISBN-13 is 3 digits long and that makes ISBN a universal product code called EAN
• The publication element identifies the style of the publishing house

How to Register ISBN?

The applicants need to register to know how to get an ISBN Number For Free and  before they submit an application for an ISBN number. ISBN registration requires three levels of department approval that is involved in the overall procedure. First, there should be approval of registration, approval of ISBN category and then, ISBN number will be allotted.

How to obtain an ISBN Number for Free?

First, you can get an ISBN number from a self- publishing platform, or traditional publishers like Double9books can get an ISBN number for free and there is no ISBN cost, Second, you may If you want to make ISBN barcode from 10 to 13, you can use this website: ISBN-13 - generate, download online digital barcode files and images | BarCodeRobot.com

If you want to ask how to get an ISBN number for free in India by applying to Raja Ram Mohun for ISBN and you need to generate EAN barcode, as it is not provided along with ISBN number. You can get your ISBN number in 20-50 days, if it is approved. Download and print the following proforma to the agency with a letter of application to request registration and delivery of ISBN number to your postal address.

ISBN Numbers for Books

ISBN Number for books can be found on the back cover and next to the barcode. If a book is not showing the ISBN number at the back, look for it on the page featuring the copyright and the publisher information and the ISBN will be there. One ISBN number is needed for each edition and format of your book.  This can allow retailers to help customers understand the version of a title they are purchasing, if it is revised, or new edition and registration of ISBN numbers also requires author form to be filled and signed, copy of photo identity proof such as Pan Card, Voter Id, Aadhar Card, or Passport which has to be duly attested by the author, and the applicant also has to submit books to the ISBN agency.

Now, it could be challenging to publish a book for the first time and you would know what an ISBN number is and how it is important to publish a book globally, or locally. It is requirement to find the publishing date, for the retailers and customers to find your book on online book stores and e commerce websites. If you want to get an ISBN number without any fuss, you can contact Double9books for ease of publishing and getting an ISBN number for free. Fill the contact form on the website stating your idea of publishing and then, a publishing consultant will contact you and then, the ISBN number will be allotted, after writing, proofreading and editing is complete, an ISBN is assigned and voila, you are all set to achieve your dreams of becoming an author globally.