If you’re a Seattle writer, finishing your novel means paying $125 for an ISBN. At the city’s $16.69 minimum wage, you’d work over seven hours to cover this fee, while a Vancouver writer, just three hours north, gets the same number for free from their government. Why are ISBN costs in America so expensive?

The answer is an unfortunate fusion of history, government policy, and a very specific corporate monopoly.

The Public Good Versus the Private Product

The primary reason for the price disparity is each country’s perspective on literature.

In countries such as Canada, South Africa, and India, governments regard books as cultural goods. Facilitating book publication is seen as a means to strengthen national identity and literacy. These governments, unlike the United States, task National Libraries with managing the ISBN registry and subsidize costs with taxpayer funds. In this context, getting an ISBN is a public service, not an individual expense.

This approach not only makes ISBNs accessible to authors but also offers concrete benefits. These include easier access to national grants and more support for authors. Books published in this system are more readily accepted into libraries and schools. This gives authors wider distribution and greater visibility in the market.

In contrast, the United States government adopted a non-interventionist approach. During the 1960s, when the ISBN system was established, the Library of Congress declined to manage it. As a result, Bowker, a private company with a significant presence in book data management, assumed responsibility for the ISBN registry.

The Bowker Monopoly

The International ISBN Agency permits only one official registrar per country, giving Bowker exclusive control of the U.S. market. While countries with public ISBN registries offer these at no cost, Bowker sets U.S. prices without subsidy or competition. Although the estimated administrative cost is around $1 per ISBN, Bowker charges $125, marking up costs by 12,500%. This contrast shows how Americans pay far more than authors in nations with government-supported ISBNs.

This arrangement has resulted in a three-tiered system for American authors and publishers:

Publishers such as Penguin Random House buy ISBNs in blocks of 1,000 or more. This drops their cost to about $1.50 per number. By purchasing in bulk, major publishers save up to 98.8% compared to individual authors.

Independent publishers usually buy blocks of 10 ISBNs. This is more expensive per number than bulk buying, but it’s still much cheaper than a single ISBN. They pay $29.50 per ISBN for a 10-pack at $295, as set by Bowker.

Ironically, Canadian authors like debut novelist Marie Thompson benefit from free ISBNs through their government. Marie’s first novel quickly reached libraries nationwide, helping her connect with readers without the financial hurdles faced by Americans. This shows how a small policy change can greatly affect an author’s visibility.

Indie authors—self-published writers who may need just one ISBN—are charged the full U.S. retail price of $125. In contrast, countries like Canada and India provide ISBNs for free, illustrating a stark difference in cost for self-publishers depending on their location.

This pricing structure places the greatest burden on those least able to absorb the cost: individual writers at the start of their publishing journey.  

One Book can have 3 or More Different ISBNs.

If you want to publish a book in three different formats, you would need three separate ISBNs—one per format. While you might think of your work as “one book,” retailers and distributors see it as several different products. Because a hardcover book has a different weight, price, and shipping cost than a paperback, they cannot share the same number.

ISBNs can be assigned by access rights, meaning a book can have two ISBNs for tracking purposes.

Barcodes aren’t necessary, but they make your book easier to buy in stores. They come at an extra cost. Instead of $125 for a single ISBN, there’s a bundle (1 ISBN with 1 barcode) for $150. If you want, you could buy a bundle with 10 ISBNs, 5 barcodes, and 1 QRPlus Code for $395.

To put this in perspective, $150 spent on a barcode bundle could instead cover a week’s groceries for a family of four. This page shows the real trade-offs authors face when publishing.

ISBNs are territorially locked.

An ISBN cannot be obtained from a foreign entity. People are stuck with whatever ISBN system their country deigns to give them. This system is designed to track national cultural production and ensure the smooth operation of domestic book trades. As a publisher in the United States, you smile politely and pay whatever Bowker demands because there’s no alternative.

To understand how truly exploitative that is, Australians can buy a block of 10 ISBNs for $58 USD. We, as Americans, cannot take advantage of that price. We’re stuck paying Bowker’s much higher rates.

ISBNs are not transferable.

ISBN resellers are largely a scam. Under the ISBN system’s policies, the company or person that purchases the ISBN is the one who appears as the “Publisher of Record.” It’s written in simple terms on their website. ISBN transfer on an individual basis is not allowed.

The metadata—your book’s digital “ID card”—is assigned to the purchasing entity. While platforms like KDP and Draft2Digital offer free ISBNs, your book is listed as “Independently Published” with the platforms as the owner. Many platforms clearly state, in no uncertain terms, that the free ISBN cannot be used outside of their system.

Purchasing ISBNs is simple.

We will admit that the registration process at Bowker is simple and straightforward. It’s a short registration form on their site that takes you to a simple, easy-to-use dashboard. (They have a self-publishing option.) After that, you’re able to track your purchases and manage your account.

Bowker has partnered with distributors to make the process that much easier to navigate. Although it does come with a hefty price tag.

We’re turning this around.

Alright, we’re stuck with an expensive system that exploits our inability to shop for options. However, that doesn’t mean we have to follow every traditional publisher that came before us. As creative professionals ourselves, we’re tired of being exploited by a system made for the rich.

At 9 Realms Media, authors keep the copyright to their work. We allow them to sell directly and collect earnings through their contract with us. We retain the right to publish and distribute the work. If offers are made for subsidiary rights during our 6-month promotion period, our maximum commission is 15%, with the remaining amount going to the author.

We are strictly committed to quality, which drives our review process. Under our fair trade publishing contract and transparency policy, we do business with authors as partners. We’re about building systems that work for everyone.

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