So, where do Self-Publish'g-WRITERS buy ISBN's at Low Cost? Any Bulk-Buying Writers Groups or PRONOUN.COM rep'ts?

IVI on 21/05/2018 - 22:12

So, Pronoun.com used to supply its authors with Free ISBN numbers (1 / book, if it went thru out them… Surprisingly, it cost NIL to use their service (unless author chose to hire some of their graphic designers, etc. to fancy-up the cover, etc. of their book).

They'd send your book to any/all of ~5 well-known eBook publishers, eg, Kindle, iBooks, Goodle books, Kobo, Angus+Robert(sp?), etc. as well as getting them put in front of Library buyers)… ALL THIS, COST-FREE(!)

Then, they were bought-up… and - soon after that - they were pulled off the market…

Authors who want to sell their books - in traditional ways - must buy an ISBN for each book, before it goes out.(An earlier instance of Pronoun.com used to hand out ISBN on sign-up).

The US ISBN supplier drops the price with Qty orderd, currently from US$ 125 (1-off) to US$ 1 per ISBN, if you buy 1,000 in one order.

(Its Aussie counterpart goes from Au$ 44 (1-off) down to ~Au$ 3 / ISBN (if you buy 1,000 in one order.)

For new, would-be authors - it's another cost to bear, up-front (esp'ly when they want to release books in several formats: dead-tree, eBook, PDF, etc., in which case, they need 1 ISBN per Format. & audio-books may need yet another ISBN or similar…).

SO, I wonder where the Writers' Groups are, who have bought 1,000 ISBN's & found ways to distribute them to members, as required, at prices closer to ~Au$ 3, eg, letting their authors do any behind the scenes work of filling-in all their info, each time they want to activate an ISBN for their latest release…?

PS Has anyone noticed a replacement for Pronoun.com pop-up, ie, since its (recent) demise?

General Discussion

Comments

  • Diji1 on 21/05/2018 - 23:50
    +2

    Good Lord, what a rort the ISBN business is.

    • Carydadon on 22/05/2018 - 07:41

      Probably the same people involved with personalised NSW number plates!

    • IVI on 26/07/2018 - 13:15

      Agreed!

      So, instead of encouraging a Suffix letter to indicate Medium Type
      (E = eBook; A = Audiobook; H = Hardcover; S = Softcover; etc.),
      they want you to buy different ISBN for each Type you publish in.

      Much tidier to use the variation letter
      (in pre- or suf-fix position), IMO.

  • Carydadon on 22/05/2018 - 07:40

    Wish I knew about pronoun when it was around, sounds like a great deal. I bought ISBNs from https://www.myidentifiers.com.au/get-your-isbn-now pretty much thinking that was the only source to do so in Australia. From memory I bought the 10pack and would have some spare. How many you looking for?

    • IVI on 28/03/2019 - 11:37

      How many remain?

      Actually, there could be problems,eg,
      if they're registered in your name.

      (And, it could co$t $$ to change the
      name to a new owner's name.)

      We may well publish our eBooks with
      Amazon (who do Not require an ISBN)
      as well as an African publisher (to
      give away the books, for a "token"
      payment).

      Amazon will issue an ISBN for Free,
      but only for books you publish, via
      KDP.

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