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ISBN allocation

Free, real, Bowker-registered ISBN-13 — every book.

An ISBN isn't a Chiify identifier. It's not an Amazon ASIN. It's a real, internationally recognized book ID issued from our registered Bowker block — included on every plan, in every book.

Get a free ISBN with your first book How Chiify works

ISBNs are oddly expensive. Bowker (the US ISBN registrar) sells them at $125 each if you buy a single one, dropping to about $30 each in blocks of 10 and $6 each in blocks of 1,000. For most indie authors, that math never makes sense.

So most aggregators either charge for ISBNs (typically $9 to $25 each) or hand out non-ISBN identifiers that don’t register in the global book registry. Either way, the author pays.

Chiify holds a registered ISBN block with Bowker. Every book published through Chiify gets a real ISBN-13 from that block, reported into the global registry, with no fee. One number per format (ebook, paperback, audiobook).

What you actually get

  • A real ISBN-13 in the 979-8-90516 prefix range, reported to Bowker.
  • Listed in Books In Print and discoverable via every ISBN lookup tool (Amazon, Google Books, WorldCat, EBSCO).
  • Used in your book’s ONIX feed to every retailer and library system we distribute to.
  • Printed on the copyright page of your paperback if you order print-on-demand through us.
  • Persistent — the ISBN remains attached to your book forever, even if you migrate platforms.

Publisher of record — what it means

The publisher of record is whoever owns the ISBN block the number came from. For a Chiify-allocated ISBN, that’s Chiify. For a Bowker-purchased ISBN you own, that’s your imprint name.

For most authors, this distinction doesn’t matter. Bookstore browsers don’t check who issued the ISBN — they look at the author and cover. But if you’re building a publishing brand and want your imprint name on the copyright page, you can:

  • Buy your own ISBN block from Bowker (cheapest if you plan to publish 100+ books)
  • Buy individual ISBNs (cheapest if it’s just one or two books and you want to stay simple)
  • Use Chiify’s free ISBN now and switch later for future books

ISBN per format

ISO 2108 (the ISBN standard) requires a different ISBN for each substantially different format. In practice:

  • Ebook (EPUB) — one ISBN
  • Paperback — a separate ISBN
  • Hardcover — a separate ISBN
  • Audiobook — a separate ISBN

Chiify allocates the right number of ISBNs automatically based on the formats you publish, all from our block, all free.

Frequently asked

Is the ISBN actually free? Where's the catch?
It's actually free. Every Chiify book is assigned an ISBN-13 from our reserved Bowker block at no cost — Free plan, Pro, Lifetime, Enterprise, all of them. The catch is the same one every aggregator has: we allocate the ISBN, so on paper Chiify is recorded as the publisher of record. You can bring your own ISBN (BYOI) at any time if you want your name or imprint as the publisher.
Is this a real ISBN or a fake "Chiify identifier"?
A real ISBN. We hold a registered ISBN block with Bowker (US ISBN agency) in the 979-8-90516 prefix. Every number we issue is reported back to Bowker's central registry and shows up in Books In Print, the WorldCat catalog, and every standard ISBN lookup tool. Smashwords-style "internal SKUs" or Amazon ASINs are not ISBNs — what we give you is.
Can I take my ISBN with me if I leave Chiify?
Yes. The ISBN remains assigned to your book in the global registry forever, regardless of where you publish. The only thing we control is which platform that ISBN currently distributes through. You won't get the ISBN to issue future books with — that requires buying your own ISBN block from Bowker (currently $295 for 10, $575 for 100).
Do I need a different ISBN for each format?
Yes — ebook, paperback, and audiobook each require a separate ISBN-13. Chiify allocates separate numbers for each format you publish, automatically. If you publish ebook only, we assign one ISBN. If you also publish paperback and audiobook, that's three ISBNs total, all free.
Why do many other aggregators charge for ISBNs?
Two reasons: (1) they don't hold ISBN blocks themselves and have to buy through resellers, marking up the cost; (2) it's a high-margin upsell. Buying ISBNs from Bowker individually is $125 each, while a block of 10 is $295 — so an aggregator buying in bulk pays roughly $3/ISBN and can charge $9–$25. We chose to include them because we already had the block.
Can I use my own ISBN instead?
Yes, anytime. When you create a book, you can either select "Use a Chiify ISBN (free)" or paste an ISBN you own. If you bring your own, the publisher of record on the book is whoever owns that ISBN block — typically your imprint name.

More on Chiify

Ebook distribution →

We deliver your ISBN-tagged book to Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, libraries, and more.

Free EPUB conversion →

Word, PDF, Google Doc → clean, accessible EPUB. Bundled with your free ISBN.

WCAG 2.2 accessibility →

Every book ships compliant with the EU Accessibility Act, included on every plan.

Your book deserves a real number.

Sign up free, upload your EPUB, and we'll assign a Bowker-registered ISBN-13 before review.

Create your free account Talk to our team