Please note we do not recommend any specific ISBN providers. You will need to do your own research into this topic, and we hope this article helps!
What is an ISBN?
ISBN stands for "International Standard Book Number". You can find a good article on the topic here:
Should I get an ISBN for my book?
Whether or not to get an ISBN is a tricky question. It can depend on the country (some countries charge for ISBNs, others don't), on what you want to do with your book, on how you want to track your book's sales, where and how you want your book reviewed, etc. etc. etc.
Here is an article from the Alliance of Independent Authors on this topic:
Briefly, here is the Leanpub position on whether or not you should get an ISBN:
You definitely do not need an ISBN until your book is finished. So while you're writing and publishing your book-in-progress using Leanpub, we recommend you don't worry about ISBNs - just focus on your writing!
Start worrying about getting an ISBN only when you discover you absolutely need one. For example, if you are going to publish your book using other 'channels' like KDP, under certain circumstances you will be required to provide an ISBN. At that point, you'll know you need one, and you'll know why, and you can ask whoever's requiring the ISBN what they need.
To add an ISBN to your Leanpub book, please follow these instructions: http://help.leanpub.com/author-help/how-can-i-add-an-isbn-to-my-book.
Where can I buy an ISBN?
How to buy an ISBN depends on your country and the nature of your particular book project, and the platform or platforms you are using to distribute it.
For example, ISBNs are free in Canada.
This means that how you actually get an ISBN is up to you. The best thing to do is use a search engine to find a solution that you're OK with, and search for something like, "How do I buy an ISBN for a self-published book in [your country]?"
Related Article: How can I add an ISBN to my book?
What can I learn from other authors' experiences?
To learn from other Leanpub authors about their experiences with ISBNs, please reach out any time on our Authors Forum:
If you have any feedback or questions about this article, please email the Leanpub team about it at hello@leanpub.com!
If you have any questions or thoughts on writing and self-publishing with Leanpub, please join our global community of authors in our Authors Forum here!
Are you interested in self-publishing, and creating your first Leanpub book? Here are some quick tutorials for our most popular writing modes: http://help.leanpub.com/en/articles/3088382-quick-walkthroughs-for-getting-started-on-a-leanpub-book
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