Free KDP ISBN vsYour Own ISBN

Use the free KDP ISBN if you will only ever sell the print book on Amazon. Buy your own ISBN if you want your name or imprint shown as publisher, plan to sell through IngramSpark, bookstores or libraries, or are building a series or publishing business.

Books using a free KDP ISBN show “Independently published” as the imprint. With your own ISBN, you can list your own publisher or brand name, as long as it matches the record registered with the ISBN agency.

No. KDP’s free ISBN can only be used to publish on KDP. To publish the same edition on IngramSpark or with other distributors, you need your own ISBN.

Bowker, the official US ISBN agency, charges $125 for one ISBN, $295 for 10, and $575 for 100. Because each format needs its own ISBN, most authors buy the 10-pack.

No. An ISBN is optional for Kindle eBooks on KDP; Amazon assigns its own identifier. Paperbacks and hardcovers each need their own ISBN.

No. Each format needs its own ISBN, and a new edition with significant changes also needs a new ISBN.

An ISBN is tied to a specific edition, so switching generally means publishing the book again as a new edition with your own ISBN. It is simpler to decide before your first release.

No. An ISBN identifies a specific edition and its publisher; it does not create or transfer copyright. You own copyright in your writing automatically, and you can register it with the US Copyright Office separately.