ISBNs, explained plainly.
An ISBN identifies one edition and format of a book. A DOI identifies the work online and can be given to the whole book and to each chapter. You may need both.
Who issues the ISBN?
If a publisher accepts your book, the publisher assigns the ISBN. You do not buy one.
If you self-publish, apply to your national ISBN agency. In India, ISBNs are issued free of charge through the government’s national ISBN agency portal. Elsewhere, find your agency through the International ISBN Agency.
Dotzy does not sell or resell ISBNs.
One ISBN per format
- Print hardback, paperback, EPUB and PDF each need their own ISBN.
- A new edition needs a new ISBN; a reprint does not.
- Chapters do not get ISBNs. They can get a DOI (free on Zenodo, or Crossref as a paid add-on).
- Edited volumes carry the editors’ names on the book; each contributor is credited on their chapter.
Check an ISBN-13
Book DOIs on this platform
Every finished book gets a free Zenodo DOI (type: book) and each chapter can get its own DOI (type: book section), always with you as creator and only with your consent. A Crossref book or chapter DOI costs ₹190 / $2.