ISBN registration · from £27.99
No agency paperwork.
An ISBN is what lets bookstores, libraries and distributors order your book. Amazon’s free ASIN only works inside Amazon; an official 13-digit ISBN works everywhere.
Your numbers are assigned automatically at checkout and emailed to you — no application form, no imprint registration, no approval wait.
Buy your ISBN
No form and no approval wait — your ISBNs are assigned at checkout and emailed to you.
This product includes
Transparent pricing
Investment
Choose by how many formats you are publishing — from £27.99.
Most popular
3 ISBN numbers · paperback + ebook + hardcover
Publisher pack
100 ISBN numbers — indie publishers & small presses — that is £9.98 per ISBN. Same instant delivery, same UK publisher prefix, same 100% royalties.
Reviews
We do not have named reviews specific to ISBN registration — it is a two-minute purchase, not a project people write about. These are verified HMD Publishing clients from our other services, shown as proof of how we work, not as ISBN customers.
“This was my first time for this and they help me all the way. There attention to details was great. I love the eloquence of the work. The response time I thougth it was alil slow, but that's realy me, I'm still working on being patient..lol. I will definitely us them again. I do have some more projects.”
Rodney GuptonAuthor of Forgiven Before You Were Born“Went above and beyond and the final cover absolutely exceeded my expectations!”
Phil GramlichAuthor of Walt & His Park: The Stories You (Probably) Haven't Heard“The team was dedicated to getting the final project right, providing as many revisions as needed. They were consistently responsive to my questions, requests and concerns.”
Nashyelli Elena HernandezAuthor of A Journey of Sunsets: An Adventurous Story of Beauty, Transformation & Discovery“This team was amazing. I cannot say enough about them. When I tell you how much they have poured into my life, you wouldn’t believe it. They were encouraging, supportive, they were patient,, and they were very respectful to what I was trying to figure out during this process. I have another project coming up, they are the one for me. I felt that we were so aligned, I was at peace when I talked to anyone member of the team. At the end of any conversation I have had with them, they all always end with some type of encouraging words. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be this long on here, but I just had to share the amazing work this team is doing. You can feel they do care when they sent an email. I think God knows exactly who I needed for this project, and He gave them. The book is now published, great job. Thank you, thank you. May God continue to bring people to you because you are doing an amazing job through your work. Lucie”
LTP HopeAuthor of When Goodbye Comes Too Early: Learning To Breathe Again Through Love and Loss“I'm a first-time book publisher, and I could not have found a better partner than HMD Publishing. They did both my cover design and the work of uploading the manuscript to Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. The team was consistently knowledgeable, professional, responsive, detail-oriented, courteous, and above all patient. I had dozens of questions as we worked through the process, and they answered each one thoroughly and without ever making me feel ridiculous for asking. My book launched two days ago, and HMD has my highest recommendation for anyone looking for professional services to help make your writing dreams come true.”
Barbara WoolardAuthor of Beyond Words: The Power of Action in a World of Thoughts and Prayers“I've worked with HMD Publishing on numerous occasions. Clearly that shows my satisfaction with their level work. I will most certainly work with them in the future as well. They are patient, and attentive to my specific needs and as always it was a pleasure.”
Jamaal C. BoyceAuthor of Investing Is The Best Thing: An Introductory Guide to the World of Investing for Teenagers and Their Parents“This was an excellent experience for publishing my first book. The team was very patient and cooperative throughout the entire process, keeping each step very clear and their words very kind. I would love to work with HMD Publishing again in the future!”
Ashlyn VaughnAuthor of Wrinkles, Rewritten: A Skin-Deep Guide to Aging Gracefully“Very professional and easy to work with.”
Avraham NacherAuthor of Geshara Mazes: Where Geniuses Get Lost“This is my second book working with them. My first experience was good. This time it was even better. Will use again for my next book. Really loved the formatting design. Very professional. Quick on replies. Great Cooperation. Fast delivery.”
Byron Headrick IAuthor of Ahead of the Curve: Strategic Foresight for the Next Decade in Public Education“I was so nervous to edit and typeset my book that it became a source of frustration. HMD Publishing put that anxiety and frustrations aside through their professionalism, excellent communication, and vast understanding of the processes I needed to get my book published and ready to sell. If you have any hesitation or concerns about the process, go with HMD Publishing.”
Chad TeagueAuthor of Onboard Like A Fraternity“HMD Publishing delivered an excellent product result in book design, and I plan to rehire.”
Clay HessAuthor of When Dad Falls Short: Finding Healing in God’s Perfect Fatherhood“Exceeded my expectations! The professionalism, attention to detail, and seamless communication made the process stress-free. The final formatting was polished, and they guided me through publishing with ease. Highly recommend their expertise for anyone looking to publish a book!”
Danyl ChahalAuthor of The Magic Ripple: The Secret to Finding True Success“More like a 4.9! It was easy to work with the team and the cover design was absolutely fantastic! I offered inspiration and they made magic! My only complaint is the back cover design. I wanted a mix of synopsis and author bio but deferred to their expertise, even though I provided examples of what I wanted they offered their professional opinion. The delivery was a few hours past the agreed time but in the end all worked out and I am pleased with the experience and the delivered product. And I definitely feel like it was well worth the price!”
Dr. Brandiss PearsonAuthor of The Other Side of Leadership: Reclaiming Power and Purpose on Your Leadership Journey“HMD Publishing was exceptional. I would definitely work with them again as they were outstanding and delivered exceptional content for my manuscript. Thank you!”
Eric StengelAuthor of Cast Thy Nets: The Power of Love & Discipleship“They exceeded our expectations. We will use them again for future books and formatting.”
George LamelzaAuthor of Single Man Walking Through Divorce: Healing, Faith, and Strength for the Journey Through and After Divorce“Very good experience. Edits were clean, grammar and structure improved without changing my voice. Solid communication and professional throughout. Would recommend.”
Joe MarquesAuthor of The Unmasking: Why We Hide and How We Find What's Real“I’ve used them for several projects and they are very responsive and very collaborative. They made sure that I am completely happy. I am doing another project with them as well.”
K CrabtreeAuthor of The True You 2.0 Field Journal: An Accompaniment to Be The You That’s More You Than You’ve Ever Been“Oh my gosh. I can't praise this team enough. They did a fantastic job on my journal. They were creative. They were responsive to my clarifications and did a great job of implementing my vision. The journal turned out so nicely, I hired them to redo the format/layout of the book it accompanies. You must hire them if you are considering them.”
K CrabtreeAuthor of The True You 2.0 Field Journal: An Accompaniment to Be The You That’s More You Than You’ve Ever Been“HMD Publishing truly SHINED in the Proofreading & Editing domain. Their PROFESSIONALISM and adaptability EXCEEDED my expectations, delivering exceptional quality. They were quick with my edits as well, for a book that’s around 51,000 words! Working with them was a breeze thanks to their cooperation, quick responsiveness, and kindness. 👏”
Kashana RuthAuthor of Empower Your Faith: Practical Strategies for Women to Prioritize God, Improve Self-Esteem, and Discover God's Plan for Your Life“I am blown away by the quality of work and communication. My one regret about this entire interaction is that I did not find HMD Publishing _before_ I released my book. If you're thinking about hiring their services, stop thinking and just do it. You will not be disappointed.”
Kay BeeAuthor of Scrubby Bub's Wetlands“This team truly paid attention to detail.”
L. KeShawn HarrisAuthor of Robbie’s First Haircut“These guys are amazing. They have exceeded my expectations. They were attentive, they responded quick to my comments or concerns. They understood my vision even better than I did. I thought I knew what I wanted, but it turned out that they knew what I was looking for. I feel as though this alignment was a divine intervention. We worked so well together and I can’t thank them enough. I will for sure hire them again for my second book or whatever other projects I may have. Thanks a million!”
LTP HOPEAuthor of When Goodbye Comes Too Early: Learning To Breathe Again Through Love and Loss“Once again, HMD Publishing has done an excellent job! Their professionalism and willingness to work with me as a team resulted in my first children's book being published ahead of schedule and looks exceptional. Their responsiveness made working together a smooth and enjoyable experience. Thank you!”
Marie ChristmonAuthor of Marissa's Big Day“HMD Publishing delivered what we asked for and we are happy with the end results. But there was some unnecessary anxiety in the process due to our design brief not being initially followed, requiring follow up emails. Overall a good experience.”
Paul BoultonAuthor of Helping Kids Rise and Shine: A Tapping Guidebook for Stress, Anxiety, and Bullying“Thank you so much to the HMD Publishing Team! They have been amazing throughout this entire process. I had already worked with them to get my book ready to publish on Amazon but discovered (after the fact) that publishing to PublishDrive had different technical requirements. They were on it! They converted my book to meet the more stringent PublishDrive requirements and HMD Publishing very kindly answered all of my questions regarding the process. Thanks to the HMD Publishing Team’s patience and knowledge, I no longer feel lost in this whole publishing world and look very much forward to doing it all again with them in the future!”
Renu AroraAuthor of The NO NONSENSE Guide to Pendulums: Demystifying Pendulum Dowsing and Healing for New and Advanced Practitioners“I am beyond pleased! I selected this gig because of all of the positive reviews, and I'm delighted to say that they were all absolutely correct. the HMD Publishing Team at HMD Publishing were quick and responsive, they understood my needs, and paid close attention to my concerns, always doing their best to improve for the next round of edits. The job was done in less than the anticipated time, too, which was a wonderful unexpected bonus! That can only happen when working with a team that listens and actually cares. Thank you so much, HMD Publishing! I'll definitely be back for my next one!!”
Renu AroraAuthor of The NO NONSENSE Guide to Pendulums: Demystifying Pendulum Dowsing and Healing for New and Advanced Practitioners“Quick turnaround and adherence to editing requests are exceptional. I strongly recommend to others.”
Ronald J. ChooAuthor of Entropy Universe Quantum Physics AI & ConsciousnessSwipe to read more
Named client reviews·Read them all →ISBN vs ASIN
An ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) is Amazon’s internal product ID. It’s free and automatically assigned when you publish on KDP. However, an ASIN only works on Amazon — it has no recognition outside the Amazon ecosystem.
An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a globally recognized 13-digit identifier used by bookstores, libraries, distributors, and retailers worldwide including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IngramSpark, and thousands of others.
If you only plan to sell on Amazon, you can use Amazon’s free ASIN. But if you want your book discoverable across all sales channels, and orderable by libraries and bookstores globally, you need an ISBN.
| Feature | ASIN (Amazon) | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | From £27.99 |
| Where it works | Amazon only | All retailers, libraries, distributors worldwide |
| Can be listed in trade databases | No | Yes |
| Orderable by bookstores | No | Yes |
| Orderable by libraries | No | Yes |
| Works on IngramSpark | No | Yes |
| Publisher control | Amazon listed as publisher | Your chosen publisher listed |
The trust question
Both routes produce a real ISBN. The national agencies — Bowker in the US, Nielsen in the UK — issue numbers directly, and going to them lets you register your own publisher imprint. It costs more and it takes longer: Bowker charges USD 125 for a single ISBN and quotes 1–3 business days.
Buying through a reseller is the faster, cheaper route. The number is assigned at checkout, and the trade-off is the publisher-of- record line: HMD Publishing Ltd is the publisher of record on the ISBN instead of your own imprint. That designation is purely administrative — HMD Publishing does not claim any rights, ownership, or royalties over your work. You remain the sole author and copyright holder.
An ISBN bought this way is a normal ISBN. It is accepted by Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu, Draft2Digital, BookBaby and every other platform that takes ISBN-13, and it is exactly as valid as one bought directly from the agency.
One thing worth being clear about, because most ISBN sellers are not. Buying an ISBN and registering your book are two separate steps. The number is yours the moment you buy it. Getting the book’s details — title, author, format, price, publication date — into the trade databases that bookshops and libraries order from is a second step, and today that step is yours to do, through whichever platform you publish on. We are building it as a service; until it ships, nobody should tell you an ISBN alone puts your book in a catalogue, because it does not.
You want your own publisher imprint on the record, and the extra cost and admin are worth it to you.
You want a valid, KDP-ready number today, at a fraction of the price, and you keep the rights and royalties either way.
Compare
How we compare to Bowker, ISBNdirect, and Amazon KDP.
| Feature | HMD Publishing | Bowker (US) | ISBNdirect | Amazon KDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (single ISBN) | From £27.99 (~USD 35) | USD 125 | USD 19 | Free |
| Delivery time | Instant | 1–3 business days | Instant | Instant |
| Works with Amazon KDP | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A (ASIN only) |
| Works with IngramSpark | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Works with all retailers | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Issuing agency | Nielsen (UK) | Bowker (US) | Bowker (US) | Amazon only |
| Author keeps 100% royalties | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Barcodes included | Yes | Extra cost | Yes | No |
| Bulk discounts | Up to 64% off | Yes | Limited | N/A |
| Support | Dedicated team | Email only | Email only | Self-service |
Decide
Our recommendation: Most serious authors benefit from having their own ISBN. It gives you full control over your book’s identity and opens every sales channel worldwide.
Cost
ISBN prices vary significantly by provider. In the US, Bowker charges USD 125 for a single ISBN. ISBNdirect charges USD 19. At HMD Publishing, a single ISBN costs £27.99 (approximately USD 35), with bulk discounts available — 3 ISBNs for £97.99, 10 for £197.99, or 100 for £997.99.
Some platforms like Amazon KDP offer free ASINs, but these are not ISBNs and only work within Amazon’s ecosystem.
ISBNs are a one-time purchase with no recurring fees. Once assigned, your ISBN is yours permanently.
Process
From purchase to published in minutes
Purchase your ISBNs securely. The process takes less than 2 minutes.
Your ISBN numbers are assigned automatically at checkout and delivered to your email.
Use your ISBN when publishing on Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or any other platform.
FAQ
Clear answers on timeline, scope, rights, revisions, and what happens after checkout.
You buy one. Choose a package on this page, complete the secure checkout, and your 13-digit ISBN is assigned automatically and emailed to you within minutes — there is no application form, no imprint registration, and no approval wait. You then enter that number in the ISBN field when you set your book up on Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu, or any other platform that accepts ISBN-13.
ISBN prices vary significantly by provider. In the US, Bowker charges USD 125 for a single ISBN. ISBNdirect charges USD 19. At HMD Publishing a single ISBN costs £27.99 (approximately USD 35), with bulk discounts available — 3 ISBNs for £97.99, 10 for £197.99, or 100 for £997.99. ISBNs are a one-time purchase with no recurring fees.
Either works. The national agencies — Bowker in the US, Nielsen in the UK — issue ISBNs directly, and going that route lets you register your own publisher imprint. Buying through a reseller like HMD Publishing is faster and cheaper: the number is assigned instantly rather than in 1–3 business days, and the trade-off is that HMD Publishing Ltd is listed as the publisher of record instead of your own imprint. That listing is purely administrative — you keep full copyright, full creative control, and 100% of your royalties either way. An ISBN bought from a reseller is a normal, valid ISBN and is accepted everywhere an agency-issued one is.
An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a unique 13-digit numeric identifier assigned to each edition and format of a book. ISBNs are administered by the International ISBN Agency and used by publishers, bookstores, libraries, and distributors in over 150 countries to catalogue, order, and track books. The current standard is ISBN-13, which begins with the prefix 978 or 979.
An ISBN is essential for wide distribution. It is required by major distributors like IngramSpark, Gardners, and Baker & Taylor, and is used by bookstores and libraries worldwide to order and catalogue books. Without one, your book cannot be ordered through the book trade at all — only through the single retailer that issued its own identifier. An ISBN also allows you to track sales data across all channels.
Each format of your book requires its own ISBN. A paperback edition needs one ISBN, an ebook needs a separate ISBN, a hardcover needs another, and an audiobook needs its own. If you publish a substantially revised edition, that also requires a new ISBN. Most authors publishing one book in paperback and ebook format need at least 2 ISBNs, which is why our 3-pack is the most popular choice — it covers paperback, ebook, and hardcover with a saving over buying individually.
Yes. HMD Publishing never takes any percentage of your book sales or royalties. The ISBN is registered under HMD Publishing Ltd as the publisher of record, but this is purely administrative. You retain full copyright, full creative control, and 100% of all royalties from every sale across every platform.
Yes. ISBNs purchased through HMD Publishing work with all major publishing platforms including Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu, Draft2Digital, BookBaby, and any other platform that accepts ISBN-13 numbers. When you set up your book on these platforms, simply enter your 13-digit ISBN in the ISBN field during the publishing process.
No. An ISBN is a one-time purchase with no subscription fees, renewal costs, or ongoing charges. Once you purchase an ISBN from HMD Publishing, it is yours permanently. There are no hidden fees of any kind.
HMD Publishing Ltd is the publisher of record on the ISBN, because the number comes from our UK publisher prefix. This is standard practice for ISBN resellers and is purely an administrative designation. HMD Publishing does not claim any rights, ownership, or royalties over your work. You remain the sole author and copyright holder. Many bestselling self-published authors use publisher-imprint ISBNs for the professional credibility it provides.
Instantly. Your ISBN numbers are assigned automatically at checkout and delivered to your email within minutes. There is no waiting period, no paperwork, and no approval process. You can begin using your ISBN on Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or any other platform immediately after purchase.
Assigned at checkout, emailed in minutes
One-time purchase, no recurring costs, and 100% of your royalties stay with you.
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