Whether you’re self-publishing, using Amazon KDP, working with a hybrid publisher, or distributing through platforms like IngramSpark, you should always use your own ISBNs. When a third party assigns their ISBN to your book, they become the publisher of record, which can limit your control over distribution, metadata, and royalties. I recently ran into an issue where my formatter mistakenly registered my book under their Amazon KDP account, then attempted to replace my ISBN with one tied to their publishing company. Here’s why that’s a problem and what you should know.
- Ownership and Control
When a formatter or publishing company provides their own ISBN, they are listed as the publisher of record, meaning your book is technically under their name. This could lead to complications with royalties, rights, and future updates to the book.
By using your own ISBN, you retain full control over your book’s distribution, sales channels, and metadata (like price and category).
- Brand and Credibility
Your ISBN reflects your brand or publishing imprint, which is important for long-term reputation-building if you want to self-publish multiple books.
If their ISBN is used, your book could appear under their company’s name on platforms like Amazon and IngramSpark, which could confuse readers and retailers about who owns the book.
- ISBN Registration Rights
ISBNs are non-transferable. Once a book is registered with an ISBN, it is tied to that edition and publisher forever. If you want to republish or revise your book, you’d have to get another ISBN, making things messier. - Royalty and Platform Control
With your own ISBN, you’ll have full control over how your book is listed and sold, including how you manage pricing and promotions on Amazon KDP and other platforms. If the formatter’s ISBN is used, you might have to depend on them to make updates or changes.
– Tia Ross
