This page is specifically for UK-based ISBNs. It explains how to assign an ISBN to a book correctly, when you need separate ISBNs for different formats, how metadata registration works, what to do about the British Library legal deposit requirement, and how to generate a barcode for free.
Important: Using an ISBN is not the same as pressing publish on Amazon KDP or IngramSpark. The ISBN identifies a specific product in the book trade. You still need to place it correctly in the book, attach the right metadata to it, and complete any post-publication obligations that apply in the UK.
This is the practical sequence most UK self-publishers should follow.
Decide whether you are assigning the ISBN to a paperback, hardback, EPUB, PDF, audiobook or another distinct format.
Each separately sold format or materially different digital version should normally have its own ISBN.
Finalise title, subtitle, author name, format, price, publication date, trim size, binding and description.
Submit the ISBN against the correct title metadata so the book trade can identify the book properly.
Add the ISBN to the copyright page and barcode area if you are publishing a print edition.
After publication, comply with UK legal deposit requirements and keep your metadata up to date.
An ISBN identifies a specific product, not just a manuscript. Before assigning one, decide exactly what the customer is buying. This is where many self-publishers go wrong.
Needs its own ISBN if sold as a print paperback edition.
Needs a different ISBN from the paperback because it is a separate format.
Usually should have its own ISBN if distributed beyond a single closed platform.
Usually should have a different ISBN from EPUB because it is a different digital format.
Normally needs its own ISBN if you are assigning ISBNs to that product type.
A substantially revised edition should receive a new ISBN.
Simple rule: if a retailer, library, distributor or reader needs to distinguish one version from another, the safest assumption is that it should have a separate ISBN. That usually means paperback, hardback, EPUB and PDF should not share one ISBN.
The ISBN itself is only part of the job. You also need a clean title record. Before registration, prepare these details:
If you buy directly from Nielsen as your own publisher, your ISBN allocation then needs to be tied to a proper book record. Nielsen guidance for UK publishers points users to BookData / Title Editor for registering the first publication and maintaining title metadata. If you obtain an ISBN through this site under our imprint, we handle the publisher-side assignment framework and you should still make sure the distribution platform metadata matches the exact ISBN and edition.
What happens after registration? Your title data becomes much easier for the trade to recognise. Retailers, wholesalers, libraries and catalogues can match the ISBN to the correct product. That does not automatically guarantee listing everywhere, but it gives the book a proper industry identity.
UK publishers should not ignore legal deposit. If you publish in the UK and Ireland, legal deposit rules apply to qualifying publications regardless of whether the book has an ISBN.
For printed publications, the British Library states that publishers should send a copy to the Legal Deposit Office, British Library, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7BY.
The British Library guidance says publishers should continue to submit print publications, and additional requests may also come via the Agency for Legal Deposit Libraries on behalf of the other legal deposit libraries.
Important nuance: legal deposit is a publication obligation, not merely an ISBN step. Even if an ISBN helps identify the book, deposit duties arise because the work has been published in the UK, not because the number exists.
Once you have a valid ISBN-13, you can generate a matching retail barcode for free using an online ISBN or EAN-13 barcode generator.
Coming soon: this site will soon provide free barcodes for every ISBN purchased here, so buyers will be able to generate or download them directly without needing a third-party tool.
No. Those are separate formats and should normally have separate ISBNs.
Usually no. Different digital formats should generally have separate ISBNs, especially when they are distinct market products.
Not always. Some closed platforms such as Kindle do not strictly require one, but if you assign one, it should be unique to that version and not reused across other formats.
You create metadata confusion across retailers, libraries and distributors. It is much better to separate editions correctly from the start.
Buy official UK ISBNs here, then use this guide to assign each one correctly to your paperback, hardback or ebook edition.