Quote:
Originally Posted by SigilBear
But the question is really mute, because even if an ISBN is merely RECOMMENDED, I'm going to get one. So my original question still stands: If I get an ISBN for a book I'm selling via iBooks, can I slap the same ISBN on the Kindle version of the same book.
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Kindle books sold through Amazon do not use an ISBN. It would be wasted. Amazon uses ASIN's on their website, and one is assigned when the book is put up for sale.
The ISBN rules are very clear: One ISBN for each version in each *format* and each DRM setting. Kindle books are Mobi/AZW3/Kfx, Itunes books are epubs.
If you sell the epub elsewhere, and use the same DRM settings (for instance, none) you can use the same ISBN. If instead, you have an epub that allows printing, and one that doesn't, they need different ISBN's because those are different DRM settings.
You will need another ISBN for any paperback (another format), pdf (another format) or hardcover (another format) book you issue.
If you sell the mobi/kindle edition directly from your own website, you could (but don't have to) use an ISBN on that too.
If you translate the book, and sell it in pdf, paperback, epub and kindle editions, that's another 3 ISBN's (one for each format that needs one).
Every time you update a format that needs an ISBN with new content, that is a new edition. It needs a new ISBN. Republishing with the same content is a reprint, and doesn't.
https://www.isbn-international.org/c...sbn-assignment read the section "When to assign a new ISBN"
(ETA: All of this is moot if you are only selling it from your own website. You don't need an ISBN to put up a file on your website. Some stores, for instance B&N will also accept books without ISBN's if they are published directly there, and not through D2D or Smashwords, they'll assign it a "fake" 13 digit identifier from their own scheme instead.)