Samyak Lalit is an Indian author and disability rights activist. He is the principal author and founder of projects like TechWelkin, WeCapable, Viklangta, Kavita Kosh among many others.
At times, I share with you information that is not exactly related with computer technology. Such articles are based on my research whenever I find myself in need. For example, my articles on registration of ngo (trust, society) are very popular and have helped thousands of people.
Raghav, A tech-savvy friend of mine wrote a programming related book (a pretty thick one!). He knows that his book is good quality and he will be able to sell it without support from a big publisher. To maximize his profits, Raghav wanted to publish it on his own. Self-publishing is in upswing nowadays in India.
“I have written this book and I can self publish it, but I don’t know how to get ISBN number. Big publishers have ISBN but where do they it from?”, asked Raghav.
“See, although you don’t really need ISBN for publishing your book but it is good if you have it. Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN is the authority who issues ISBN numbers in India.”, I replied.
I researched a bit more and gave all the available information to Raghav about how to apply for ISBN.
Today, I am bringing you the same information that I gave Raghav. With the advent of self-publishing and it’s growing popularity among writers, questions about ISBN numbers are being often asked. Here is a compilation of all the information you need to know about getting and using ISBN numbers in India.
Learn how to get ISBN Numbers in India.
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a unique International Publisher’s Identifier number, which is meant for monographic publications. It identifies publisher and the title of publication. This 13 digit number is machine readable when converted into a EAN-13 barcode. You see this barcode, usually, on the back cover of books.
Following types of material is eligible for having an ISBN:
No, it is not mandatory to print an ISBN number on your book. You can publish your book without ISBN. But it is recommended to have ISBN because it makes your book uniquely identifiable. Also its sale becomes easier at stores where they make bill using a barcode reader. If your book will not have an ISBN bar code –it will be difficult for selling store to make bill for the purchaser of your book.
Getting ISBN number in India is totally free. You don’t have to pay a single paisa for this.
Yes, hardcover (hard-bound, cloth-bound, hard-back) and paperback versions of the same book require separate ISBN numbers.
Yes. If you’re publishing the same book in a different language –you cannot use the same ISBN. You will need to assign a separate ISBN number to each of various language versions of the same book.
Any person or entity wanting to publish a book can now apply for ISBN.
Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN is authorized to issue ISBN number in India. It is an agency under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.
In order to get ISBN numbers you would need to send an application to Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN. In your application you have to provide the following information:
In addition, you will also need to enclose the following along with the application form:
NOTE: (as per the experience of a reader) If you want to get ISBN as an individual, you need to include a photocopy of cover of your book. Before applying for the ISBN number, you should get your front cover and back cover finalized and send the photocopy of the same.
You can download the application form from authority’s website. Click here to get the ISBN application form
(Latest application form download link was informed to me by my reader AP Pradeepkumar through comments section. Thank you!)
You need to send the completely filled form to the following address:
Raja Ram Mohun Roy ISBN Agency
Department of Higher Education
Ministry of Human Resource Development
Room No. 13, Jeevan Deep Building,
4th Floor, Parliament Street,
New Delhi
PIN Code: 110001
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +91-11-23369668
(These new contact details were informed to me by my readers S. Bhattacharjee and Mayank Sharma through comments section. Earlier the Agency was located in R.K. Puram)
NOTE: (as per the experience of readers) Many of my readers have commented that when they called the above given numbers, no one picked up the phone. Well, guys, it’s a government office and it is not surprising if they don’t pick up. The numbers are correct as per the best of my knowledge. Try calling them and PLEASE do let me know if you have any other number that works. It will benefit other readers.
NOTE: (as per the experience of readers and my friends) It has also been reported that they take a lot of time in sending acknowledgement of receiving application. Most of the time you don’t get any acknowledgement. It is highly recommended that you personally visit the above mentioned office and take acknowledgement receipt after submitting application. I know it is very difficult especially if you live outside of Delhi. But that is practically how it works.
Earlier ISBN number used to be issued in blocks of ten (i.e. you would have to apply for at least ten ISBN numbers). But as self-publishing is becoming popular, the authority has begun to issue even a single ISBN. So, if you don’t need more, you can apply for just one ISBN number.
Usually, if you have provided all the details in application form, you get ISBN within 8 weeks (two months)
© TechWelkin.comDear Mr Lalit , Further to my query I need to check with you that the ISBN number I got was from my printer who purchased ISBN numbers in bulk from RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY.
I Self published my book last month and used the ISBN number he gave me .
So right now it is in his name and he prints several other books for people How do I go about this now do I need to register this number now under my name because it is in his name ? I need to sell my books at the book shops and through flipkart and amazon etc even internationally
Please advise how to go about this how do I register it in my name and what attachments etc are needed please Regards
Salma Bernard
RRRNA just makes sure that it issues unique ISBN numbers and one should an ISBN number issued by RRRNA. Now that you have got an ISBN printed on your book, you should just upload your book in online stores like Flipkart and Amazon. These stores will associate ISBN with your book. So, when someone will make a search by ISBN, your book will come up in results.
karthick rajan says: hello sir, what is the meaning of paperback or hard back which is given in the application form. karthick rajan says: hello sir, what is the meaning of paperback or hard back which is given in the applicaton form. Lalit Kumar says: Hard back is a version of book that is hard bound (with hard zild). Paperback’s cover is not hard. Salma Bernard says:Hi Lalit
Can I check please I have already self published my book and have a ISBN number on it. Do I need to register this with any agency whether Raja Ram Mohan Roy in Delhi or in the US. bowker
After getting the ISBN number and incorporating in the book is there anything else like registration to be done .
If so can you please guide me
Thanks
Salma
If you’ve got ISBN number from the Raja Ram Mohan Roy authority you don’t need to register any further.
rohit sharma says:namaskar sir, actually i write a journal on a yearly basis, so i will be honored to know if i can apply for a ISBN or i should go with ISSN for my journal.
Lalit Kumar says: ISSN is required for journals. Ganesh says:Hi, Useful article. thanks! We got 10 ISBN’s in the past and I always have a question about how or who will assign the numbers to match the book so any bar code reader can identify it correctly. Please clarify this part. We have used around 6 to 7 ISBN’s and sent an email to them with book cover but really don’t know how to make the search show the books if anyone type the ISBN online anywhere. Regards
Lalit Kumar says:Such an assignment of ISBN numbers is done in retailer’s database. For example, if you upload your books on Amazon.com then Amazon will make entry in their database wherein they will show ISBN-BookName pair. Search engines, like Google, pick the book details from stores like Amazon.
BhargavJ says:I live in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Should I send my application by registered post or courier? Also, how much postage is required for the self-addressed envelope (which they send back to you) – Rs. 39, as the site says, or more? What do applicants from Gujarat or further south do? Thanks a lot for putting up this site, Lalit!
Lalit Kumar says:Bhargava ji, to be on the safer side, I would put a little extra postage on the self-addressed envelop. Better send the application by registered post.
Kiran S N says:Dear Lalit,
Thanks a lot for creating a platform and answering the queries endlessly, it is very sad that the organization takes much time to process our request, please let me know whether the agency insists on the finished cover page or a text of the cover page and back cover are sufficient?
Can anyone enlighten me of the possibility of visiting the office in person and getting the request processed immediately?
Thanks to all contributors.
Hello Kiran, yes, you can (and I think you should if you can!) visit the office of the agency. Considering this is a government office, I can not be confident whether they will do your work immediately but at least your application will move forward. Another benefit of visiting their office would be that you will get to know what all they need to process your application. An acquaintance of mine got his set of ISBN numbers in a single visit to the office. You should carry all the required documents and information that is mentioned in this article. IF you do not yet have a cover image, just create a temporary one in MS Word for the sake of it. Please let us know about your experience of visiting the agency’s office and give us tips on how to get ISBN numbers from that office.
Sushanta Kumar Das says: Sorry !You should open account on online book stores like Flipkart and Amazon etc. There you can upload information about your ebook and you can sell it too.
Shubham says:Sir I want to know that is it necessary to send the Application form by ordinary post or i can send by registered or speed post?
Lalit Kumar says:I think you can send it through registered post as well but I would suggest you to send it through ordinary post. Government offices, you know!
Sandip Kubal says: Thank you sir for providing ISBN information. Mrigen says:Sir, I would like to know if I can apply ISBN for the journal for which I have been selected second in All India Oriental conference 2015. Could you please reply to my question?
Lalit Kumar says: For journals, you need an ISSN number. ISBN is for books. Dariyus says:Dear Mr Kumar, I recently finished writing my first novel and plan to write two more to create a trilogy, but I had already written it long back in the form of a poem. If I want to publish the poem separately from the novel, can I use the same ISBN, or do I have to apply for a separate number, or choose an ISBN from the list of ten which they provide? And finally, once I write the next two novels, can I use the ISBNs from the block of 10 provided to me? Thank you,
Dariyus
Yes, Dariyus, you can use ISBNs that you have got anytime you want. To separate publications must have different ISBNs attached to them. So, the poem version will have one ISBN and the novel version will have another ISBN attached.
varaprasad says:I already got ISBN no from RRR Agency, but my ISBN number is not displaying in ISBN search. Are there is any further steps to be taken? Please inform me.
Lalit Kumar says: What exactly do you mean by ISBN Search? Ganesan says:In the application form for allotment of ISBN for Publishers the 5th item is
Category in which applied (5/4/3/2/1)
So my question is what is term ‘Category’ ?
Sir, should i include the manuscript with the other required documents to get the ISBN. Is it mandatory?
Lalit Kumar says: No, manuscript is not required to be submitted along with the application form for ISBN. Dr.Sarat Chandra Mohanty says: Thanks a lot for detailed notes on publishing a book having ISBN. Ospey says:Thanks for the very useful information given here. This Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Agency is indeed a waste of time. I went online to http://www.epubbud.com and paid $19 and got the ISBN immediately with the Barcode and EAN 5.
Aniket Bhalerao says:In the application form for allotment of ISBN for Publishers the 5th item is
Category in which applied (5/4/3/2/1)
So my question is what is term ‘Category’ ? anikeT
Hi Mr. Kumar,
Thank you for this article. It is very informative. I have a query, if you could please help me. I have a series of 8 books and two individual books printed. I had applied for the ISBN nos. and have received 10 nos. I just wanted to know if there is any further procedure to be followed. Can I assign any of the ten nos. given to me to any book?
hello sir this is S.Swathi from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. We submitted our books along with the filled application in March 2015, but till now we did not receive ISBN number. When I called to find the status, no one is picking the phone. It is important to our institution. What can I do?
Lalit Kumar says:Dear Swathi, as you can deduce from other comments, several other readers have complained the same. I have just written this article to give my readers information about how to apply for ISBN numbers. I am not related to the agency that give ISBN number. I am sorry but I can not really do anything about it. All I can do is hope that the Raja Ram Mohun Roy ISBN Agency becomes more responsive to the ISBN seekers.
PRATEEK BHAWAL says:Dear Sir/Mam, I am a copywriter in a media house. We publish a monthly Magazine on social issues & other topics related to public interest. Since I can’t figure out whether our magazine is eligible for ISSN or ISBN, I would like to know, whether a commercial “magazine” containing subjects & content of various genres, along with advertisements, is eligible for ISSN or ISBN? Since the cover and the contents of such magazines include advertisement & subscription offers, and are subjected to change with each issue… Its pretty confusing that in which eligibility criteria of the International Standards, does these magazines fall? Or what the bar codes & numbers signifies on the cover of national/international magazines like India Today, Filmfare, GQ etc… Can you please explain? In addition, I would also like to know the answers to the following: For what type of material can we get ISSN?
For what type of material ISSN will not be issued?
How much does ISSN cost?
Will a separate ISSN be required for different versions of the magazine? (like paperback, hardbound, e-book, etc.?)
Will a separate ISSN be needed for different language?
Who can apply for ISSN?
How many times a person/organization can apply for ISSN?
Which authority issues ISSN numbers in India?
How to get ISSN in India?
Application form for ISSN Number
Where to send application form?
What Documents or formalities are required along with the application?
How many ISSN numbers are issued?
How much time will it take to get ISSN? I would be sincerely extremely grateful if you kindly provide me with all the related info to the above questions. Looking forward to your prompt reply. Regards,
Prateek Bhawal
Raipur, INDIA
Dear Lalit, How can we get an ISBN which is different to the normally prescribed 97881 series for Indian publishers. We have an international address, if we use that will we get an ISBN of some other series or the typical 97881 series? Awaiting for your reply. Thanks, Vardhan
Lalit Kumar says:Dear Vardhan, Raja Ram Mohun Roy ISBN Agency may not be able to issue ISBN of some other series than 978-818 series. The “818” part in ISBN number denotes that the book was published in India. You may however get a different ISBN series if you apply in some other country.
soumyen banerjee says:the PIN of ISBN agency, room no 13 , jeevan deep building is 110001 and the phone no. of the said office is 011-23369668
Lalit Kumar says: Thank you Soumyen! I have added the PIN number in the address. A.P.Pradeepkumar says:Things are not really rosy in the ISBN office in the 5th floor of Jeevan Deep buildings, New Delhi. As of 26 June 2015, there is a pile up of unopened envelopes containing ISBN applications etc., since the person tasked with the job has been transferred/on leave (?). Applications directly submitted will get processed immediately.
The cramped ISBN office doesn’t inspire much confidence. Also, newly introduced reform, once you run out of ISBN.s you have to submit a copy of all your previous ISBN numbered publications, along with the fresh request for new ISBN.s
Thank you very much for sharing your experience at the ISBN office. Your comment will help other ISBN seekers.
Mehriz says:Hello Sir,
Glad to find your page while researching on ISBN. i tried with the new number you provided, it is a wrong number.
sir i am about to independently publish my first novel after 2 months. i am the youngest writer of my city. after publishing i would like to also sell my book over Amazon. E-book as well as Hard copy. so is only one ISBN enough for E-book and Hard copy of 1st edition?
and sir we need to attach front and back cover page of the book. It should be color or black & white?
Hello Sir, My father is an author who has written more than 15 books. None of these books have an ISBN number. Once we apply and get the ISBN numbers, do we have to reprint the books? I have read something about ISBN stickers. Am I to understand that the agency will provide us with the ISBN number, after which we should get the ISBN stickers printed locally and then paste them on the books? Any idea how much the cost of printing such stickers is? I live in Gujarat. My father has prepared another book this year, which is still to be printed. We wish to get an ISBN for this book, but the cover page is not yet finalized. Suppose we prepare a cover page on our own, send it to the agency and get an ISBN number, and later, when the book gets printed, the cover page is somewhat different, will that be allowed or will they revoke the number? Also, when they ask for a cover page, do they mean the front cover alone, or the front and back covers both, on one single page? This page contains the names and numbers of the people handling the ISBN allotment. Has anyone every emailed and got a reply? Because from what I’ve read in the comments, they don’t pick up the phone, or give proper answers. The agency also requires a self-addressed envelope with postage of Rs. 39, and says “postage stamp is subject to change”. So do I have to send an envelope with Rs. 39 postage, or more? Thanks a lot.
