The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) serves as a universal method for tracking and organizing information about every published book. You can find the ISBN displayed as a barcode on the back of a book, which, when scanned by a laser, reveals the unique identifier for that specific publication. It's important to note that each edition of a book, whether it's a paperback, hardback, or audiobook, must have its own distinct ISBN. When it comes to ebooks, there is some flexibility in the requirement for ISBNs, but certain distributors, like Smashwords, may still mandate one for your ebook. The necessity of an ISBN for your ebook depends on your chosen publishing platform. However, for paperback editions, you will invariably require an ISBN. In the United States, the exclusive official source for obtaining ISBNs is Bowker (in the UK, it's Nielsen). Purchasing a single ISBN directly from them can start at a price point of approximately $250. This might seem like a considerable investment just to comply with the bureaucratic demands of the publishing world, all for a sequence of 13 seemingly insignificant numbers. However, publishers have the advantage of procuring ISBNs at a lower cost due to bulk purchasing. Additionally, services like Create Space can offer reduced-price ISBNs to authors. At our service, we can provide you with ISBNs for your books at the affordable rate of $8.