ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. You are likely familiar with the 10 or 13 digit ISBNs appearing on the copyright page and above the barcode on the back of a print version book. This barcode just identifies the ISBN and may or may not include a price. Even though the ISBN is a number corresponding to a book, it is actually related to the publisher and the edition not as much related to the title and author.This is how you know if you should get an ISBN.You should get an ISBN if-You plan to market your book to major book stores online or brick and mortar- If you are trying to grow your brand-If you believe that the initial investing costs of ISBNs will be offset by the salesFor most new authors, especially those on a tight budget, the freely assigned ISBNs are not a completely terrible choice. I have many women I work with who aspire to make an ebook before publishing their first physical book. While working on their books I often get asked the question about whether or not they should consider getting an ISBN for their ebook. In this article I will share the truth about when to get an ISBN for your ebook and when you do not need one.When can I not get an ISBN for my ebook?My suggestion is if you’re only publishing on your own website and nowhere else you can get away with not using an isbn. In fact I have a few ebooks I give out as freebies or are part of my courses that do not have isbn’s attached. You can also consider this on Kindle- an amazon platform. The Kindle program has its own internal tracking number assigned to each eBook. Since your eBook is not sold anywhere else, Kindle tracking is all you need.When should I get an ISBN number for my ebook?1. You should do this when want your eBook to be listed in your own publishing company’s name. There’s nothing like working hard on your content and your book and then having “Kindle Direct Publishing” appearing on your eBook’s listing which in turn lumps you with everyone else’s book.2. You want to sell your eBook with multiple retailers. If you want to list your eBook on multiple retailers’ websites and maximize potential sales it is imperative that you can track your e book and that it is under your publishing companies name. It looks good when your book is tied to a publisher (even if it is your publishing company) because it appears to be more professional. You want to make sure you get paid for eBook sales that are rightfully yours. If your eBook does not have its own unique ISBN registered directly to you, your sales can easily be confused with another person or publishing company. You did the work you deserve the royalties.3: You want your eBook’s title to rank higher on Google. One thing I recently learned is that by purchasing ISBNs gives you the ability to list your book in Bowker’s Books in Printdatabase, which is licensed to search engines like Google. This will help people find your book way easier when using a google search. But be sure your book is included in the Books in Printdatabase, otherwise it is highly likely that it may not show up in internet search results.Now it’s up to you to decide if you will indeed get an ISBN for your e-book!If you're looking for more supports on your eBook creation journey sign up for my write an eBook that sells training HERE!