Firstly, what is an ISBN? It is the International Standard Book Number System and is the way the book industry stores information on a book and can find a book. All books with an ISBN can be searched by bookshops and ordered from their normal suppliers. So do you need an ISBN? There is no legal requirement to have an ISBN. If you are happy to limit the sales of your book to private sales and from the Skoobebooks online bookstore only, then you will not need an ISBN. However if you want your book to be fully available to the full book trade and lending libraries you MUST have an ISBN. So if you write a book which is only for a known audience (your family history for example) and you are not interested in selling it to the general public then you do not need an ISBN. If you are an author writing the next number 1 best seller you will most definitely need an ISBN. When we issue you with an ISBN there is a small cost involved which pays for the ISBN number and the legal requirement to print 6 copies of the book to be sent to the British Library and the Legal Depository for distribution to the other library members. Skoobebooks will handle the ISBN registration, printing and distribution of the 6 copies for you.  Do You Need an ISBN?