FAQs

MyIdentifiers.com provides publishers with tools and resources to purchase and assign book identifiers such as ISBNs, SANs, DOIs and others available through Identifier Services. MyIdentifiers.com provides a host of discoverability services and solutions for publishers including automated tools to update or add to their title listings in Bowker's Books In Print databases.

The purpose of the ISBN is to establish and identify one title or edition of a title from one specific publisher and is unique to that edition, allowing for more efficient marketing of products by booksellers, libraries, universities, wholesalers and distributor.

MyIdentifiers.com allows you to easily organize, communicate and market your book titles and optimize their discovery among a wide audience of book, audio and video buyers. Bowker is the leading provider of bibliographic data and your titles are exposed to many facets of the book industry through this single web application.

If you intend to sell in bookstores, on Amazon and other online stores or place your book in libraries, you will be required to have an ISBN. At myidentifiers.com:

1. Buy one or more ISBNs, assigned instantly.
2. At Checkout, create an account by telling us your contact information so bookstores and libraries can contact you. If you do not have a company name, please enter your personal name in the company name field.
3. When your book is completed, please tell us about how you've used the ISBN by logging into myidentifiers.com and pressing MY ACCOUNT. Double click on the ISBN and complete the registration form.

Login and press MY ACCOUNT. Double click on the ISBN and press Generate. Enter the book's retail price and then the barcode will be made. Press Download to Save the barcode file to your computer. Do not open the barcode and do not change its format.

The Universal Product Code barcode standard requires a price for every barcode. If you do not wish to set a price you must enter $0.00.

If you supply title information to Bowker in Excel or ONIX format, you can use MyIdentifiers.com to access your listings, check titles, or make up-to-the-minute changes. You can do this online, and you will not need to create a new file or send a full update. Urgent changes to status, price, or title information can be made immediately. (Just ensure that the change also appears in your next file to Bowker, so we don't overwrite your work with incorrect information.) The My Identifiers Dashboard can also be used to enrich your title listings with cover images and descriptions all at the click of a button! In addition, stay connected to book buyers, librarians, and Bowker's™ retail customers by updating your company information in MyIdentifiers.com. You can add website and e-mail information, update your list of distributed clients, or provide contact information to our customers. MyIdentifiers.com allows you to update or enhance this information at your convenience.

No, you will not need to resubmit your information. MyIdentifiers.com is a system used to view, add, or update the information in our Books In Print database.

Our barcode service is simple, easy-to-use and especially helpful to smaller publishers. You can create and download the barcodes you need, when you need them. Bowker can also provide advice regarding price add-ons, formats, and other barcode-related questions. To visit the barcode information page click here.

For questions related specifically to MyIdentifiers.com, please e-mail [email protected]

Notify us by phoning (856) 399-7495 or emailing [email protected]. We are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm EST. To ensure that your issue is researched thoroughly, please be sure to tell us what kind of computer you have, what kind of browser you're using, the exact error message, and any steps you've already taken to resolve the problem.

Simply follow these directions

• Go to the MyIdentifiers.com home page, click on the "Create An Account" button at the top of the home page.
• If you have ever purchased an ISBN or other identifier directly through Bowker (including www.ISBN.org) you are probably in our system already. Enter the information requested in order for our system to search for your account. You will have to revise your account information, including your current e-mail address (which will be your username) and specify a new password.
• If you have never purchased an ISBN or other identifiers directly thru Bowker you will need to register for a new account. (NOTE: this also includes publishers that have self published through a website such as CreateSpace.com or Lulu.com where you have agreed to let that website assign you an ISBN from their blocks. You will need to create a new account in your name.
• You will be asked to provide the following details on the initial screen:
  • First and Last Name
  • Full address
  • Your E-mail Address (will be your username for future access)
  • Organization Name
  • Full organization address
  • Choose an organization type
  • Assign a password
• Be sure to read the Statement of Use and click the "I Agree-Create My Account" button to complete your registration.
• You will receive an e-mail confirmation message with the details of your registration.

You will be able to update your profile and organization profile within the My Identifiers Dashboard at any time. If you are having trouble creating an account, e-mail us at [email protected] or call (856) 399-7495 and a technical support specialist can assist you.

Not yet. Only publishers can view, update or add titles. If you would like to provide this information on behalf of your publishers, please contact their MyIdentifiers.com administrator. Administrators can add usernames and passwords and, therefore, provide you access to their title records.

MyIdentifiers.com requires that Cookies be activated. The steps required to enable cookies on your particular web browser will vary depending on which browser and which browser version you're using. Consult your browser's help documentation to learn how to enable your cookies.

Click on the forgot password link, enter your e-mail address in the text field, and click submit to receive a copy of your password via email.

Your copy of Excel is opening the file up using the GENERAL format.

To change, highlight the entire column, right click on your mouse or track-pad, and select Format Cells. In the dialog box which opens up, select the Number tab, highlight Number in the Category column, and click OK.