ISBN Is a Record of the Version

Name the object

An ISBN names a particular title, edition, and format. The International ISBN Agency says paperback, EPUB, and PDF are separate product forms, and that ISBN is an identifier for supply-chain use, not copyright protection. Begin with an edition sheet before anyone uploads a file.

For a hypothetical book, list paperback, hardback, EPUB, PDF, and audiobook on separate lines. Add language, imprint, trim or file type, release state, and intended identifier. This turns a vague question into a useful one: are we correcting the same object or making another product?

Use significance

The ISBN manual distinguishes substantial changes from minor corrections. A corrected typo or changed cover colour does not by itself require another number; a new language, product form, title, or substantial revision is a reason to ask the national agency or distributor. Record why you decided either way.

Keep the number beside a short description: format, language, edition, and proof approval date. If a service supplies an identifier, record the displayed publisher or registrant before assuming the record will travel. Verify the final product page and reader file.

Leave a usable trail

A dated edition sheet prevents an old cover, interior, and retailer listing from being joined by accident. Save the withdrawn file’s date and the exact words that distinguish a revised product. A future editor should not need to guess which object a number was meant to name.

Specific production checks

Compare the ISBN in the barcode area, copyright page, distributor dashboard, and retailer listing before release. For a paperback reprint with one corrected error, retain the existing number only after the edition statement and interior match the decision sheet. For a revised EPUB with a new appendix, record why its product identity differs and check the identifier embedded in the package.

When a title is withdrawn, do not recycle its number for a new work. Mark the record unavailable, retain the file and product description, and make the successor edition’s relation legible. This protects cataloguers and readers from a number that silently changes its book.