How can you sell an ibook for free without an isbn?

Question

Level 1

3 points

How can you sell an ibook for free without an isbn?

So here's my issue:

I want to eventually sell iBooks that I create using iBooks author. However, until I get the hang of it, I would like to publish a few for free. I signed up to be an offical iBooks author through iTunes, and was granted the permissions to get into iTunes Connect. It asked me if I wanted to make books for free, or if I wanted to make books to sell for a price. It also said that you should pick the latter should I want to sell a few for free to start and then move up to selling for a price. I also read that you do not need to purchase an ISBN for books you plan on selling for free.

I then spent several months working on my first iBook and I'm ready to publish to the store. I'm then required to download iTunes producer. Once that's installed, it says I need a ISBN even if I'm offering the book for free.

What gives?

Posted on Apr 27, 2012 8:05 PM

Reply

Answer 1

K T

Level 7

23,865 points

Apr 27, 2012 8:11 PM in response to liles13

Free books, via a 'free books account' aren't 'sold' and to do only that, in that context does not require an iSBN-13. It doesn't sound like that's the account you signed up for.

If you have a paid iBooks account, you can price a book for zero, give it away for 'free' (I think), but that process still requires an ISBN-13.

Again, selling, at any price, via a paid account, even if that price is 000.00, requires an ISBN-13.

Reply

Answer 2

liles13 Author

Level 1

3 points

Apr 27, 2012 8:29 PM in response to K T

I mean, evidently this is the case, but that really should've been made more clear. I'm not paying $125 to give away something I created.

Anyway, I tried this other route people have mentioned, which means having to create an entire second iTunes Producer account, which means seperate Apple IDs and seperate credit card confirmations.

I did all that, and finally got to the iTunes Connect Application Page, and everytime I try and sign up for a free account, there's an error page.

I was really hoping to use the iTunes Store to give my book away fro free, but I guess I'll have to just make it downloadable via my website. This is ridiculous.

Reply

Answer 3

K T

Level 7

23,865 points

Apr 27, 2012 8:35 PM in response to liles13

How you price a book is your decision. Work with the process or don't - you're free to choose 🙂

Create another account for free books and go nuts - just stop vilifying Apple like they hunted you down and forced you into something you don't want to do. You have choices...use them.

Reply

Answer 4

liles13 Author

Level 1

3 points

Apr 27, 2012 8:35 PM in response to liles13

Also, here is the descriptions for the two accounts:

Free Books Account

A Free Books Account allows you to offer books for free on the iBookstore. If you set up a Free Books Account, and later decide you have books you'd like to sell, you will need to create a Paid Books Account to do so.

Paid Books Account

A Paid Books Account allows you to sell books and offer books for free on the iBookstore. You will need to provide banking and tax information so you can receive payment.

You can see where I felt misled.

Reply

Answer 5

liles13 Author

Level 1

3 points

Apr 27, 2012 8:36 PM in response to K T

It won't let me create a free account, please see above.

Reply

Answer 6

K T

Level 7

23,865 points

Apr 27, 2012 8:38 PM in response to liles13

No, I don't. No where does it say you can sell for zero with a paid account and no ISBN.

As always, feel free to use the 'Provide iBooks Author Feedback' menu item for features you'd like added in the future, etc.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ibooks-author.html

Reply

Answer 7

K T

Level 7

23,865 points

Apr 27, 2012 8:39 PM in response to liles13

And yet others have both...

Reply

Answer 8

liles13 Author

Level 1

3 points

Apr 27, 2012 8:44 PM in response to K T

Yeah, I'm just contiually trying to sign up and get the same error page. I think it's obvious others are running into this problem.

Reply

Answer 9

Apr 27, 2012 9:45 PM in response to K T

Create another account for free books and go nuts - just stop vilifying Apple like they hunted you down and forced you into something you don't want to do. You have choices...use them.

Like yourself, the OP is entitled to his/her opinion.

I do not recall the OP villifying Apple.

K T, I have no doubt that many people appreciate the help you offer here in this forum. I am also sure that they would appreciate your help even more if you were to refrain from telling them how to behave.

And, my personal opinion on the matter: Apple have a bug in their process because it doesn't make sense to require an ISBN for a free book, especially seeing that Apple state that no ISBN is needed for free books. At the very least, supplying an ISBN should be optional for free books.

Michi.

Reply

Answer 10

K T

Level 7

23,865 points

Apr 28, 2012 7:12 AM in response to MichiHenning

Get a room...

And stop complaining about the process. It exists for a reason. Just because we're not privy to the details doesn't mean it lacks cause.

Reply

Answer 11

liles13 Author

Level 1

3 points

Apr 28, 2012 11:30 AM in response to K T

KT,

I asked how to sell a free iBook without an ISBN number through a paid account, and your advice was:

Work with the process or don't - you're free to choose 🙂 Create another account for free books and go nuts - just stop vilifying Apple

I said, Okay, that doesn't make much sense to have to create two seperate accounts, but I went with it, and now it doesn't allow me to create a Free Books Account. Your advice was:

And yet others have both...

So, now I literally can't submit a free iBook I created without forking over $125 for an ISBN number. Your advice is:

Get a room...And stop complaining about the process.

If you're not going to be helpful, please keeps your condescending comments to yourself. We're trying to solve a problem here, and your attitude just adds to the frusteration.

Reply

Answer 12

fmlogue

Level 1

4 points

Apr 28, 2012 12:15 PM in response to liles13

KT stop being an ***. This is a legitimate question which is not unambiguously answered anywhere I can find in Apple's FAQ. If I want to keep my options open concerning selling iBooks made with iBook Author, but I know that I want to offer free books at this time, and if I then get a paid book account, do I also, in this case, have to pay $125 or so for an ISBN number for these free books I am offering? If that is the case, can I have both a free book account and a paid book account so I don't have to buy an ISBN number for my free books but I will still be able to make and offer books for sale in the future. This is an important question that a lot of us need an answer to.

Reply

Answer 13

Apr 28, 2012 2:04 PM in response to K T

Yes, there is a reason, I completely agree with that. The reason is that Apple ballsed it up.

But I have no doubt that you will continue to assure eveeryone around here that Apple can do no wrong.

MIchi.

Reply

Answer 14

liles13 Author

Level 1

3 points

Apr 28, 2012 7:26 PM in response to fmlogue

fmlogue -

This is what I've found. You have the option to sign up for a Free Book Account or a Paid Book Account.

If you sign up for a Free Book Account, you do not need an ISBN number to submit your iBook to the iTunes Store. However, you will not ever be able to sell an iBook for a price through this account.

If you sign up for a Paid Book Account, you can sell iBooks for a price or for free, but you need an ISBN no matter what. That means paying at least $125, even if you're offering your iBook for free.

You cannot have both Book Accounts within one Apple ID. That means, you'll need to create a seperate Apple ID for your Paid Books Account (to sell books for a price), and another Apple ID to offer books for free without an ISBN number.

Currently, I've been trying for over 24 hours to use a second Apple ID to sign up for a Free Books Account and it will not let me. Every time I hit continue after filling out the information, the iTunes Connect site gives me a strange error message.

I hope this helps.

Reply

Answer 15

Smiles77

Level 1

0 points

May 26, 2012 3:10 PM in response to liles13

There are resellers of ISBNs that you can purchase a single one for as low as $5 from sites such as epubbud.com

There are caveats, like the publisher will be listed as epubbud and you as the author, but that's the price of a cheaper ISBN.

Reply