Publish Setup · Draft2Digital Topic 4 of 6
ISBN on Draft2Digital
What to do
Decide between Draft2Digital's free ISBN option and using an ISBN you own, the same core tradeoff you already saw for KDP and IngramSpark.
Why it matters
See the Choosing an ISBN topic earlier in this stage (in the KDP walkthrough) for the full background on what an ISBN is and why the free-vs-owned tradeoff matters, that explanation applies here too and isn't repeated in full below.
Step-by-step
- Draft2Digital, like KDP and IngramSpark, offers a free ISBN option: D2D will automatically assign an ISBN to your book at no charge if you don't provide your own.
- The same core limitation applies here as with any platform-assigned free ISBN: a free D2D ISBN lists Draft2Digital as the publisher of record, not your own name or imprint, and it cannot be transferred for use anywhere else, it belongs to D2D's system, the same rule covered in the earlier ISBN topic.
- If you want your own name or publishing imprint listed as the publisher, or you want one ISBN you can reuse across multiple platforms, buy and enter your own ISBN instead (in the US, from Bowker's MyIdentifiers, or your country's ISBN agency, the same source mentioned in the earlier ISBN topic).
- Remember the same cross-platform rule from the earlier ISBN topic: a free ISBN assigned by KDP or IngramSpark cannot be reused on Draft2Digital, and a free ISBN D2D assigns cannot be reused elsewhere either. Only an ISBN you personally own travels with you across platforms.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming Draft2Digital's free ISBN gives you the same ownership and imprint control as buying your own, it doesn't; it carries the same platform-lock limitation as any other free, platform-assigned ISBN.
- Trying to reuse a free ISBN that KDP or IngramSpark already assigned to your book on Draft2Digital, that specific ISBN belongs to the platform that issued it.
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Troubleshooting
I already own an ISBN I used on KDP or IngramSpark. Can I use that same one on Draft2Digital?
Yes, an ISBN you personally own and control (not one that was assigned to you for free by a platform) can be reused for the same edition across platforms, including Draft2Digital.
Do ebooks even need an ISBN?
It depends on the retailer, and Draft2Digital's own help documentation is the best current source, some retailers in D2D's network require one and some don't, but D2D will supply a free one automatically if you don't provide your own, so you won't be blocked either way.