Having an ISBN code is one of the prerequisite of publishing a book if you are serious about publishing one. Needless to say, you will wish to see your book in major libraries and bookstores but this will only be possibly when you have an ISBN.
This post will tell the cost of obtaining an ISBN number in Nigeria but before then, what is ISBN?
The Full Meaning of ISBN
ISBN is an acronym for International Standard Book Number, it is a number that serves as a means of identification for a particular book for the purpose of commerce and supply. It is a unique number and also international which means there’s no two books with identical ISBN. It is made of 13 digits, divided into 5 parts using either hyphen or spaces with the first 3 representing the international code followed by the next 3 digits which serves as country identifier, then the next 3 goes for the publisher identifier and then the next 3 stands for title identifier. The last digit is the check digit. An ISBN number looks like this 978-0-434-45675-0
Cost of an ISBN in Nigeria and How To Get It
The cost of obtaining an ISBN depends but generally for just a book, it is N2,500. It can be obtained from any ISBN office in any of the national library (Abuja and Lagos). However, you will need to submit the following below for your registration to be processed and processing proper usually takes about 2 weeks.
- A completed form to apply for ISBN
- An ISBN application letter to accompany the form and should be written on your company letter headed paper
- A photocopy of your certificate of incorporation that was issued to you via the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and
- A printed copy of the manuscript of your book.
As you can see from the above, to get an ISBN in Nigeria isn’t a difficult task once the procedures are followed.
