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ISBN issuers and publishing rights resources

Official ISBN agencies, copyright information, and author contract-help organizations.

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Rights and metadata

35 resources

A–Z, not ranked. Inclusion is informational, not an endorsement.

Alliance of Independent Authors

Resources, advocacy, and membership support for independent authors.

Association · Free and paid · Online; confirm service eligibility

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Professional associations · Author-business support
Specialties
Publishing rights and identifiers
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Member services and partner listings have separate terms; verify providers independently.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Arts Law

Australia's national community legal centre for the arts. The site says it provides free or low-cost legal advice, education, and resources to Australian artists and arts organisations.

Useful when: You need arts legal information or a contract review and you are an Australian artist or arts organisation.

Organization · Free and paid · Australian artists and arts organisations, as stated by Arts Law

For Australian artists and arts organisations.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Contract assistance · Copyright
Specialties
Contract assistance · Copyright
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Applicability
Writer-selected
Before committing
Stated eligibility is Australian artists and arts organisations. Free or low-cost help is not representation in every dispute. The site says demand can delay a reply. This is not a literary agency.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Australian Society of Authors

Author association whose public help pages include member advice, contract reviews, and publishing consultancy.

Useful when: You need an Australian author association that offers contract reviews, and you need to check who may join.

Association · Price unavailable · Australian Society of Authors; confirm membership eligibility on the current join information

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Contract assistance · Professional associations
Specialties
Contract assistance · Professional associations
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Applicability
Writer-selected
Before committing
Contract review is presented with member services. Confirm who can join and what a review covers. Membership is not legal representation in court and not an agent.
Access
Confirm remote service with the provider.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

AuthorImprints

Publishing-management services for authors who want to self-publish through their own imprint.

Professional service · Price unavailable · Confirm service or submission eligibility

Self-publishing management, not a publisher.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Publishing-service companies · Publishing-business administration · Audiobook narration and production
Specialties
Publishing-service companies · Publishing-business administration · Audiobook narration and production
Relevant routes
Self-publishing
Before committing
A publishing-service company, not a traditional or hybrid publisher. Verify the service contract, deliverables, rights, fees, and account ownership for your project.
Access
Confirm remote service with the provider.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Authors Alliance

Author advocacy and educational resources on copyright, publication contracts, open access, and making work available.

Association · Free · Membership welcomes all nationalities; legal guidance is jurisdiction-specific

General guidance, not individual legal advice.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Professional associations · Copyright · Contract assistance · Rights reversion
Specialties
Professional associations · Copyright · Contract assistance · Rights reversion
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Resources are general education, not individualized legal advice. Check the jurisdiction of each guide. Free membership welcomes authors sharing its mission.
Access
Confirm remote service with the provider.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source 1 · Official source 2

Link to this listing

Authors Guild

Author advocacy, publishing resources, and member services.

Association · Free and paid · Online; confirm service eligibility

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Professional associations · Contract assistance
Specialties
Publishing rights and identifiers · Book promotion
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Membership and legal-service eligibility apply; not universal legal representation.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Authors Guild out-of-print guide

Authors Guild article dated 4 December 2025 on out-of-print and rights-reversion clauses. It says most publishing contracts grant rights for the life of the author plus 70 years, and that an out-of-print clause can let the author regain rights when the work is no longer in print as the contract defines it. It says the Authors Guild can provide a demand-letter template and that members can submit a legal request. It says the publisher then typically has a period, usually six months, to respond.

Useful when: You need a 2025 explanation of an out-of-print clause before you ask a publisher to return rights.

Guide or essay · Price unavailable · Confirm whether you can use the member template; country eligibility is not stated

Article dated 4 December 2025. Members can request a demand-letter template.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Rights reversion
Specialties
Rights reversion
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Hybrid
Applicability
Writer-selected
Before committing
A guide, not legal advice and not the demand letter. The template is described as available to members. This page does not state a membership price. Out-of-print status depends on the contract. The article is about a contract with a publisher. It does not describe reversion for a book the author published alone, and it does not state a specialised-press rule. The Authors Guild homepage is a separate listing.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society

Collects and pays writers for secondary uses of their work, such as photocopying and educational reproduction.

Organization · Paid · Confirm service or submission eligibility

Secondary-use rights income, not retailer royalty tracking.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Rights licensing
Specialties
Rights licensing
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
This is secondary-rights income, not retailer royalty tracking. Check membership eligibility, deductions, and whether the uses of your work are covered.
Access
Confirm remote service with the provider.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Book Report

Author sales and earnings reports. The site publishes a 14-day trial, a free tier below 1,000 US dollars a month in tracked earnings, and paid tiers above that.

Useful when: You need a sales and earnings report with a published free tier, and you must confirm which seller accounts it can read.

Software and tools · Free and paid · Online reports; confirm retailer coverage

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Royalty tracking
Specialties
Royalty tracking
Relevant routes
Self-publishing
Applicability
Writer-selected
Before committing
Confirm which accounts it can read. The site says it does not ask for your password. Customer stories, including a comparison with the KDP dashboard, are not a guarantee of accuracy. Published tiers were Core 19, Plus 29, Pro 49, Business 99, and Enterprise 249 US dollars a month.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

BookNet Canada

Non-profit for the Canadian book industry. The site describes BiblioShare as metadata distribution and a webform as a small-business way to supply metadata. It says it was founded in 2002 and serves publishing companies, booksellers, and other trade organizations across Canada.

Useful when: You need the Canadian trade metadata service and must confirm whether your business can submit a record.

Organization · Price unavailable · Canadian book industry, as stated by BookNet Canada

Canadian trade metadata; confirm who may submit.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Metadata
Specialties
Metadata
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press
Applicability
Shared
Before committing
This is trade metadata infrastructure, not an author sales report and not the ONIX standard itself. The page does not say that every self-published author can open an account. Confirm eligibility, cost, and which retailers receive the record.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

CEATL

Publishes guidelines for fair translation contracts, model contracts, and pages for its member associations of literary translators.

Useful when: You need model literary-translation contracts and the associations behind them.

Organization · Price unavailable · Confirm which member association, if any, covers your country

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Translation · Contract assistance
Specialties
Translation · Contract assistance
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Specialised / institutional
Applicability
Shared
Before committing
Model contracts are reference documents, not legal advice for your country or dispute. Member associations set their own eligibility.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Consonance

Publishing-management software the site says is exclusively for book publishers. The homepage lists scholarly, educational, children's, trade, religious, and hybrid publishing among the operations it supports.

Useful when: You need publisher software for titles, production, and licensing, not an author sales dashboard.

Software and tools · Price unavailable · Online software; the site says it onboards publishers from around the world

Publisher operations software, not an author dashboard.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Publishing-business administration
Specialties
Publishing-business administration
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Applicability
Publisher-led
Before committing
The homepage does not state the price. It is for book publishers, not a self-publishing checklist. Confirm which workflow you would actually use. Marketing claims on the site are the company's claims.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Cover By Nabin ISBN Barcode Generator

Free generator for an ISBN-13 barcode with an optional 5-digit price code, as PDF, EPS or PNG.

Software and tools · Free · Online; confirm service eligibility

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Metadata
Specialties
Metadata
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Free tool from a cover design and publishing services studio. You need your own ISBN from your national agency first. No SVG download.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-11 · Official source

Link to this listing

Creative Commons

Public copyright licences and resources for understanding reuse permissions.

Organization · Free · Online; confirm service eligibility

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Copyright · Permissions
Specialties
Publishing rights and identifiers · Book design
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Different licences permit different uses; attribution and commercial-use restrictions matter.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

EDItEUR

Maintains ONIX for Books, the book-trade metadata standard, with public release notes and code lists.

Useful when: You need the book-metadata standard itself, not a vendor that will file your ONIX record.

Organization · Free · International standard; confirm what each retailer accepts

Metadata standard, not a filing service.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Metadata
Specialties
Metadata
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Applicability
Shared
Before committing
Documentation of a standard, not a service that creates or distributes your book's metadata. Confirm which ONIX release your retailers ask for.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Familiar

Royalty software for publishers and authors. The site says you upload sales statements from distributors such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital, and that it calculates contributor splits and statements. It says royalty management is free for the first 10 books and then 1 US dollar per book per month.

Useful when: You need software that turns distributor sales files into royalty statements, with a published per-book price.

Software and tools · Free and paid · Online software; confirm account and payout country support

Royalty statements from distributor files; confirm the files it can read.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Royalty tracking
Specialties
Royalty tracking
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid
Applicability
Shared
Before committing
Confirm which distributors it can read. Editorial tools are priced separately; the site says those credits start at 5 US dollars. The per-book price is for royalty management, not a promise of accurate sales. There is no setup fee according to the page. This is not tax advice.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Firebrand Technologies

Publishing-software company. The site says that since 1987 it has provided title management, metadata distribution, and ebook quality checks for publishers.

Useful when: You need a publisher system for title metadata, not an author royalty dashboard.

Software and tools · Price unavailable · Confirm which publishers and trading partners the product supports

Publisher metadata system, not an author royalty dashboard.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Metadata
Specialties
Metadata
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press
Applicability
Publisher-led
Before committing
A publisher workflow product, not a file you download in place of ONIX documentation. The homepage does not state the price or whether an individual author can buy it. Confirm the product, the contract, and which metadata formats it sends.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

International ISBN Agency

International ISBN guidance and the directory of national or regional ISBN agencies.

Official agency · Free · Online; confirm service eligibility

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Official ISBN agencies
Specialties
Publishing rights and identifiers
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
The appropriate issuer and eligibility depend on publisher location; fees vary.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

ISBN Canada

ISBN registration information for eligible Canadian publishers and publications.

Official agency · Free · Canada

Eligibility and proof of Canadian residence apply; not available to every publisher worldwide.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Official ISBN agencies
Specialties
Publishing rights and identifiers
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Eligibility and proof of Canadian residence apply; not available to every publisher worldwide.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Janklow & Nesbit

A literary agency with author, agent, submissions, foreign-rights, and film-and-television information.

Literary agency · Price unavailable · Confirm service or submission eligibility

Confirm current submission status and category fit.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Literary agents and agencies · Rights licensing
Specialties
Literary agents and agencies · Rights licensing
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press
Before committing
Follow current instructions for the relevant office and agent. Open submission status, category fit, and country eligibility are not implied by inclusion.
Access
Confirm remote service with the provider.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Mushens Entertainment

A UK literary agency representing authors, with submissions guidance and rights information.

Literary agency · Price unavailable · Confirm service or submission eligibility

Confirm current submission status and category fit.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Literary agents and agencies · Rights licensing
Specialties
Literary agents and agencies · Rights licensing
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press
Before committing
Check current agent interests and submission instructions. The agency warns about impersonation and states that it does not charge reading fees or refer writers to outside editorial services.
Access
Confirm remote service with the provider.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Nielsen ISBN Store

ISBN services through the UK and Ireland agency.

Official agency · Paid · UK and Ireland

Check territorial eligibility and current application requirements.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Official ISBN agencies
Specialties
Publishing rights and identifiers
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Check territorial eligibility and current application requirements.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

ONIXEDIT

Software for creating, validating, and delivering ONIX 2.1 and ONIX 3 metadata. The site describes tools for publishers, distributors, and metadata aggregators, and advertises an ONIXEDIT Cloud plan from 15.25 US dollars a month.

Useful when: You need software that creates and validates ONIX metadata, not the organization that writes the standard.

Software and tools · Free and paid · Online software; confirm which trading partners will accept the file

ONIX software, not the ONIX standards body.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Metadata
Specialties
Metadata
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press
Applicability
Publisher-led
Before committing
A metadata file is not a listing on a retailer. Confirm which ONIX release your trading partners require. The monthly price is the advertised Cloud starting price, not every product. EDItEUR, which maintains the ONIX standard, is a separate listing.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

PLSclear

Service for requesting permission to reuse published content from participating publishers.

Useful when: You need to send a reuse-permission request to a publisher that handles requests through PLSclear.

Professional service · Price unavailable · Confirm the publisher participates before you rely on this form

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Permissions
Specialties
Permissions
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Applicability
Writer-selected
Before committing
Only participating publishers and the uses they allow. Permission fees, if any, are not a legal opinion. The privacy notice says request details may be sent to the publisher's country.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source 1 · Official source 2

Link to this listing

Publisher Champ

Author dashboard that says it brings sales, royalties, advertising spend, and expenses into one report. The homepage says it supports 25 or more platforms.

Useful when: You need an author dashboard for sales and royalties, and you must confirm which platforms it actually reads.

Software and tools · Price unavailable · Online reports; confirm which seller accounts it can read

Author sales dashboard; confirm platforms and price.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Royalty tracking
Specialties
Royalty tracking
Relevant routes
Self-publishing
Applicability
Writer-selected
Before committing
The platform list did not load on the page reviewed, and the page did not state the price. Confirm both before you rely on a total. Marketing claims on the site are not an audit. A dashboard is not tax advice.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association

Professional association with writer resources, programmes, events, and publications for science fiction and fantasy.

Association · Price unavailable · Confirm service or submission eligibility

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Professional associations · Writing communities
Specialties
Professional associations · Writing communities · Fantasy · Science fiction
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Check membership eligibility and access to individual programmes. An association listing does not establish that a critique group is currently available.
Access
Confirm remote service with the provider.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

SFWA Model Reversion Clause

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association model reversion clause, version 1.1, published by its Contracts Committee. The page says the clause is a generic guide for writers. It says the clause is not intended to be used as boilerplate, and that such use is not approved by SFWA. It says the clause and the comments are not legal advice. The page does not date version 1.1.

Useful when: You need SFWA's model reversion clause, version 1.1, before you treat sample contract language as your own clause.

Guide or essay · Price unavailable · Model clause; jurisdiction is not a single rule on this page

Model Reversion Clause version 1.1. Not legal advice. Version date not stated.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Rights reversion
Specialties
Rights reversion
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Hybrid
Applicability
Shared
Before committing
A guide, not legal advice and not approved boilerplate. The page does not date version 1.1. A 2017 date elsewhere on the page belongs to a different model agreement. Contact addresses stay on the SFWA page. The clause is about a publishing contract. It does not describe reversion for a book the author published alone, and it does not state a specialised-press rule. The SFWA homepage is a separate listing.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators

Resources, professional networking, and community opportunities for children’s-book writers, illustrators, and translators.

Association · Price unavailable · Confirm service or submission eligibility

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Professional associations · Writing communities · Workshops
Specialties
Professional associations · Writing communities · Workshops · Children’s books
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Check membership fees, event access, local chapter arrangements, and programme eligibility. This listing is not an endorsement of individual members.
Access
Confirm remote service with the provider.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

The Permissions Company

Seeks reprint permissions and administers permissions rights for authors, publishers, agents, and other rights holders.

Professional service · Price unavailable · Confirm service or submission eligibility

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Permissions · Rights licensing
Specialties
Permissions · Rights licensing
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Confirm the material, rights holder, territories, media, duration, and charges involved. A permissions service is not general legal representation.
Access
Confirm remote service with the provider.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Virtusales

Publishing software supplier. The site describes BiblioSuite for publisher workflows from acquisition through production, and lists offices in Brighton, New York, Ottawa, and Munich.

Useful when: You need enterprise software for a publisher's title workflow, and you must not treat an office city as eligibility.

Software and tools · Price unavailable · Confirm which publishers the software is sold to; offices are not an eligibility rule

Publisher workflow software; price not stated on the homepage.

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Publishing-business administration
Specialties
Publishing-business administration
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Specialised / institutional
Applicability
Publisher-led
Before committing
The homepage does not state the price or whether an individual author can buy a licence. Office cities are not a service-area promise. Royalty and metadata modules, if offered, are not a substitute for the separate royalty and metadata listings. Confirm the contract.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

World Intellectual Property Organization

International copyright information and resources.

Official agency · Free · Online; confirm service eligibility

Visit website
Details
Tasks
Copyright
Specialties
Publishing rights and identifiers
Relevant routes
Traditional trade · Independent / small press · Self-publishing · Hybrid · Specialised / institutional
Before committing
Copyright rules and available remedies depend on jurisdiction.
Access
Online resources or access available. Confirm service eligibility.

Checked 2026-10-03 · Official source

Link to this listing

Missing a useful resource? Suggest an addition or correction →

How to choose

Find the ISBN agency serving your publisher location before buying or applying. For contracts and copyright, use guidance appropriate to your jurisdiction and situation.

Checks before committing

ISBN eligibility, prices, and legal-deposit requirements vary. Free Canadian ISBNs have residency and publication eligibility requirements. An ISBN does not register copyright, and general guidance is not individual legal advice.

Informational listings, not endorsements or quality ratings. Descriptions are checked against official pages, not through an independent service audit. Confirm current prices, service availability, and terms with the provider.