For authors and independent publishers
Get a code for your book. See who picks it up.
Register your title and your QR code and barcode are issued on the spot. Print them on your cover, then watch every scan: where it happened and what the reader did next.
Free to register · Code issued instantly · No ISBN required
Your code
SPN-7K3F-9Q2X-4
- Title
- The Salt Orchard
- Author
- Maya Okafor
Scans, last 30 days
Example
418
- Portland, US96
- Leeds, GB71
- Austin, US58
01/Errata
Publishing a book got easier. Registering one did not.
The system for identifying books was built for large publishers and has barely changed. Here are our corrections.
For
Read
A number that tells you nothing about your readers
Live scans by city, device and placement
$125 for one number, before you have a barcode
$40 a year, with barcode, QR code and book page included
Long forms to register a single title
Two fields, and your code is issued
A printed link you can never change
A QR code you can re-point after the print run
Retyping the same details on every site
One record, distributed for you
ISBN price as listed by Bowker, the US ISBN agency, 2026-09.
02/How it works
From title to printed code in one sitting.
1
Register your book
Type your title and your name. Your code is issued the moment you save. No ISBN needed.
2
Print your code
Download the QR code and barcode as vector files and place them on your cover, bookmarks and flyers.
3
See who scans
Every scan appears in your dashboard: where, on what device, from which placement, and what the reader did next.
03/Readers
Know which table, which town, which retailer.
Give each placement its own code: cover, bookmark, festival banner. When a signing in Leeds outperforms a month of advertising, you will see it the same afternoon.
Scans, last 30 days
418
Example data
View as table
| Date | Scans |
|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | 3 |
| 2026-09-02 | 5 |
| 2026-09-03 | 4 |
| 2026-09-04 | 6 |
| 2026-09-05 | 9 |
| 2026-09-06 | 14 |
| 2026-09-07 | 11 |
| 2026-09-08 | 6 |
| 2026-09-09 | 7 |
| 2026-09-10 | 8 |
| 2026-09-11 | 10 |
| 2026-09-12 | 13 |
| 2026-09-13 | 22 |
| 2026-09-14 | 19 |
| 2026-09-15 | 9 |
| 2026-09-16 | 8 |
| 2026-09-17 | 11 |
| 2026-09-18 | 12 |
| 2026-09-19 | 15 |
| 2026-09-20 | 27 |
| 2026-09-21 | 31 |
| 2026-09-22 | 14 |
| 2026-09-23 | 12 |
| 2026-09-24 | 13 |
| 2026-09-25 | 16 |
| 2026-09-26 | 18 |
| 2026-09-27 | 29 |
| 2026-09-28 | 34 |
| 2026-09-29 | 17 |
| 2026-09-30 | 15 |
Top cities
- Portland, US96
- Leeds, GB71
- Austin, US58
Placement
- Cover214
- Book fair flyer129
- Bookmark75
Where readers went next
- Author's store121
- Amazon88
- Bookshop.org47
04/Distribution
Enter it once. We carry it from there.
Your record is the single source. Every edit is republished to each live channel, so your price, blurb and links never drift out of date.
Trade and library databases each require a supply agreement. We list them as planned until records are flowing, and tell you the day one goes live.
- Live
Your book page
Readers who scan or follow your link
- Live
Google and Bing
Readers searching for your title or name
- Live
ONIX 3.0 feed
Retailers and distributors that ingest ONIX
- Planned
Open Library
The Internet Archive's open catalogue
- Planned
Google Books
Google's book search and Play Books
- Planned
Books in Print
US bookstores and libraries
- Planned
Nielsen BookData
UK and international booksellers
- Planned
WorldCat
Library catalogues worldwide
05/Price
One price. Everything included.
Register as many books as you like for free. Pay per title when you are ready to print and publish.
- ScanSpine identifier01
- Barcode in SVG and PNG02
- QR code you can re-point03
- Hosted book page04
- Search engine listing05
- ONIX 3.0 feed06
- Live scan analytics07
- Up to 10 tracked placements08
- Bring your own ISBN09
- REST API10
How we compare with buying an ISBN alone
They are different things, and plenty of authors use both.
| Feature | Bowker | ScanSpine |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $125 once for one ISBN; $295 for ten | $40 per title, per year |
| Barcode files | Sold separately | Included |
| Reader and scan data | Not offered | Included, live |
| Changing a printed link | Not applicable | Any time |
| Ordered by bookstores and libraries | Yes: it is the official US ISBN agency | With your own ISBN attached |
Bowker prices as publicly listed, 2026-09. ScanSpine is not affiliated with Bowker or the International ISBN Agency.
06/Notes
Straight answers
Is a ScanSpine identifier an ISBN?
No. It is our own identifier. It drives your QR code, book page, feed and analytics, but it is not part of the ISBN system and a bookstore register will not recognise it. If you have an ISBN, add it to your record and we draw the official barcode for it.
Do I still need an ISBN?
If you want bookstores, libraries or wholesalers to order your book, yes: they order by ISBN. If you sell direct, at events or through your own store, you may not. Many authors start without one and add it later.
Where exactly does my record go?
Today: your hosted book page, Google and Bing through structured data, and an ONIX 3.0 feed that retailers and distributors can ingest. Trade and library databases are listed as planned because each one needs a supply agreement. We mark a channel live only when records are flowing.
What happens to my printed codes if I stop paying?
They keep working. A lapsed title's codes lead to its book page, so a reader never reaches a dead end. Custom destinations, analytics and downloads pause until you renew.
What do you record about people who scan?
City-level location, device type and the site they came from. We never store IP addresses and we set no cookies on readers.
What is your book called?
Tell us, and your code is a minute away.