Just to show you how screwed up it all is.

I found this on the Smashwords site after my book was approved for premium distribution. What a bunch of bull. Here's what it said:

NOTE: Per the rules of the International ISBN agency, you CANNOT use the same ISBN for your print book as you do for your ebook. Bowker and the Int'l ISBN agency say each ebook format should have it's own unique ISBN, so if you previously attached an ISBN to your PDF or Kindle version, you should assign a new one to your EPUB version here. If our retail partners or Bowker (the U.S. ISBN registrar) report back to Smashwords that you have supplied us an already-issued ISBN associated with a different book, your book may be pulled from the Premium Catalog. If you supply us your own ISBN, it is your responsibility to register this ISBN with your country's ISBN registrar.

There's nothing accurate about this. Not one thing. All it stands to do is confuse anyone new to publishing. It doesn't matter one bit what Bowker wants. NOT ONE BIT! Amazon doesn't require a ISBN for any kindle you do through them and in fact could care less if you use one. They assign their own funky number and it ain't no ISBN. Bowker doesn't touch them because it doesn't matter. Smashwords will give you a free one but then says it doesn't mean anything. So why worry with it? Each e-book format should not and does not need a separate ISBN. It's the same damn book. Just thought I drop that out there.