Book Marketing

Ebook Metadata: How to Manage Book Details to Increase Book Sales

Book Metadata How to Optimize it for Better Sales

There is much talk about book metadata, given its importance to authors and publishers everywhere. Still, the concept itself may feel unfamiliar to indies. In this article, we'll walk you through the metadata management process, so you can confidently look at metadata and use it to help your books reach the right readers.

We know this part may seem less important than the actual process of writing the book. Still, the correct management of metadata publishing tools is one of the ways you can turn writing those words into getting paid for them, if you’re able to match them with the most appropriate marketing strategies. Metadata is all of the little things behind the scenes that connect your books with your readers.

What Is Book Metadata?

Metadata represents all the information related to a book, including title and subtitle, author, contributors (co-author(s), editor, translator, book illustrator or designer), keywords, and ISBN. Metadata also includes the coding that allows an ebook to be correctly displayed on ebook readers or placed alphabetically in “virtual bookshelves”  such as your Kindle device. 

Book metadata is the essential tool that connects a published work to its intended audience. Based on a book's metadata, resellers and bookstores know to categorize a publication, and readers know where to find it. The correct management of this data is linked to sales rates. Books which are accurately categorized are easier to find. Poorly categorized books struggle to find readers because they’re not in the right place. It’s like putting a sci-fi book in the middle of the romance section. Sci-fi readers aren’t looking there. So it’s important to make sure you understand the process and make your metadata as accurate as possible.

The metadata for books is imported into resellers' catalogs and websites and becomes available to readers who navigate those pages for the most suitable purchase.

Each major reseller has its metadata cataloging system. This article will walk you through top resellers' requirements, including the Amazon metadata management system.

How Does Metadata Help Authors?

Authors need to understand how metadata works and the benefits of using it correctly to enable and enhance sales.

1. Metadata engages readers

Metadata is the only information your readers have before buying your book. You can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on your book cover design, book description, and advertising, but it may all be in vain if your metadata is not well-optimized.

2. Metadata helps discoverability

Even the most fantastic book can linger at retailers without sales if the audience does not discover it. Accurate metadata entry can help search engines rank your book higher. It also helps with the in-store search. 

How to Edit Epub Files

An epub file is your formatted and converted manuscript–and metadata is part of that epub file. When your file gets uploaded to a self-publishing platform, that becomes your published ebook.

Let's see how to make the most out of your book's epub metadata. Here are the key parts: 

1. Book title

Entering your title into your metadata is an obvious requirement, but take time to assess how this information about your book, in the absence of the book itself, is able to catch your reader's attention. Could you be using popular keywords as an organic part of your title?

2. Book subtitle

Not all books need subtitles, but if yours has one, it should be able to explain to your reader what your book is about. When deciding upon a subtitle, include keywords to help with the discoverability of your book. For example: "Bite-sized information to become the best version of yourself." Think about how your readers search for a topic like yours and include it in your book's subtitle.

Optimizing your subtitle to match Google and Amazon search engines is recommended to increase sales. Be sure you’re not making your subtitle a keyword string, though. Retailers don’t like those and they look like clutter to a reader scrolling through.

3. Author 

Non-fiction writers should publish under the name affiliated with research, discovery, or authority in their respective fields. Fictional writers may list their pen names. 

Include just one author and their bio in the primary author box. Any other co-author or contributor should be added separately in the Contributors section.

4. Contributors 

  • Co-authors. Whenever the text results from teamwork, all contributors should be recognized and added to this section. For the Amazon search engine, you just need to fill out the names of each of the authors, repeating the operation as many times as needed. 
  • Editor. Usually, the editor is not mentioned in the metadata, except for anthologies or compilations of texts that the editor assembles and oversees. If the editor is a reputed person that readers may be searching for, their name is worth mentioning to increase book discoverability. 
  • Forward writer. Sometimes published works have an introductory text written by someone other than the author. Their name is credited under contributors, especially if it has significance for the book's target audience.
  • Illustrator | Designer | Photographer. Their names must be mentioned if the book was done in partnership with any of them. If your book features illustrations and images from multiple sources, the copyright issues should be clarified on a credits page. 
  • Narrator. If you’re publishing an audiobook, don’t forget to include the narrator's name. 
  • Translator. If the book you are entering data for has a translation, enter the translator's name in the relevant field.

5. Description 

Book descriptions are for both readers and algorithms. 

On the one hand, people read the book description and create an idea about the book. It should be written in a way that intrigues them to want to read more. 

On the other hand, book descriptions should feature enough keywords to allow algorithms to match the book to various individual searches performed by readers. 

6. Keywords

These are not directly visible to the reader; they are included in the book’s description to guide the algorithms into matching the text to the reader’s requests. 

In deciding which ones to include, think of your readers. What genres and keywords would they use to search for a book like yours? In case they don't know exactly what they're looking for but they have an idea regarding the theme, they may search for summer romance in Italy, independent single moms, how to increase productivity while working from home, etc. Write your book’s description with such keywords to boost your book’s discoverability.

You can also use Google, Amazon, Bing, and other sites to get keyword ideas by typing your search term into the search bar. You'll get suggestions before you finish typing. 

7. Categories 

Book categorization is essential when it comes to your book's visibility. 

Amazon categories have undergone specific changes recently; we have advised authors on how to tackle these changes and still increase royalties in a separate article

8. ISBN

You are not required to have an ISBN for ebooks on KDP or iBooks, but having an ISBN is advisable as one way of to prove you own the copyright of your writing. 

At PublishDrive, where we combine the best publishing tools under one dashboard, we assign PUI, which is a number accepted by most retailers. Should you want to apply for an ISBN or see which resellers require one, find more information here.

Differences in Metadata Among Popular Distributors

There are differences between the most prominent distributors when it comes to metadata management. If we look at a book metadata example, here is what authors are expected to fill in with Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and Google Books.

Metadata

Amazon KDP

Apple Books

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

Google Books

Title 

Required

Required

Required

Required

Required

Subtitle

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Series

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Author

Required

Required

Required

Required

Required

Contributor(s)

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Description

Required

Required

Required

Required

Required

Language

Required

Required

Required

Required

Required

ISBN

Optional

Required

Optional

Required

Optional

Categories/Genre

Required

Required

Required

Required

Required

Keywords

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Price

Required

Required

Required

Required

Required

Cover image

Required

Required

Required

Required

Required

File format

Required

Required

Required

Required

Required

Territory rights

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Optional

Age group

Optional

Required

Optional

Required

Optional

Epub: Edit Metadata Encrypted in Your Ebook

The metadata encoded in the ebook is significant to ensure the text displays correctly to ereaders. For the authors brave enough to edit this part themselves, here is how it works and how you can edit it directly. 

The metadata encrypted in the ebook is a coding sequence with standards published by w3.org

Coders may understand the encrypted data that goes into uploading a validated epub file, but others without a tech background may not be so savvy when it comes to deciphering it. 

If you already have the epub file and want to edit the information further, you may use Sigil or Calibre to change your metadata. 

If your epub has been accepted for upload and displays correctly on your ereader, then the coding information is correct, and you may move on. 

Here are the main fields of data in your ebook:

1. ISBN

Note: This is the only piece of metadata you cannot change after publication. If you did not enter it correctly or it has arrived after publication, it is recommended that you withdraw your book and upload it again.

2. Title

3. Creator

Note: There is no set number of creators; make sure the primary author is written first.

4. Date of publication

5. Subject (BISAC codes

Note: This is an optional edit with a significant impact on your sales placement, as it tells your ereader in which category to place a book on your e-reading device.

Set Your Metadata with PublishDrive

When you know which stores to distribute your book to, set your book’s details and metadata in PublishDrive. You can target all of them and publish wide. One simplified dashboard makes all of this easy for authors.

Make sure the information you entered is spelled correctly; check twice to ensure you are not writing in all caps and that all the information goes in the right field. If your book is part of a series, mention this; you want readers to know there are other books that connect to your most recent title. 

Note that the ISBN is different for each edition – ebooks and print versions of the same title cannot share the same ISBN. Also, only print books require an ISBN. (Most vendors have their own identification numbers for ebooks, so you can use theirs and save yourself the cost of an ISBN if you’re comfortable with that.)

book metadata in publishdrive

When it comes to the book description, give it enough consideration to make sure you fully take advantage of this marketing tool. 

publishdrive book metadata

Check our blog article that tackles a few hacks for a well-optimized book description: 10 Book Description Hacks to Use Right Now.

How does PublishDrive help you with your book’s discoverability? We use the power of AI and machine learning to optimize metadata. Let us tell you about PublishDrive’s Savant.

PublishDrive’s Savant

Categorization is the most important aspect when it comes to keeping your eyes on the prize (royalties) and having a meaningful encounter with the readers. At PublishDrive, we are on a mission to make independent publishing simple and effective, and this is one area where we knew we could make an impact for authors with the help of AI. 

So, we’d like to introduce you to Savant, PublishDrive's AI metadata tool, trained on thousands of books. Its only job is to read your book and suggest categories. 

Savant is constantly growing. Every interaction with you or any of PublishDrive's users allows our AI to improve its recommendations.

Where can you find this feature?

Savant works when you upload a book in PublishDrive. After successfully uploading the content file, Savant scans and correlates it to one or more BISAC categories. Once it finds one or more matches, the categories are displayed in the categories section of the book upload page.

publishdrive savant for book metadata

Remember, these are only suggestions. You get to decide if you want to use any of them. To accept Savant's proposal, click on Accept.

When does it work?

Every time you upload an epub, Savant will source for categories, but there are a few situations when the AI won't be able to provide any results:

  • If the language of the book is other than English;
  • If Savant is not sure enough to share a suggestion;
  • If you already mentioned three categories before.

In these situations, you won't see any suggestions, and the Categories section will remain empty for you to provide your own.

Social Metadata for Publishers

In the age of social media, metadata helps publishers adequately promote books and publish content on social networks in a specifically designed format, such as preview images, descriptions, and hashtags. 

Social metadata is created to make it easier for readers to share such content on social media, thus building up momentum for the book and driving book sales. 

Social metadata included in the book's metadata usually comprises:

  1. Eye-catching preview images and graphics. They may be the book cover or special features that are sized based on social media requirements.
  2. Short, compelling descriptions optimized for social networks.
  3. Hashtags such as #bookstagram #amreading and other visibility boosters.
  4. Links to sales pages or other information pages that publishers and authors want to drive traffic to.

Publishers and authors should take advantage of the marketing power that comes with social media channels and, through social metadata, ensure that their books reach the widest possible audience.

The Future of Metadata

Describing and indexing publications will still be around for years. Expectations are that the tools will get better and more specific, tailored to match readers' searches. But the publishing industry is already ahead of the curve as it is mostly standardized, and data is actively sought by publishers and authors alike to meet and exceed readership expectations.

Data needs to be reviewed periodically, and authors should ensure that their information has stayed correct and relevant. Times change and one never knows when what was once a niche genre will suddenly find an explosion of readers. (It’s happened before–just think of how many people wanted to read billionaire romance after meeting Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey!)

Having accurate and optimized metadata is one way you’re ready for the readers to find your books. At PublishDrive, we’ve got everything authors and independent publishers need to have the best metadata. Have you ever used AI tools to help find the right categories? What other tips do you take into consideration when planning out your metadata? 

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