Self-Publishing & Metadata
Self-Publishing and Book Metadata
Metadata is the information that describes your book to retailers: its title, description, categories, keywords and more. Retailers use it to decide which searches and lists your book appears in, and readers use it to decide whether to click. Here is what each field does and how to fill it in well.
- Metadata researched and written in-house
- Book descriptions written for your genre's readers
- Set separately for each format
- Revisions included until the brief is met
Why it matters
A book nobody can find cannot sell
Online retailers do not read your book. They read its metadata. When a reader searches, the retailer matches the search against titles, subtitles, keywords, categories and descriptions; when it recommends books, it leans on categories and on what similar readers bought. A well-written book with vague or wrong metadata ends up in front of the wrong readers, or none.
The good news is that metadata is entirely in your control, costs nothing to change, and can be improved after publication. It is often the cheapest marketing improvement available to a self-published author.
The fields
The metadata fields that matter most
Title and subtitle
The title is creative; the subtitle, especially in non-fiction, should say plainly what the book is about and who it is for. Both must match the cover exactly.
Book description
The sales copy on the retailer page. Hook first, then the promise or conflict, written in the words your readers use. Not a plot summary.
Categories
Where the book is shelved. Amazon KDP lets you choose three categories per format; other retailers use BISAC subject codes, the book trade's standard classification.
Keywords
KDP provides seven keyword slots per format, for search phrases not already covered by your title and subtitle.
Contributors and series
Author name exactly as on your other books, plus any co-authors, illustrators or translators, and the series name and number if there is one.
Identifiers and details
ISBN for each format, publication date, page count, language, age range where relevant, and the price in each marketplace.
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Categories and keywords
How to choose categories and keywords
Start with the most specific categories that honestly describe the book. A broad category such as general fiction puts you among a huge number of titles; a specific one such as a particular mystery or self-help subgenre puts you where readers of that kind of book browse. Look at the categories that recent, comparable books rank in, and choose the closest accurate matches. Each format is set separately on KDP, so set the paperback as carefully as the ebook.
For keywords, think like a reader typing into a search box. Settings, time periods, tropes, problems the book solves, the audience it is for: phrases like these work better than single generic words. Do not repeat words already in your title, do not use other authors' names or book titles, and do not use claims such as "bestseller" or "free". Retailers prohibit misleading keywords and can remove them or the book.
The description
Writing a book description that converts
The description is the one metadata field written for people rather than algorithms, and it decides whether a visitor buys. For fiction, open with a line that hooks the genre's reader, introduce the main character and what they want, raise the stakes, and stop with a question the reader needs answered. For non-fiction, say who the book is for, the problem it addresses and what the reader will be able to do after reading it.
Keep paragraphs short, because most readers see the description on a phone. Put the most important sentence first, since the page may show only the opening lines before a "read more" link. Endorsements and relevant credentials can follow, but the first lines should be about the reader, not the author.
Common mistakes
Metadata mistakes that hide good books
Most of these take minutes to fix once you know to look for them.
- A subtitle on the retailer page that does not match the cover
- Author names spelled or formatted differently across books, splitting the author page
- Broad categories chosen because they sound important rather than because readers browse them
- Keyword slots filled with single words, or words already in the title
- A description that is one sentence long, or a full plot summary with the ending
- Series name or number missing, so retailers do not link the books together
- Metadata set on the ebook but left at defaults on the paperback
- Never reviewing metadata after launch, even when sales stall
Working with us
Metadata as part of publishing setup
When we prepare a book for publication, we research comparable titles to choose categories and keywords, write the book description and author bio, and enter consistent metadata for each format and platform. For a book already on sale, we can review its metadata and rewrite the description; a description is a short writing job and typically comes back within 2 business days. Nobody can promise rankings, and we do not, but accurate, well-written metadata gives a book a fair chance of reaching its readers.
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Questions about book metadata
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Book metadata is the information that describes a book to retailers, libraries and readers: title, subtitle, author, description, categories, keywords, ISBN, price, page count, publication date, series and similar details. Retailers use it to decide where a book appears in searches and lists.
KDP currently lets you choose three categories and up to seven keyword slots for each format of your book, set separately for ebook, paperback and hardcover. Amazon may also place a book in additional categories it considers relevant. Check the KDP dashboard for the current rules when you set them.
BISAC codes are the standard subject categories used across the North American book trade to classify books, such as a code for a specific fiction subgenre or non-fiction subject. Many distributors and retailers ask you to choose one or more when you list a book. The list is maintained by the Book Industry Study Group and updated periodically.
Most of it, yes. Descriptions, categories, keywords and price can be changed at any time and go through a short review. Changes to a paperback's title, subtitle or author name are more restricted after publication, so finalise those before you publish.
In non-fiction, a subtitle that clearly describes the book naturally contains the words readers search for, and that helps. Stuffing a subtitle with keywords it would not otherwise contain looks spammy, can breach retailer rules, and must match the cover anyway. Keep it readable first.
Check it a month or two after launch, and again whenever sales change noticeably or you publish a related book. Categories and keyword phrases that suited the launch may stop working as the market changes, and a new book in the series should be linked to the earlier ones.
Works well with
Pair it with the rest of the stack
How to Price Your Book
Ebook and print pricing, the other field readers judge.
Learn more7 Key Book Marketing Elements
Where metadata fits into a complete marketing plan.
Learn moreAmazon Product Descriptions
Sales copy written for Amazon listings.
Learn moreBook Publishing
Full publishing setup, including metadata, for your book.
Learn moreReady when you are
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