What is metadata? Book metadata in product information files Book metadata in digital content files Book metadata carriers Who creates and uses metadata? The metadata lifecycle What makes metadata powerful? What are the most important metadata elements? Core metadata elements Enhanced metadata elements Exercises Finding the right information Capturing the core metadata elements Adding enhanced metadata Creating ONIX metadata Distributing and updating metadata Today’s Workshop

What is metadata? Metadata describes a product or a piece of content. It is the “language” used to communicate information needed for commerce. Book metadata in product information files Is shared with trading partners (wholesalers, distributors retailers, etc.) Is usually first distributed in advance of publication Is updated as needed pre- and post-publication Is used to populate bookseller sites and drives behind-the- scenes commerce and transactional activities

What is metadata? Metadata describes a product or a piece of content. It is the “language” used to communicate information needed for commerce. Product metadata includes: Information about a book’s packaging and format Hardcover, paperback, digital … Information about a book’s content Title, contributor, summary Information needed to buy and sell the book Price, distribution details, rights information …

Book metadata in digital content files Is embedded in files carrying the actual content Should be fully leveraged but doesn’t replace the need for product information records and files Is used by reading devices to display information about content on “bookshelves” Has potential to carry much richer metadata due to the work of IDPF on the EPUB standard

The metadata carrier is not the metadata! ONIX for Books is the international standard for sending and receiving book product metadata. But ONIX isn’t metadata – it carries metadata just as a print catalog “carries” information about books. EPUB is a free and open standard for carrying digital content (the product itself) and accompanying metadata.

Metadata Standards, Best Practices, and Controlled Vocabularies Languages have grammar (structure), style rules (best practices), and vocabularies. As a form of communication, metadata does too. In the exercises, we’ll talk about when information is taken directly from the content and when it is communicated using codes or vocabularies to make sure it’s correctly interpreted by receiving systems. The carrier (ONIX) dictates some metadata elements that must be present for the file to be valid. National and international industry organizations help define the best practices for effective communication and bookselling.

Who creates and uses metadata? The Metadata Lifecycle

What makes metadata powerful? Powerful metadata provides a rich description of the product and meets business needs. Powerful metadata supports: What readers need A compelling search and discovery experience User engagement, evaluation, and sales through content-rich information Recommendation algorithms and website sort options (by subject, genre, audience, age level, format, etc.) by providing full and accurate information

What makes metadata powerful? Powerful metadata provides a rich description of the product and meets business needs. Powerful metadata supports: The business needs of publishers and their trading partners A compelling experience for potential readers leading to more sales Communication between publisher and bookseller Business transactions Publicity and marketing activities Sales tracking and market analysis Business intelligence

Metadata in Publishing Workflow

Metadata, Search Engines, and Search Engine Optimization Bookseller search engines (Publisher websites, Amazon, Barnes & Noble...) These search engines are directed at bookseller databases populated by product metadata. Publishers contribute directly to this data. General search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing …) General search engines websites over the entire Web. The completeness and quality of metadata sent to bookseller sites contributes to search results but so do many other factors relating to the website.

Search Engine Optimization What’s within your control? Some things are beyond your control but the quality of your metadata shouldn’t be one of them. Make sure that metadata supplied to all trading partners is as rich, complete, and accurate as possible. While there’s no guarantee that quality metadata will result in a best seller, its absence will almost certainly guarantee its obscurity. SEO and Keywords Good descriptive metadata is the best way to optimize for search. Keyword stuffing and other tricks and routinely discovered and punished by search engines. Keywords and phrases are still important but don’t write marketing content around them. Write with the intended audience in mind, considering the most compelling way to describe the book

What are the most important metadata elements? Metadata for search, discovery, and commerce Content description (Title, Author, Summary, Subjects …) Product description (Format, Number of items …) Commerce (ISBN, Price, On-Sale Date, Territorial Rights …) Metadata to stand out in the marketplace Evaluative metadata (Reviews, Awards …) Author information (Author biographies, Author Awards...) Any other information that adds value or supports search

Core Metadata Elements Recommended for all titles and mandatory for BISG Certification Identifier Product Form/Format Title/Subtitle Contributor(s) Language of Product Content Extent (Page count, Run time, File size …) Publisher/Imprint/Brand Name Subject(s) Intended Audience Textual Description Publisher/Imprint/Brand Name Publisher Status Code Publication Date Return Code Product Availability Code Price Digital Image of Product Territorial Rights Book Industry Study Group (BISG) Product Metadata Best Practices

Core Plus Metadata Elements Highly recommended when applicable. Mandatory if applicable for BISG Certification All products Edition Country of Publication Series/Set Information Strict on sale date Age range (for juvenile and young adult) Distributor/Vendor of record Related products Physical products Bar Code indicator Country of manufacture Case pack/Carton quantity Weight and Dimensions Number of Pieces Digital products DRM/Usage Constraints Software/hardware requirements Book Industry Study Group (BISG) Product Metadata Best Practices

Enhanced Metadata Elements Optional but strongly recommended All formats Author/Contributor Biography Illustration Details Book Excerpt Prizes and Awards Reviews Original Publication Date Reading Age (for juvenile titles) Grade Range (for juvenile titles) Keywords Digital formats Digital Product Form (EPUB, Mobi …) Digital Product Description Book Industry Study Group (BISG) Product Metadata Best Practices

Exercises Find the right information Title page Title page verso/Copyright page

Exercises Capture core metadata elements

Exercises Capture core metadata elements

Exercises Add enhanced metadata elements

Exercises Enter records into the ONIXEDIT system

Exercises Enter records into the ONIXEDIT system

Validate records

Export to ONIX

Metadata in ONIX Metadata Handbook Paperback

The Metadata Handbook: A Book Publisher’s Guide to Creating And Distributing Metadata for Print and Ebooks $50 discount on digital formats for Workshop participants! PDF EPUB Kindle See me for a discount code now Or me: Order from: themetadatahandbook.com