BEA 2014 Stop Hiding your Books from Readers

Stop Hiding Your Books From Readers!

Ensuring Your Metadata Offers Maximum Discoverability

BEA Conference 2014

Speakers• Patricia Payton

Senior Manager of Publisher Relations and Content Development, Bowker

• Wendell LotzVice President Metadata, Ingram Content Group, Inc.

• Clark FifeDirector Of Metadata, Macmillan US

• Rob StevensChief Community Officer, Firebrand Technologies

• Patricia SimoesUs Operations Manager, Kobo

Stop Hiding Your Books from Readers! Ensuring Your Metadata Offers Maximum Discoverability

BEA 2014

Wendell Lotz Vice President | Metadata

Elements Five elements that work together

– Title– Subtitle– Series– Edition– Language

Title Source is the title page Do NOT put format in the title field Best expressed in elements

– Title Prefix– Title without prefix– Many books do not have subtitles

Collections Big advancement in Version 3.0 Types

– Ascribed– Publisher

Covers Series, Sets, and Serials All the elements of a title Introduction of ‘Master Brand’

Sample Brands Princess

Star Trek

Disney

<x409><Title Element Level>

Collection Example<Collection>

<CollectionType>10</Collection Type> Publisher Collection<Title Detail>

<TitleType>01/>TitleType> Distinctive Title<Title Element> <TitleElementLevel><02/>TitleElementLevel> Collection Level

<TitleDetail/></Collection><TitleDetail>

<TitleType><01/>TitleType><TitleElement>

<TitleElementLevel><02/>TitleElementLevel> Product<PartNumber><Volume X/>PartNumber><TitlePrefix><The/>TitlePrefix/>TitlePrefix>TitleWithoutPrefix><World’s Best Travel Guides/</TitleWithoutPrefix>

</TitleElement></TitleDetail>

Improved Sender Control

– New for 3.0• Example 1

– Warriors, Power of Three, The Sight, 1OR

– The Sight (Warriors, Power of Three, Vol 1)• Example 2

– Lonely Planet Disney World 2015-16» OR

– 2015-16 Disney World (Lonely Planet)

Subject AssignmentFive (of 14) key rules Ingram uses in its

review of titles First BISAC – assign where the book is most likely to be in a bricks

and mortar store– Alternatively, where you want it to chart

Do not use parent and child terms on the same book Consistency across formats Children’s books beg for multiple codes: Topic, protagonists,

formati.e. chapter books

Avoid General/ Be as specific as the authorized list allows

Subjects Base assignments on content not sales potential The author’s background or prior books may provide a

clue For backlist, consult the Library of Congress record for

either LC Class or DeweyEx: The Manager’s Handbook

LC Class: HD 31 Dewey: 658– Ex: ADKAR : a model for change in business, government and

our communityLC Class: 658.8Dewey: 658.406

What else is new? Key words – Guidelines <b067><20>

Common core - Guidelines out soon

Regional themes -- not new but seldom used• <b067><11>

Thema International Similar to the BIC structure 7 parts Maps by BISG Already adopted in Norway, Germany, and

parts of the Arab World

Audience/Reading Levels Audience

– The broad audience that the book is targeted to• General/Trade• Children/Juvenile• Young Adult• Primary and secondary/elementary and high school• College /Higher education• Professional and scholarly• Adult education

Audience/Reading Levels

• Audience– Reading Level– Interest Level– Grade Level

• Complexity– Lexile– Fountas and Pennell

(GRL)– ATOS (Accelerated Reader)

Wendell.lotz@ingramcontent.com

Descriptive FieldsBook descriptions and author biographies are the most important places to make the case for your book. But they are also the biggest opportunities to affect how your book is found online.

• Think about web copy before jacket copy• Don’t write context-dependent copy• Write evergreen copy

Book Description

Before you write your description, you need to think about the language you plan to use:• What are the most important

words related to my book?

• What kinds of searches do I want my book to be found in?

• What words will readers use to find my book?

Keywords to Consider

Research your keywords and try to find the language that will reach the best possible audience for your book

• Full title & subtitle of your book

• Names of all the major contributors

• Basic words about the book– e.g. “novel”, “essay”,

“collection”, etc.

• Subject keywords• Genre keywords• Audience keywords

– Ages– “expert”, “beginner”, etc.

• Tone & emotion keywords– What’s the mood of your book?– How will your book make the

reader feel?

Description Pitfalls

• Time-sensitive information– “… is currently working on the sequel ….”– “ … is the author of seven novels … “– “… also available as an audio book ..”

• Too-short descriptions• Not starting with the most important

information

Avoid Including:• Comparative titles and authors• URLs and 3rd party links

Author Biography

Always Include• The author’s name• Basic keywords:

– e.g. “author”, “writer”, novelist”, etc.• The name of at least one book

Good to Include• Professional qualifications• Awards• Praise & Publications

Author Biographies are like resumes!

Strike the Right Balance

SEO and keyword research will help searchers find your book. But once they do, you have to provide good, readable descriptions that makes the sale.

• What your book is about• What a reader will take away from the experience of reading

your book• What makes your book is different and better than all the rest

Where Publishers, Content and Readers Meet

• Supplier• Publishing Status• Availability• Dates• Prices• Related Products

ONIX

http://www.editeur.org/8/ONIX/

• Supplier

• Publishing Status

• Publishing Status

• Availability

• Availability

• Product Availability

• Pub Status/Availability/Product Availability

• Dates

• Prices

• Prices

• Related Products

• Related Products

So how do you manage all of this?

Stop Hiding Your Books From Readers!

Patricia SimoesManager, Publisher Operations

Kobo Inc.

Five Easy Steps to Optimize Your Territorial and Sales Rights

1. Know your rights!

<SalesRights> <SalesRightsType>01</SalesRightsType> <RightsCountry>AU BR CA IN PH US</RightsCountry></SalesRights>

<SalesRights><SalesRightsType>02</SalesRightsType><RightsTerritory>WORLD</RightsTerritory></SalesRights>

Kobo sells books in 190 countries.

Without territorial rights metadata, you’re losing sales.

2. Don’t Limit Yourself!

<SalesRights><SalesRightsType>02</SalesRightsType>

<RightsTerritory>WORLD</RightsTerritory></SalesRights>

<Price> <PriceTypeCode>01</PriceTypeCode> <PriceAmount>6.99</PriceAmount> <CurrencyCode>USD</CurrencyCode> <Territory>US</Territory></Price>

USD, CAD, GBP, AUD+US=

Sales only in 1 country: US

3. Send us prices!

Thanks for those rights, but what price should we use?

$$

R$R $

$

€£

र ¥₱

A single title can have multiple rights, but are you sending prices in multiple

currencies?

USD CAD

GBP EUR

AUD NZD

4. Know your markets.

Books are much more expensive in Australia.

US list price12.99 USD

Straight currency conversion14.07 AUD

List price in AU 16.95 AUD.

Publisher gets an extra 2.88 AUD per

book.

5. Be explicit.

And, strategic.

It isn’t necessary to set prices for all territories, or even for your entire list.

GBPUSDCADEUR

US 12.99 USD = 760 INR

UK 11.99 GBP = 1180 INR IN List Price = 1623 INR

US 12.99 USD = 28.89 BRL

UK 11.99 GBP = 44.88 BRLBR List Price = 24.99 BRL

Five Easy Steps to Optimize Your Territorial and Sales Rights

1. Know your rights2. Don’t limit yourself

3. Send us prices4. Know your markets

5. Be explicit

Questions?

Patricia Simoespsimoes@kobo.com

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