The information below brings all your book’s essential details together in one place, helping you stay consistent across platforms and improving how readers discover your work. Every retailer requires some form of this metadata, and having it ready makes the upload process far smoother. It all starts with assigning ISBNs to each format of your book and building out the details from there.

Project Basics

These details establish your book’s identity and ensure consistency across the cover, the interior pages, and all retailer listings.

  • Author Name (as it will appear on the book) – Must match exactly across the cover, interior pages, and metadata to avoid indexing issues.
  • Email – For communication and metadata confirmation.
  • Phone Number – For communication and quick clarifications during production.
  • Website – Included in metadata and author bio fields when appropriate.
  • Book Title
  • Subtitle – Clarifies the book’s focus and supports discoverability.
  • Series information, if applicable (name of series, book number, reading order)
  • Edition, if applicable (revised edition, second edition, etc.)

Format and Production Details

These define how your book will be produced, distributed, and displayed.

  • Formats (hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook)
  • Trim size for print formats – Determines layout, page count, and printing specifications.
  • Page count – Final count determined after professional formatting is completed. Needed for spine width on cover templates; required by distributors and used for pricing and shelving.
  • ISBNs (one for each format) – Unique identifiers and essential for distribution and cataloging.
  • Publisher/Imprint (exact name) – Associated with the ISBN and needed when uploading to platforms; appears in metadata.
  • Publication Date and/or Copyright year

Discoverability and Classification

Essential information that determines how readers, retailers, and librarians find and categorize your book.

  • BISAC Codes, 2-3 (https://www.bisg.org/complete-bisac-subject-headings-list) – Control where the book is shelved and how it’s categorized online.
  • Keyword phrases (7-15) – Improve search visibility.
  • Tone indicators (usually for fiction) – Signal mood, style, emotion.
  • Categories (generally 3; retailer categories may differ from BISAC) – Retailer-specific categories that influence browsing and bestseller lists.
  • Audience and age range – Required for children’s and Young Adult (YA) books; helpful for all genres.
  • Comparable titles (2-3), including ISBNs – Help position the book in the market and guide metadata optimization.

Descriptions and Marketing Copy

This information shapes how your book is presented to readers and influences purchasing decisions.

  • Short description (150-250 words) – A sales-focused summary used in metadata feeds. USE YOUR KEYWORDS.
  • Long description (300-600 words) – Used on retailer pages and marketing materials. USE YOUR KEYWORDS.
  • Author bio – For credibility and connection with readers.
  • Tagline/hook – A brief, compelling statement that captures the book’s core appeal.
  • Endorsements or reviews – For marketing efforts; strengthens credibility.

Distribution

These choices determine how and where the book is sold.

  • Where the book will be sold – Retail and distribution platforms, such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press, BookVault, Kobo Writing Life, Apple Books (iTunes Connect), Draft2Digital
  • Library distribution preferences – OverDrive, Hoopla, Bibliotheca, etc.
  • Digital Rights Management (DRM) preferences (Recommend ON for Amazon KDP and OFF for all other platforms) – Controls whether ebooks can be copied or shared.
  • Sales territories (country-specific, regional, or worldwide)

Pricing and Royalty Eligibility

These settings determine how much you (the author) charge for each format, which will determine how much you earn per sale.

  • Retail prices of each format
  • Library prices of each format – Often higher than retail and used by library distributors
  • Promotional prices
  • Territory-specific pricing (Optional but recommended; sometimes the auto-converted prices are strange.)
  • Ebook: Choose royalty tier (see below)
  • Audiobook: Choose exclusivity (affects royalty rate; see below)

Royalty Options

Royalty structures differ by platform and format, and royalty rates determine how much you earn per sale. Ebook royalties often depend on price and territory, while print royalties subtract printing costs. Choose what best fits your pricing, file size, and distribution strategy.

    • Ebook royalty rate — Most platforms offer tiered royalties based on price, file size, and territory. For example, at Amazon KDP, 70% royalty if the ebook is $2.99-$9.99, available worldwide, and meets other rules; 35% royalty for books outside that price range or in certain territories.
    • Print royalty rate — Typically a fixed percentage of list price minus print cost (e.g., KDP’s 60% minus print cost; IngramSpark’s is 45% minus print cost).
    • Audiobook royalty rate — Depends on exclusivity and distribution choices (for example, 40% if exclusive to Audible, Amazon, or iTunes; 25% if non-exclusive).

Wholesale Discount (Print Books)

Wholesale discounts apply only to print books distributed through platforms like IngramSpark and determine how much retailers pay for your book. A higher discount (e.g., 55%) encourages bookstores to stock your book, while a lower discount (e.g., 40%) increases your earnings but reduces bookstore interest.

  • Wholesale discount percentage — Common choices are 40% (online‑focused) or 55% (bookstore‑friendly).
  • Short discount option — Some authors choose a minimal discount (e.g., 30–35%) for online‑only strategies.
  • Returnability — Often paired with wholesale discounts; bookstores expect returnable books. If your books are returned, you are responsible for the printing cost and, in some cases, additional fees charged by the distributor.

Other Enhancements

These are optional but can add value and improve your book’s professional presentation.

  • Table of Contents – Especially for nonfiction; helps readers and retailers understand structure.
  • Excerpt – Useful for marketing, retailer previews, and metadata samples.
  • Awards – For credibility and visibility.
  • Content Warnings – For transparency and reader trust.
  • Illustration details (number of images, color/black & white, placement notes) – Important for layout, printing, and metadata accuracy.

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t be. Not every item on this list will apply to your project, and you can gather the rest as you move through writing, editing, and formatting. The more of this information you collect early, the smoother your publishing and marketing steps will be. Consistency is key—keeping your metadata as identical as possible across all platforms and websites strengthens your book’s visibility. With everything in one place, it becomes a simple matter of copy and paste.

For a one-page, printable checklist, click here.

Metadata – What to Gather and Why