Below is a list of metadata information to collect in one place for your book. Using consistent information across publishing platforms, retailer listings, websites, and marketing materials can improve your book’s discoverability and prevent errors and inconsistencies.

For more detailed information about metadata, read Metadata – What to Gather and Why. For a printable, one-page metadata checklist, click here.

Not every item below is technically metadata. This checklist also includes publishing, distribution, and marketing information that authors are frequently asked to provide. Keeping everything together in one place makes it easier to maintain consistent book information across platforms.

Project Basics

  • Author name (as it will appear on the book)
  • Contributor names and roles (editor, illustrator, translator, photographer, foreword author, etc.)
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Website
  • Book Title
  • Subtitle
  • Series name and number, if applicable
  • Edition, if applicable (revised edition, second edition, etc.)

Format and Production Details

  • Formats (hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook)
  • Trim size for print formats
  • Page count
  • ISBNs (one for each format)
  • Publisher/Imprint (exact name)
  • Publication date
  • Copyright year
  • Language

Discoverability and Classification

  • BISAC subject codes, 2-3 (https://www.bisg.org/complete-bisac-subject-headings-list)
  • Retailer categories (generally 3; may differ from BISAC subjects)
  • Keyword phrases (7-15)
  • Audience
  • Age/grade range, if applicable
  • Comparable titles (2-3), including ISBNs
  • Tone, themes, and reader interests, if applicable

Descriptions and Marketing Copy

  • Short book description
  • Long book description
  • Author bio
  • Tagline/hook
  • Endorsements/reviews

Distribution

  • Where the book will be sold (retail and distribution platforms)
  • Ebook Digital Rights Management (DRM) preference, where applicable
  • Sales territories (country-specific, regional, or worldwide)
  • Library distribution preferences

Pricing and Royalty Options

  • Retail price for each format
  • Library/institutional price, if applicable
  • Promotional pricing
  • Territory-specific pricing
  • Ebook royalty option, where applicable
  • Audiobook distribution/exclusivity option, where applicable

Wholesale and Returns (Print Books)

  • Wholesale discount
  • Short-discount option, if available
  • Returnability
  • Returns option (destroy or return, if applicable)

Other Enhancements

  • Cover image/file
  • Author photo
  • Illustrations/interior images
  • Table of contents
  • Excerpt/sample
  • Awards and honors
  • Content Warnings, if applicable

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