Ready to write your book? When you do, how will you make it stand out? I found out the hard way when I wrote my first book. I didn't know anything about this thing called "metadata." I thought, "What?!" My first objective was to get the book written. Then, when it was time for the publishing phase, I learned there were many other steps in the process, which included adding pertinent information like "metadata." This critical data is vital in helping books get discovered by readers, bookstores, online retailers, distributors, libraries, and anybody looking for a book like yours. It is the metadata that determines how you will be identified and classified – and help you "show up" in the necessary search engines often enough to "stand out" in the "right" crowds.

Relevant Metadata Matters! 

This data describes your publication, places it in a category (genre), and makes it searchable, findable, and, therefore, buyable. Here are nine examples of metadata Must Haves:

1. Book Title
2. Author Name
3. Book Description
4. Author Bio
5. Copyright
6. ISBN
7. Publishing Date
8. Keywords - relevant words and phrases describing your book that a person would likely think to use in their search for a topic like yours
9. Subject Codes (Genre) – use more than one subject code if possible: Nonfiction, Children's book, Self-help book, Adolescent…

I knew about 1-7 (not knowing it was metadata), but I was not familiar with 8 and 9. Whatever you do, be consistent when using this information, even for marketing and promotion after publishing. To make it easy for yourself, just write it, save it, and then copy and paste it. If you're consistent, people are better able to discover your book and buy it.

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INSIGHT: Plan to write your metadata before you publish.

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Talking yourself into and out of writing your first book? Need help deciding? Check out this easy worksheet: I've Got a Book in Me

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