How I got my book metadata right
A book’s title, sub-title, summary, categories, and keywords are its metadata. All five of these are extremely important if you want your book to be noticed by readers. These are particularly required on platforms such as Amazon. Unclutter: A Survivor’s Story was recently ranked the #1 New Release on Amazon in Teen and Young Adult Fiction about Self-Harm, and its metadata played a vital role in reaching this milestone. I’ve elaborated on each of these five elements below:
The Title: Unclutter
The working title of Unclutter was horrible, and I cringe recalling about it. I even posted an initial version of the book under this title, The So-called Boy Magnet, on a popular reading platform, Wattpad. Needless to say, that did not work. Additionally, the title was the first thing my editor recommended me to change.
I pondered over the name of my book—and the subsequent ones in the series—for weeks. I wanted it to be unique, catchy, and intriguing. I did not want it to be wordy or common. That’s when I decided to use Unclutter. At first, my editors didn’t love it. They felt it was too unusual, but the word resonated with my book, and I was determined to use it. I incorporated the theme into my story, and my editors adored my idea.
When you choose a title for your book, ensure it’s something you love as an author. The name should click with you because it’s your book’s—your baby’s—identity. Of course, it must appeal to your readers, so run the idea by your editor, loved ones, and beta readers. But if your gut tells you your book title is right, go for it!
2. The Subtitle: A Survivor’s Story
The general rule for a subtitle is to use words your readers will search for on book-shopping sites. Hence, experts recommend including the tropes in your subtitle. For example, an enemies-to-lovers romance, a cozy murder mystery, etc. In my case, there weren’t any tropes that could summarize my book neatly. I’m so glad my editor helped with a catchy subtitle.
3. Book Summary
A book summary is the second most important thing a reader notices after the cover. For me, it is the first. I will not read the book if the synopsis doesn’t catch my eye, even if a friend recommended it. However, I may still buy the book if the summary is fantastic and the cover is just passable. Knowing how critical my book summary was and how hard it is to write one that’s a winner, I got my editor’s help for this one. I wrote a draft, and she revamped it to its current version, which my readers love. 78% of my ARC reviewers chose my novel for its summary.
4. Categories
Amazon lets you choose only three categories for your book. Hence, you must select the best fit. Earlier, authors could email Amazon to add their books to more categories. However, they don’t do that anymore.
Unclutter falls under niche genres/categories under YA fiction. Thus, it was easy to find the categories. However, I used Publisher Rocket to ensure I got the best fit. It’s a must-have software by Dave Chesson at Kindlepreneur. (Do subscribe to Kindlepreneur’s newsletter. Dave Chesson is awesome and has a treasure of information for independent authors.
Note: Amazon does not label its non-fiction categories appropriately. It’s easy to list your fiction novel under non-fiction. If your book is not in the correct category, it will not be visible.
5. Keywords
The seven Amazon keywords are extremely critical for a book’s success. So, I spent a ton of time (a.k.a. many weeks) on it. First, I listed down all the words associated with my book. Next, I used Publisher Rocket to analyze those words/phrases to find the ones buyers use the most on Amazon.
I highly recommend Kindlepreneur’s free Amazon keyword course to get this right. Dave Chesson also provides methods to find your book keywords without Publisher Rocket. But it’s tedious. The software is available for a one-time purchase (not a monthly/annual subscription) and is extremely helpful. Buy Publisher Rocket. You will not regret it.
What are some things you do as an author for your book metadata? Let me know in the comments.
