Why your book metadata matters.
Just as I enjoy watching a lot of movies and series, I also spend a considerable amount of time reading or listening to audiobooks. Especially when headed out on vacation I like to stack my paperwhite full with books. But finding good book recommendations can be a challenge. Where do I turn for those recommendations? My favorite is Goodreads, the OG (original Goodreads, not original gangster).
When you sign up for Goodreads, you basically tell it what you have read recently, what you liked and then it gives you a digital shelf of recommendations and suggestions.
Cool right? But how does it know what books I am going to like? Sure community recommendations help the algorithm (if you read book X you’ll love book Y) but the silent agent is ✨categorization of metadata✨.
It’s literally crucial for effective classification, tagging and distribution. Metadata, the data about data basically allows you to tag, categorize and distribute all book information.
For example, if I am looking for a new dark-romance book, the books with dark-romance will be tagged into that category. Feels simple, straightforward and quite honestly, obvious right? Metadata apart from being crucial, can also be a catapult for virality.
What I have seen happen a lot is when a book catches someone’s attention on Goodreads, it spreads on TikTok very, very quickly. I have seen this happen to books that have been published for years, and then one person makes a 30 second video on it and it's suddenly a “must read '' on Booktok (Yes, book + TikTok). Sure virality is a strong yet wildly unpredictable factor, but what is important is the discussion around it. When it comes to books, virality isn't what you should aim for, rather a strong fan base for their favorite authors. Interestingly, I believe a solid 90% of the individuals that make content about a book aren't paid to promote the books; they simply love them. There's something special about reading and recommending a book—it allows us to imagine its world and then share our perceptions with others, forming communities and even fan accounts.
For publishing houses or companies like Storytel, which have a vast array of titles, jumping on this bandwagon of organic coverage is a no-brainer. For instance, I first heard about the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series by Sarah J. Mass on TikTok, and I researched all different platforms that have it (metadata!!) and chose Storytel because they offered the audiobook versions without limits, which fit perfectly into my fast-paced life that wants 8 hours of uninterrupted content (Yes, that is a normal day for me).
Talking about Storytel, they are a great example of how to leverage metadata and effective communication for latest releases, utilizing Clipsource to further their efforts:
Boy do I have, a Story-to-tell
Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Storytel is one of the world’s largest subscribed audiobook and ebook streaming services, offering more than 500,000 titles globally in over 19 markets.
Storytel's marketing assets and data were scattered across various internal systems, complicating their communication and marketing workflows.
They also needed features like secure distribution of audiobooks for pre-listening, rich media support, and conditional access to exclusive content.
So with Clipsource they implemented a new digital Media Centre for Storytel. By connecting internal systems for images, audiovisuals, metadata, and more, and presenting them in a user-friendly environment optimized for sharing, Storytel’s marketing and communication teams could better their workflows and increase their output to both public and professional audiences.
Since all information is based on ONIX —the global standard for metadata in the book industry—adding new features or connecting with external platforms is straightforward, making it internationally scalable.
Some features they use:
Automated Import: Fully automatic integration with their book data system, where we receive data on both new books and updates for existing books, as well as saving book versions into one “asset”. E.g. the ebook and audiobook for the same title are found in the same place.
Categorization: Translating ONIX codes into localized values for genres, book types, contributors etc.
Relating media: Automatically attaching delivered media files such as images, ebooks, audiobooks etc. based on ISBN numbers.
Organization: Automatically created database for contributors such as authors, cover designers, narrators… so they are easily searchable in the Book Catalog and Media Center
Creation: create Press Releases, events or any notification with all related media attached.
Distribution: Offer secure distribution of preview versions of the books in different formats to different media lists, internal contacts or any other stakeholders.
The Results
More Content: Storytel can distribute more marketing and communications content to more users across more platforms and devices.
More Automation: High volume and automation are crucial for success in data-driven marketing and communication.
Higher Availability: Storytel can super-serve all stakeholders and generate greater awareness around individual titles and the brand.
Fewer Errors: Integration of platforms means content can flow seamlessly, reducing errors from copy-pasting or rewrites.
By embracing metadata and community engagement, companies like Storytel are setting a new standard for how to connect with audiences and promote their books effectively.
Want to meta-meet? Let’s talk book recs & metadata management at sales@clipsource.com
