Update and Refresh your Metadata for your Book and Profiles
Consumers’ mindsets are constantly evolving, so it’s important to regularly update your metadata to reflect current trends and buzz words/phrases. Select 3-5 keywords that best reflect the content of your book in a way readers would typically do a Google search for that content or info. Add these to the keyword field on any site that offers your book (Amazon, BN, IngramSpark, your website, etc.) look for ways to incorporate them organically into your other metadata.
three metadata elements that have the biggest impact on search results are:
Contributor: For authors with common names, it’s helpful to disambiguate yourself from other authors (e.g. add a middle initial).
Series name: Be consistent throughout the series.
Book Description: Use HTML formatting to create a bolded headline (the 200 character intro) and set it apart with a paragraph break. Incorporate the most important keywords into this headline.
If you have the right amount of paragraph breaks and a good bolded headline, you can make a book description as long as you want — once a reader clicks “Read More,” they’re interested. Break up long descriptions with bullet points and paragraph breaks. Nobody wants to look at one dense paragraph.
Three areas that can result in big payoffs are:
Contributor: If you have a common name, add a middle initial to be different.
Series name: Always be consistent throughout the series in your writings, postings and definitely on the book covers.
Book Description: Use HTML formatting to create a bolded headline (the 200 character intro) and set it apart with a paragraph break. Incorporate the most important keywords into this headline. Amazon has clear directions on how to do it–what codes to use … i.e. <b> means make bold … </b> stop bolding. Break up long descriptions with bullet points and paragraph breaks. Few want to read line after line of just text. Think eye-candy and eye-breaks for the reader.
If you have the right amount of paragraph breaks and a good bolded headline, you can make a book description as long as you want — once a reader clicks “Read More,” they’re interested.
IN FIRST message, the line that starts “three metadata that have ….” to the end of section … wants to look at one dense paragraph DELETE then add the
Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of AuthorU.org, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the ’80s. Judith is the author of 35 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (Foreword IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #35 was published in 2016: How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos. Get your copy now.
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