High-quality metadata is crucial when it comes to helping readers discover your book. When you use accurate keywords, subject categories, and a clear, detailed description, you make it much easier for the right readers to find your title.
Providing strong metadata is now even easier with IngramSpark's new automated metadata tool, IngramSpark Assist.
By analyzing the basic information you provide during the title set-up process, IngramSpark Assist recommends BISAC & Thema subjects, targeted keywords, refined descriptions, and more!
To begin using this feature during set-up of new titles, you only need to supply the book title, note what type of book it is (Fiction, Nonfiction, or Other), and provide a detailed book description. A strong, well-written book description is one of the easiest ways to boost your book's chances of being discovered. It can also support your search engine optimization (SEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO) efforts, helping even more readers find your work.
Here's what the IngramSpark Assist feature looks like during title setup:
Gain the skills to ensure your book reaches the right readers at the right time with our FREE Metadata for Books course.
Tips to Optimize the IngramSpark Assist Tool
-
Decide whether your book is a fictional story, nonfiction, or something else (such as poetry, a drama/play, or a collection of works). Choosing the option that best fits your book helps IngramSpark Assist suggest the most accurate subject categories for your title.
- Write a detailed book description that clearly shows what your book is about. IngramSpark Assist will use this description, and it will also appear as your marketing copy on retailer sites, helping readers quickly understand and connect with your book.
-
The book description must be a minimum of 1,500 characters to use IngramSpark Assist.
- Start your book description with a clear, engaging headline that quickly shows readers what matters most about your book: its genre, key topics and themes, notable brands, or awards. Making these details clear is vital for IngramSpark Assist to suggest the most accurate metadata for your book.
- The headline should be followed by a detailed exposition that includes the notable topics, themes, plot elements, settings, and features of your book. Give readers a taste of the writing they can expect from you while revealing what your book is about.
- Genres, topics, and themes (e.g. historical romance, urban fantasy, Medieval history, sisterhood, finance)
- Locations and time periods, including settings, historical eras, and events that are important to the book
- Share who your book is for in a short sentence or two: who will enjoy it most, and who you wrote it for. For children’s and educational titles, include the recommended age or grade range and any leveling information. This helps IngramSpark Assist offer the most helpful, age-appropriate metadata suggestions for your book.
- If you're looking for ideas to help enhance your descriptive copy, read the top consumer reviews for some titles comparative to yours. Great reader reviews often are very effective at explaining books in an enticing and engaging way.
Offering a detailed, keyword-rich book description is essential when using the IngramSpark Assist tool to help populate the most appropriate metadata and make your title as discoverable as possible. Try it out next time you set up a new title!
To learn even more about creating a compelling book description, see our Book Description Worksheet.
