Metadata Minute (Issue #3)
Mastering Cover Image Issues
The Metadata Minute is your monthly guide to boosting book sales and visibility by mastering metadata elements! Whether you’re an author, publisher, marketer, or industry enthusiast, “Metadata Minute” has something to offer everyone.
🔍What to expect:
- Insights from industry experts
- Tips and techniques to perfect your metadata for backlist & frontlist titles
- The latest industry trends in metadata practices, ensuring you’re always one step ahead
- Case studies proving the power of metadata transformations
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In the world of books, the age-old adage “never judge a book by its cover” seems to echo from our childhoods.
However, reality paints a different picture—we judge, and we judge swiftly. Humans process images in less than ONE second (MIT). That means the average time it takes to just snap your fingers, a consumer could decide whether to pick up, or click on, a book. Naturally, there are a lot of factors that make that decision but the most important one, arguably, is the cover.Â
A staggering 80% of readers surveyed claim that a cover plays a critical role in their decision to purchase a book, and a recent Neilsen UK study revealed that the average sales of books with cover images almost doubled the sales of those without.Â
How can Firebrand help?
Our Eloquence on Alert tool can help you ensure that the cover image being displayed on retail sites is the EXACT one that you want consumers viewing online. Imagine losing out on sales because your cover, while amazing, appeared blurry on Amazon? Maybe it’s an old, outdated cover that is being displayed or worse, didn’t show up at all. Bummer!
“Many publishers find that certain retailers will take their own liberty when displaying covers. For instance, some may take a photo of the publisher’s cover or alter the provided cover image in some way, which often causes a loss of image quality,” says Joshua Tallent, Firebrand Technologies’ Director of Sales & Education.Â
If the cover image has changed over time, that bright and shiny newly-designed cover may not always be the one that Amazon or Barnes & Noble is displaying. Given that Amazon is reportedly “the world’s largest bookstore,” it is vital that your covers are operating at maximum efficiency online. Because, let’s face it, what good is a masterpiece if it appears blurry or outdated on the digital shelves?
Eloquence on Demand offers metadata and asset distribution so you can easily upload and distribute any and all assets to online retailers, including cover images. However, the real challenge is monitoring your frontlist and backlist titles once they’re out in the wild.Â
Eloquence on Alert is our extensive title monitoring tool that will make your life tremendously easier when it comes to maintaining consistent cover images for your titles. Our seamless cover comparison makes it easy to see how your titles are appearing on online retailers.
How Does Eloquence on Alert Monitor Cover Images?
- Search for all titles in your collection where the “Site’s Cover Does Not Match the Publisher’s.”
- Specifically search for differences that are large, small, or simply noticeable.Â
- View live covers displayed on major online retailers, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and more.
- Create ongoing alerts that notify you regularly when new cover image issues come about.
Keep in mind, this is just a SMALL taste of the true power behind Eloquence on Alert. Eloquence on Alert helps you monitor list and sale price changes, third party seller activity, missing buy buttons, event marketing trends, rating and review changes, availability issues, and so much more!
Schedule your FREE 45-minute Demo of Eloquence on Alert today.Â