why metadata (english version)
TRANSCRIPT
Why metadata?
WHY METADATA?
Why metadata?
WHY METADATA?
A presentation given at The Danish Publishers’ Associations members’ meeting aboutThema – the subject category schemefor a global book tradeMay 26th, 2015
Classification is a small but important part of the large set of metadata, that follows a book
throughout the supply chain.This presentation deals with why publishers
and retailers today have to work with metadata in a more focused and strategic way.
Why metadata?
MARIE, IN SHORT
• Independent book industry consultant• Digital Production Manager at Danish
Gyldendal Publishers until late 2014• Metadata and infrastructure (on both
strategic and operational levels)• Operates between IT, business and content
This presentation is a combination of a peptalk and a brief overview of the current situation.
Find my contact information on the last slide.
Why metadata?
• Challenges and jobs to do• What can we do?• A first step: better classification with THEMA
THE NEXT 15 MINUTES
Why metadata?
CHALLENGES ANDJOBS TO DO
The book business faces many challenges, caused mainly by the digitization of sales channels and business models. The traditional
model is neither efficient nor sufficient.
Why metadata?
• Daily content diet• The right time and
place• Convenience
A FIGHT FOR ATTENTION
Branchen står over for en række nye udfordringer, primært forårsaget digitalisering af salgskanaler og forretningsmodeller, hvor branchens traditionelle model hverken er effektiv eller tilstrækkelig
The sum of all
information and
entertainment
received by a
person or a group
in one day.
People spend on average 50 minutes on their daily feed. Each
instance gets 3 seconds of attention, and the average person retains or acts upon 6 of these a
day. We would very much like something book related to be
among those 6.
Why metadata?
• Formats• Sales channels &
Business models• Internationalization
HEAVY GROWTHA variety of digital and physical
formats; published synchronously, but differently handled
Both brick & mortar and online book stores;
Unit sales, subscriptions, licensing, lending, …
Global sales:National/international retailers;
National/international customers
Why metadata?
• More information types• Enhanced quality
and precision• Increased complexity
BETTER METADATAREQUIRED Extent, audience, more
subject codes, several descriptions, reviews, …
2 authors go in 2 fields, don’t put series name in
subtitle field, historic fiction is better than just
fiction, …
Relations to other product types, earlier editions, author ID, formats, versions,
DRM, sales restrictions, …
Why metadata?
PRICES UNDER PRESSURE
TIME
MO
NEY
sales
processes
Why metadata?
• Nielsen whitepaper 2012:The Link Between Metadata and Sales
THE DATA WE HAVE, 1
BIC BASIC (12 basic information types) are important in brick & mortar book stores. BIC BASIC data are most significant for fiction.
ENHANCED METADATA (short+long descriptions, reviews, author portrait) are very
important for online sales, and most significant for fiction and trade non-fiction (up
to 178% increased sales).
Why metadata?
• BISG report 2012:Development, Use, and Modification of Book Product Metadata
THE DATA WE HAVE, 2?
An overview of the North American supply chain. The report points out problems and
optimization opportunities. A range of recommendations are given, among which are the establishment of feedback loops, meticulous updating practices (this goes for publishers as well as retailers!), and a common understanding of who has the
responsibility for different tasks
Why metadata?
WHAT CAN WE DO?
We need to keep our books discoverable and relevant to the
reader, and we need to make sure that the book can always find the reader, regardless of her context.
Why metadata?
Adopt industry standards• Exchange• Identification• Classification• …
WE NEED TO SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE
ONIX, EDItX
ISBN, ISTC, ISNI
THEMASCHEMA.ORG,
DOI, …
Why metadata?
• Automation• Data discipline
WE NEED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PROCESSES
There is no time to look up data in heavy binders, nor to fill in
complex spreadsheets.
Data must be maintaned in one single place.Data must be created as close to the source as
possible: Editorial supplies descriptions and subject codes, Production supplies extent and
format; Sales & Marketing supplies prices, reviews, sales restrictions, …
Why metadata?
• Precision• Details• Relations
WE MUST ENHANCE DISCOVERABILITY
No tag abuse, be meticulous, aim at completeness!
Include all relevant information. Supply different
texts for different audiences/uses, include all
contributors. Don’t forget SEO.
Relations to other formats, other/earlier editions, the English original, the
abbreviated version, books in the same series, books by the same author, …
Why metadata?
• Metadataownership
• Creation closeto source
WE NEED TO BE RESPONSIVE
We need the ability to change the metadata whenever needed.
Ability to select and send the set of metadata that you at a given point of time find to be the optimal for a given retailer.
There is no time to complete or correct metadata downstream.
Data must be completed where they are born (Editorial, Production, Sales, …)
Why metadata?
• Combine sales andreading data withmetadata
WE MUST CAPITALIZE ON SALES DATA
Which books (which genres, authors, series) sell the most? And when? And to
whom? We would very much like to publish more books like these!
Ask retailers for data about sales and reading behaviour when price is under
pressure.
Why metadata?
• A FIRST STEP: BETTER CLASSIFICATION WITH THEMA
Why metadata?
• Same book onmany shelves
• Recommendationalgorithms
ONLINE SALES CHANNELS
One book can be both crime fiction, historic fiction and feminist
litterature. Readers of all 3 genres must find the book when browsing
categories online
The richer and the more precise a book is subject classified, the more relevant to the user can the recommendations be,
thus increasing the chance of a subsequent sale.
Why metadata?
• No mapping• National
differences
INTERNATIONAL
When there is no translation, there is no loss of
information. It also limits the risk of errors downstream.
THEMA holds so-called qualifiers. They are used to describe cultural, historic,
geograophic and infrastructural differences between the countries (and
their book markets)
Why metadata?
• Supply more subject codes• Be precise• Use THEMA as your internal
scheme
PUBLISHERS’ JOBS
Metadata is about communication. Complete, accurate and timely metadata are the result of good business processes
and clear ‘ownership’ of each data element
(inspired by: ONIX for Books,Global Best Practices)
Why metadata?
GET IN TOUCH …
Pruneau/Marie Bilde [email protected]+45 51 999 111http://pruneau.dk
Twitter:@PruneauDK
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/pruneauhttps://dk.linkedin.com/in/mariebilderasmussen