Discoverability – the Greatest Challenge in Online Publishing

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Digital publishing has seen a meteoric rise in the past decade. With close to 500,000 titles published last year and anywhere between 10 to 20 million eBooks available for download, the current reader has an abundance of options to choose from. From both famous publishing houses and self-publishing authors, the internet is flooded with more titles each year.

The online publishing or eBook market is currently being ruled by Amazon with over 79 percent of the market share. Thousands of individuals and first-time authors publish their work online with Amazon in a matter of minutes. However, with the abundance of reading choices available, how does the reader decide on the right book? How do you help your eBook get discovered online? The answer is – make your content available for discovery.

Publishing your work or eBook online does not necessarily lead to your eBook reaching your readers. Many authors find that their eBooks do not get the traction they deserve. A key element of discoverability is metadata. Metadata supplies information about the book including the ISBN, title, authors and , which helps in the eBook being found. But the current construct of metadata is limited to indexing information which does little in providing the reader with information needed to make their choice. If the metadata contained more information pertaining to the book contents, it would allow the reader to better understand the book in front of them and draw the right audience towards your content.  Here are a few points to consider when creating metadata to improve the discoverability of online publishing works and eBooks.

  • Language and genre
  • Content rating, style of writing and readability ratings
  • Story locations and places referenced
  • Specific word types that form the core of the content

Another potent, yet underused medium in this race for discoverability are online excerpts. Excerpts in the form of fragmented previews of your eBook made available online can be a great way to create the needed buzz and improve search of the entire eBook. Strategically chosen excerpts with the right word types and relevant keywords allow the eBook to appear in more searches, subsequently improving its discoverability.

Impelsys is a leader in online publishing platform with a strong footprint in content development, digitization and distribution. iPublishCentral puts all the right digital publishing tools in your hands. Your readers access your branded iPublishCentral portal that allows online and offline reading, supports various eBook formats, includes mobile access and offers content personalization features. Know more about our services here: https://www.ipublishcentral.com/ebooks/