IngramSpark’s ASSIST TOOL
Is Your Book’s Metadata Working for You?
You wrote the book.
You designed the cover.
You chose the title.
You may have even spent hours agonizing over the subtitle.
But there’s another part of your book that can have a surprisingly big impact on whether the right people actually find it.
Metadata.
And if you’re an independent author, you may be thinking, “Wait. What exactly is metadata?”
Here’s my simple definition:
Metadata is a trade term that helps retailers, libraries, and readers understand what your book is and who needs it.
That makes it much more important than it sounds.
And now, IngramSpark has introduced IngramSpark Assist, a tool designed to help authors and publishers create stronger metadata by recommending BISAC and Thema subjects, keywords, descriptions, and other information based on the book information you provide.
So, does it really help?
Let’s break it down.
FACTS
First, let’s demystify metadata.
Metadata is essentially the information about your book.
It includes things such as your title, author name, book description, subject categories, keywords, audience information, format, and other details that help the publishing and retail ecosystem understand where your book belongs.
Two particularly important classification systems are BISAC and Thema.
BISAC subjects are commonly used in North America to help categorize books by genre, subject, and theme.
Thema is an international subject classification system designed to help books be categorized and discovered in markets around the world.
Then there are keywords.
Think of keywords as the words and phrases a potential reader might actually use when searching for a book like yours.
And here’s the part independent authors need to understand:
Metadata isn’t just publishing paperwork.
It is part of your book’s discoverability strategy.
IngramSpark’s 2026 case study looked at comparable titles with basic metadata versus titles with strategically enhanced metadata. The improved group used more specific BISAC subjects, Thema subjects and qualifiers, keywords, and regional subjects where appropriate. In that study, the enhanced titles saw a 9% overall sales lift, although IngramSpark explicitly notes that similar results are not guaranteed.
That’s worth paying attention to.
BENEFITS
So, what can IngramSpark Assist actually do for an independent author?
- It can give you a better starting point.
Instead of staring at a blank metadata field wondering, “What on earth should I put here?”, Assist analyzes the basic information you provide and recommends metadata based on it.
That can save time—and potentially help you think about your book in ways you hadn’t considered.
- It can help you think beyond your book’s title.
Authors naturally think about their book in terms of its title and story.
Retailers and readers may think about it differently.
They may be searching for:
A topic.
A problem.
A genre.
A particular audience.
A location.
A historical period.
A specific type of story.
Metadata helps connect those dots.
- It can strengthen discoverability.
The goal isn’t to stuff your book with every possible keyword or category.
The goal is to accurately describe what your book is about so the right people have a better chance of finding it.
That’s an important distinction.
Good metadata doesn’t try to make your book everything to everybody.
It helps make your book visible to the people who are looking for what you actually wrote.
- It can be especially helpful for authors who aren’t publishing-industry experts.
Let’s be honest.
Most authors didn’t become authors because they dreamed of learning BISAC codes.
You have a story to tell, an idea to teach, or expertise to share.
Having technology that can make informed recommendations can lower the learning curve.
That’s a good thing.
PROCESS
So how should you use IngramSpark Assist?
STEP 1: Start with a strong book description.
This is perhaps the most important part of the process.
IngramSpark says Assist analyzes the information you provide during title setup, including your book type and detailed description. The description must be at least 1,500 characters to use the tool.
So don’t throw together three vague sentences and expect the technology to work miracles.
Give it something useful to work with.
STEP 2: Tell the truth about your book.
Is it fiction?
Nonfiction?
Poetry?
A collection?
A children’s book?
A drama?
Choose the category that best represents the work.
IngramSpark specifically recommends selecting the most appropriate book type because it helps Assist generate more accurate subject recommendations.
STEP 3: Be specific in your description.
Talk about the subjects, themes, setting, time period, audience, genre, and other meaningful elements of your book.
If your book is for a specific audience, say so.
If it’s a historical romance set in 1920s Paris, that’s useful information.
If it’s a practical guide for women entrepreneurs navigating their second act, that’s useful information, too.
The more clearly you describe your book, the more useful the recommendations can be.
STEP 4: Review the recommendations.
This is where I want to put on my publisher hat.
Don’t simply click “accept” on everything the tool recommends.
Read the recommendations.
Ask yourself:
Is this really my book?
Does this subject accurately represent the book as a whole?
Would my ideal reader recognize my book from these keywords?
Are the categories too broad?
Are they too narrow?
Does anything look completely wrong?
Technology can recommend.
You still decide.
STEP 5: Think strategically about the whole package.
Your metadata should align with your cover, title, subtitle, description, author positioning, and marketing message.
If all of those pieces are pointing in different directions, your potential reader—or retailer—may have trouble figuring out where your book belongs.
Consistency creates clarity.
PRO TIPS
PRO TIP #1: Don’t treat metadata as an afterthought.
Your manuscript may be finished, but your publishing work isn’t finished until your book is accurately positioned for discovery.
PRO TIP #2: Specific beats generic.
“Self-help” is broad.
“Self-help for women rebuilding confidence after career change” tells us much more.
The more accurately you can define your book, the better your metadata can work for you.
PRO TIP #3: Don’t keyword-stuff.
- More isn’t automatically better.
- Your keywords should be relevant search terms that genuinely describe your book. IngramSpark recommends using keywords that complement—not simply duplicate—your BISAC and Thema classifications.
PRO TIP #4: Think like a reader.
Ask, “If I were looking for a book like mine, what would I type into the search box?” Those answers can lead you toward useful keywords.
PRO TIP #5: Remember that BISAC and Thema serve different purposes.
BISAC is particularly important in North American book categorization.
Thema is designed for broader international classification and can add more nuanced information through subject and qualifier codes.
If you are distributing internationally, don’t overlook that opportunity.
PRO TIP #6: Let technology assist you—but don’t let it publish your book for you.
This may be my favorite tip.
IngramSpark Assist is a tool.
It can save time.
It can surface ideas.
It can help you make more informed choices.
But you’re still the publisher.
You know your book.
You know your audience.
You know your message.
Use the technology to help you make better decisions—not to make the decisions for you.
THE BOTTOM LINE
So, does IngramSpark Assist really work?
It can absolutely help.
But I wouldn’t describe it as a magic discoverability button.
Think of it as having a knowledgeable assistant sitting beside you saying:
“Based on what you’ve told me about this book, here are some ways you might want to describe and categorize it.”
That’s useful.
And for independent authors who aren’t familiar with publishing metadata, it could be particularly valuable.
BUT HERE’S THE BIGGER LESSON:
Your book doesn’t just need to be published. It needs to be understood.
Understood by retailers.
Understood by libraries.
Understood by search systems.
And most importantly, understood by the readers who are looking for exactly what you wrote.
That’s what good metadata helps accomplish.
So, yes, use IngramSpark Assist.
Explore its recommendations.
Learn from what it suggests.
But remember, you are the Author-As-Publisher.
The technology can assist.
You make the publishing decisions.
