Val is a freelance writer and editor with 10+ years of experience. He's been writing about book data management, publishing, technology, and other subjects.
Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster were about to shrink the “Big Five” of publishing to the “Big Four”. However, the US Department of Justice had an objection to those plans. As is sometimes the way with government agencies, the objection turned into the merger being blocked.
Publishers, booksellers, libraries, educational institutions, and all other organizations, which professionally work with books, need a reliable source of information to retrieve data about thousands or even millions of books. This is when bibliographic databases come in very handy. Using the databases’ APIs, you can quickly get titles, authors, cover art, and a lot of other book data by ISBN. Book databases enable members of the book industry to operate more efficiently and better serve their customers.
In today’s digital world, book metadata plays a crucial role in the discoverability, sales, and overall success of your books. Whether you’re an author, publisher, or bookseller, understanding the significance of book metadata and how to use it effectively can make a huge difference for your business. In this article, we’re going to explore the various aspects of book metadata and how ISBNdb, a leading book data provider, can cover your metadata needs.
Sad news for many keen readers – Book Depository will accept orders till April 26 and then close down for good.
Book Depository, owned by Amazon, did not reveal the motives behind the decision. However, its parent company has disclosed plans to cut 18,000 jobs in its service and book departments in 2023, which might be the reason.