I'm a little OCD, so I'll share what I do with these "shortcuts" also.
Simply, I have too many large audio files to store in Calibre due to storage & backup issues and nothing to do with Calibre's ability. I'd love to use just Calibre, even on portable storage, but for my uses and situation it doesn't yet work out best. I tried. If the time comes, it's a relatively easy changeover although a bit time consuming if important enough.
So, my streamlining project for various audio & other (some associated with books and many not) gets done in batches resulting in hundreds of zip files created at a time based on folder content and using the same naming structure. These are then stored away and easily found or updated when needed. I know what I have based on cataloging them in Calibre. The trick is how to get in the info into Calibre without individual entry. This is akin to transferring records of your entire massive print library into Calibre.
So:
1) Given the number of entries, it is a waste of time to enter one by one. I've already spent the necessary time on creating the folders which become zips. This step is required for my purposes.
2) Since my zip format matches by preferred format for book imports to autofill author, series, and title, I just needed to get the info quickly into Calibre without actually bringing in the zip. For a time, creating the shortcut .lnk for the zips worked since it came in as a .lnk file which I then batch deleted leaving the empty entries. I apply my custom tags column for management/info and then I'd run file duplicated to combine any for which there is an already an associated entry (book and/or metadata etnry previously created).
3) I create the shortcuts in a directory, separate the zips to their storage location, then run a rename in command prompt: Ren *.lnk *.entries or whatever I feel like using as it's temporary anyhow. This step takes 30 seconds max.
4) Simply drop them all into Calibre, add my management tags (I call the column Meta), and proceed to clean it up from there with a series of already saved commands in bulk metadata edit such as Search and Replace with REMOVE ".zip - Shortcut" from file names as it imports with that. There are other things I add in bulk from the file name to my Meta mgmt tags before easily cleaning up the file names. Then it's on to duplicate management.
Examples of audiobooks, lectures, and various:
Biology 1 -Chapter 8- Microbiology LECTURE(mp3-1).zip - Shortcut.lnk
Jane Doe -Quantum Mechanics Seminar 1- Quirky Quarks (mp3-m).zip - Shortcut.lnk
Physics -Chapter 10.3- Dynamics
efinitions & Applications LECTURE (mp3-m).zip - Shortcut.lnk
Physics -Chapter 10.3- Teaching Resources.zip - Shortcut.lnk
Physics -Chapter 10.4- Dynamics:Measurement & Error LECTURE (mp3-1).zip - Shortcut.lnk
J.R. Tolkien -Lords of the Rings 1- Fellowship of the Ring(m4b)(NOchpt).zip - Shortcut.lnk
Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice (m4b)(chpt).zip - Shortcut.lnk
Lee Child -Jack Reacher 01- The Killing Floor (mp3)(chpt).zip - Shortcut.lnk
I can store everything together and easily get to it when needed. I can keep track of it all in Calibre. I can quickly add these to Calibre entries and manage easily from there.
Truly, Calibre is a brilliant program. It allows basic use to power user and everything in between.