Metadata best practices and configuration tips?

[TheRidge]

Hi, I am wondering if you would share your configurations for metadata. Is it better to use all/most the services Amazon, BN, Goodreads, etc.. to get quality metadata? Is there a defacto gold standard way of doing this?

Do you select comments or ratings from one, and remove them from another service?

Does it make sense to just use Goodreads and ignore the rest?

Covers - how do you prioritize to get the best and most consistent results?

I feel like there must be a better/proven way of dialing these settings in to get great results.
Thanks in advance for any/all help.

[Angel Crawford]

Hey ho,

I think, it's your own decision. How do you want it? Do you want the field Ratings, is it usefull for you?
What Data do you want in your Lib...

I for myself choosed the Metadata Plugins from Goodreads and Barnes & Nobles.

My Book Routine:
- Add Book from ISDN
- Download Metadata (with my Plugins and given Sources)
- Custom Field with "Edit" set to "yes" (Bulk edit)

After this I edit every Book per Hand, which has the field "Edit" set to "yes".
- Remove google EAN
- Controll the Author
- Remove HTML Tags and other things from the Description

Under Metadata download I removed some Fields, which I don't want to fill with Metadata.
I use the Rating field for myself, so I don't want the field to be filled in.

For the Covers I use a Plugin, which will crop my Images in an exact Size. Some Covers have this big banner with "Only by Brand" etc. then I choose another Image.

[theducks]

Every user of Calibre has THEIR OWN ideas of how they want their metadata.

I could care less what YOUR (or anyone else's here's) Rating (None of my sources have that ticked.

I think it stupid to include the tag Fiction along with a tag Science Fiction
(Actually, I only use Fiction as a tag when I have no idea what to classify a book that is not Non-Fiction)
I also combine the dozen permutations of Science Fiction into its root , Science Fiction.
Metadata is like Religion, (BTW MR requires discussion of those to be done in the slightly hidden, Politics and Religion forum), a volitile topic

[Sirtel]

I edit all metadata manually, on per-book basis. Downloading the metadata just doesn't do what I want.

As for covers, I choose the one I like best and good resolution is a must. No tiny covers for me, unless there is no hi-res cover to be found.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I edit all metadata manually, on per-book basis. Downloading the metadata just doesn't do what I want.

As for covers, I choose the one I like best and good resolution is a must. No tiny covers for me, unless there is no hi-res cover to be found.

a 450px wide cover is good enough for me But on giving individual attention to metadata.
I remove all series info from the title (very rare exceptions). I singlarize Mystery, remove 'Book' . I could care less if a company is a LLC or Inc: Gone.
I replace the BPH name with the books "Imprint". Self published all become "Author Published" or I use the Imprint from the Dead Tree version
(some of my preferences were based upon first documenting the 900+ paperbacks in my collection. I had to scan MY covers, as the cover and imprint changed on later or e-editions)

[TheRidge]

Thank you so much for all your replies! This is very helpful.

I am wondering if anyone has specific input as to the sources, i.e. amazon vs goodreads?

Thanks again.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by TheRidge

Thank you so much for all your replies! This is very helpful.

I am wondering if anyone has specific input as to the sources, i.e. amazon vs goodreads?

Thanks again.

Same kind of responce:
What returns the closest to YOUR preferences.
I like Fantastic Fiction as my favorite (#1 covers)
Goodreads (#2 covers) Google (#2covers) Amazon and Kobo
note: I am not going after HiRes covers. I use the Resixe covers PI to shrink them to my standard ( same as from Fantastic Fiction)

[TheRidge]

Originally Posted by theducks

Same kind of responce:
What returns the closest to YOUR preferences.
I like Fantastic Fiction as my favorite (#1 covers)
Goodreads (#2 covers) Google (#2covers) Amazon and Kobo
note: I am not going after HiRes covers. I use the Resixe covers PI to shrink them to my standard ( same as from Fantastic Fiction)

Thank you for this - anyone else?

[Angel Crawford]

You can see my specific input in the attachment which I postet under my first response.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...42&postcount=2

[TheRidge]

Originally Posted by Angel Crawford

You can see my specific input in the attachment which I postet under my first response.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...42&postcount=2

Thank you