Locked Metadata

Can I Edit Metadata After It Is Locked?

No. If metadata is locked, it cannot be changed.

Metadata gets locked at different points in the publishing process to ensure consistency with what has been sent to distribution partners and what has been prepared for printing.

What Is Locked, and What Is Not

Not everything on a book is locked. These are fixed once the book is created:

• Title
• ISBN, once a valid one has been saved
• Imprint

Your print specifications — trim size, binding, laminate, interior paper and colour — lock later, when you approve your digital preview. Page count is the exception: you can change it at any time, but doing so clears your uploaded files and sends the book back for review.

Edition and series can be changed whenever you like, on the Metadata tab. A book written as a standalone often becomes the first of a series later, and nothing about the printed book depends on either field. If the book is already listed, the change flows through to its store listing on the next sync.

What If I Need to Change Locked Information?

If you need to change locked metadata, you will need to:

• 1. Go to the Books page
• 2. Find your book card and click the menu button
• 3. Select "Unpublish"
• 4. Add a new book with the correct metadata

This will remove the book from distribution. You can then create a new book entry with the corrected information.

Why Is Metadata Locked?

Metadata is locked to ensure that what retailers and customers see matches what is printed. Once your book information has been sent to distribution partners or once files have been prepared for printing, changes could cause mismatches.