EPUB Metadata Editing: Change Title, Author, Cover

EPUB metadata determines how your ebook appears in libraries and e-readers. Learn how to edit title, author, cover image, and other information to keep your collection organized.

What is EPUB Metadata?

Metadata is the information about your ebook stored inside the file:

• Title: The book's name
• Author: Creator(s) of the book
• Cover: The book's cover image
• Publisher: Publishing organization
• Publication date: When it was published
• Language: Primary language
• ISBN: International Standard Book Number
• Description: Synopsis or summary
• Subjects/Tags: Genre and categories
• Series: Series name and number

Why Edit Metadata?

• Fix errors: Correct misspelled names or titles
• Add missing info: Fill in blank fields
• Organize library: Consistent metadata helps sorting
• Add covers: Books without covers look incomplete
• Series organization: Proper series info keeps books together

Method 1: Using Calibre (Recommended)

Calibre is free and the most powerful option:

Basic Metadata Editing

1. Add the EPUB to Calibre
2. Select the book
3. Click "Edit metadata" or press E
4. Edit fields as needed
5. Click OK to save

Changing the Cover

1. In the Edit metadata dialog, find the cover section
2. Click "Browse" to select a cover image
3. Or use "Download cover" to search online
4. Click "Generate cover" to create a simple one

Downloading Metadata Automatically

1. Select one or more books
2. Click "Edit metadata" > "Download metadata"
3. Calibre searches Amazon, Google Books, etc.
4. Review and apply the results

Bulk Editing

1. Select multiple books
2. Click "Edit metadata" > "Edit metadata individually" or "Download metadata"
3. Edit common fields like publisher or series

Method 2: Using Sigil

Sigil is a free EPUB editor with direct metadata access:

Edit Metadata in Sigil

1. Open the EPUB in Sigil
2. Go to Tools > Metadata Editor
3. Add or edit metadata fields
4. Required fields: Title, Language
5. Add others as needed
6. Save the file

Edit OPF Directly

For advanced users, edit the content.opf file directly:

1. Open EPUB in Sigil
2. In the Book Browser, find the OPF file
3. Edit the metadata section directly
4. Be careful with XML syntax

Method 3: Online Metadata Editors

Some websites offer EPUB metadata editing:

• Typically require uploading your file
• Privacy concerns with sensitive documents
• Useful for quick, simple edits

Note: CheersPDF is a converter, not a metadata editor. For metadata editing, use Calibre or Sigil.

Metadata Fields Explained

Essential Fields

• Title: Primary title (required)
• Author: "Last, First" format works best for sorting
• Language: ISO code like "en" or "en-US"

Recommended Fields

• Cover: JPEG or PNG, 1600×2400 pixels recommended
• Publication date: YYYY-MM-DD format
• Publisher: Publisher name
• Description: Book synopsis

Optional Fields

• ISBN: If available
• Series: Series name
• Series index: Book number in series
• Subjects: Genre/category tags
• Rights: Copyright information

Best Practices

Author Names

• Use consistent spelling across all books by same author
• "Last, First" format helps alphabetical sorting
• For multiple authors, add each separately

Cover Images

• Use high-resolution images (at least 1000px tall)
• Aspect ratio around 2:3 (height:width)
• JPEG for photographs, PNG for graphics
• Keep file size reasonable (under 500KB)

Series Information

• Use same series name for all books in series
• Use numeric index (1, 2, 3) not text
• This helps readers sort and organize

Troubleshooting

Metadata Not Showing

• E-reader may cache old metadata
• Remove and re-add book to device
• Check that metadata is actually saved in file

Cover Not Displaying

• Some readers have specific cover requirements
• Ensure cover is properly referenced in OPF
• Try re-adding the cover

After Metadata Editing

If you edit metadata and then want to convert to PDF:

1. Save the edited EPUB
2. Use CheersPDF to convert to PDF
3. Metadata will be preserved in the PDF

Maintaining Your Library

Tips for ongoing metadata management:

• Edit metadata before adding to your main library
• Create a consistent system for titles and authors
• Back up your Calibre library regularly
• Use Calibre's metadata download for convenience

Editorial Contributor

Written by Vivek Kumar

Vivek specializes in lossless CBZ, CBR, and heavy PDF graphic rendering, ensuring massive portfolios compress into beautifully optimized ebooks.