Discover
Discover books published around the world
We provide a range of bibliographic data solutions to aid the discovery and purchase of books.
Introduction
Nielsen BookData was first established in 1858 when Joseph Whitaker founded The Bookseller magazine. The early issues included a listing of publications each month compiled from 129 publishers including Cambridge University Press, Chambers, Hatchard, Macmillan & Co, John Murray, Oxford University Press and Routledge. The data elements listed included price, publisher, author and a brief description of the book.
Since then the number of publishers and elements we gather has grown exponentially but the principle remains the same: to disseminate bibliographic data to the industry to aid the discovery and purchase of books.
As well as our Discovery services, we also have a long and established role within the book supply chain and measure book sales in 12 territories around the world. We are extremely proud to run the ISBN and SAN Agencies for the UK & Ireland and a number of Nielsen BookData employees play key roles in the development and preservation of international industry standards such as Thema, working closely with organisations such as BIC and EDItEUR.
Find out more about our solutions below, for more information email: sales.book@nielseniq.com
How we gather bibliographic data?
Nielsen BookData collects data for English-language books, including audio and ebooks, from publishers in 93 countries worldwide. The data is gathered from over 60,000 publishers and suppliers worldwide via electronic data feeds and our online title editing service. We also work with a number of data partners in the US to ensure comprehensive coverage.
The data provided is gathered to create unique, timely, up-to-date records and we currently list over 46m titles on our database.
The level of detail we hold for each title depends on what each publisher provides to us, but we strive to encourage all publishers to adhere to the BIC Basic standard and indeed our recent research shows that titles meeting that standard enjoy double the average sales of books that don’t. To read our free report: The Importance of Metadata for Discoverability and Sales: click here
With 825 data fields available for publishers to complete, the breadth of our data is extremely wide and supports many business functions.
Our bibliographic data includes:
Who uses our data?
Traditionally booksellers and librarians have used our data to search, select and purchase books but as digital channels have evolved so have other types of users. We now count among our clients many different types of retailer, including online and physical bookstores, libraries in all their different forms as well as web and app developers.
We have clients in over 87 countries including the UK & Ireland, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, France and Sweden.
Why choose Nielsen BookData Discovery Services?
Why choose our bibliographic data services?
- Our comprehensive coverage of English-language titles published around the world
- Data is not just gathered from the big publishers; we also list the titles of thousands of publishers who publish less than five titles
- We are a consistent and trusted source of up-to-date metadata for the whole book industry
- Our data is enriched with additional bibliographic elements such as keywords, related works and dimension information
- Our services are bespoke and have the flexibility to be customised to your business
- We can supply multiple datasets harmonised into industry standard formats needed to feed your systems (i.e. ONIX or MARC as well as CSV, tagged and tab delimited)
- We focus on providing packages and solutions to suit any budget
How we deliver our data
We can deliver our bibliographic data via a range of unique services:
- Data feed (Record Supply Service)
- Web Service API
- On Demand
- Online search tool (Nielsen BookData Online)
Data feed: Record Supply Service
Our Record Supply Service is our fully tailored service allowing you to pick and mix the data coverage and elements you require. For example, you can choose whether to receive our whole data file (UK or Global) or to make a selection based on subject area (Thema or BIC code) or from specific wholesalers or publishers.
We will discuss your requirements with you in detail before creating your bespoke data package. Once agreed we will provide you with an initial load of data and thereafter your daily or weekly updates will be available to collect via our FTP site. Then all you need to do is apply the update files and your system will be kept up-to-date and accurate.
Why choose Record Supply Service?
- Save time and money by using one single data feed rather than trying to manage many sources of information
- Complete flexibility in terms of what data you choose, how it is delivered and at what frequency to suit your business needs
- Make your selection from the complete Nielsen BookData database of over 46m titles
- Data is updated daily ensuring you and your customers can base your decisions on the latest and most accurate title information available
- Enrich your website with elements including descriptions, author biographies, classifications, table of contents, reviews and ‘Look Inside’ media links to help drive traffic to your site and secure those all-important sales
- Detailed set up process with the complete guidance of our expert team from the selection of your data feed through to the delivery
For smaller businesses wanting to kick start your online offering, we have a range of “off the shelf” packages available. Contact us for more information: sales.book@nielseniq.com
Existing Record Supply Service clients
We have developed a new, state-of-the-art data delivery system which will allow us to provide more enriched data, faster, and includes a complete upgrade to Thema. We will be migrating you to the new system in the coming months and will guide you through the process. For more information and to start your migration contact your Account Manager or email sales.book@nielseniq.com
Data feed: Web Service API
Our Web Service API allows you to collect only the data you need at the point when you need it. It means that you can request data for a single ISBN or a whole data set when you want it, secure in the knowledge that the data you download is as up-to-date as it can be.
The data is delivered in an XML format using SOAP or REST web service protocols so it can be used to support existing websites.
Why choose Web Service API?
- Simple way to manage large, complex bibliographic data sets without the need to invest in expensive hardware, software or maintenance allowing you to make considerable savings
- Make your selection from the complete Nielsen BookData database of over 46m titles
- Data is delivered in an extremely versatile transfer format which can easily be incorporated into your website or internal system
- You can decide if and when you need to update a particular record, so you control the timeliness of the data you hold
- Enrich your website with elements including descriptions, author biographies, classifications, table of contents, reviews and ‘Look Inside’ media links to help drive traffic to your site and secure those all-important sales
- Simple set up process with the support of our expert team
Data feed: On Demand
Our On Demand service enables you to provide a list of ISBNs you require bibliographic data for and we supply you with that data.
The service can be provided as a one-off load or an annual subscription. If you sign up for an annual subscription, we will provide you with an initial load of data and then any daily or weekly updates on this initial load will be available to collect from our FTP site. You can also make ISBN requests via our FTP site throughout your 12-month subscription.
Why choose On Demand?
- The ideal solution for managing highly curated or specialist catalogues
- Save time and money by using one single data feed rather than trying to manage many sources of information
- If you know the titles you want to list, this service allows you to enrich the data with elements including descriptions, author biographies, classifications, table of contents, reviews and ‘Look Inside’ media links to help drive traffic to your site and secure those all important sales
- Data is updated daily ensuring you and your customers can base your decisions on the latest and most accurate title information available
- Download via FTP up to 250k ISBNs each week giving you the flexibility to manage your metadata to suit your business needs
- The service is simple and quick to set up and you will receive the full support of our expert team
Online search tool: BookData Online
BookData Online is our online search and discovery tool providing access to over 46m title records from over 60,000 publishers. It is an essential resource for booksellers, librarians and publishers around the world.
The service allows you to look up a title and view its bibliographic data and has a range of useful features including:
- Detailed searching
- New title alerts
- The ability to create and share book lists
- ‘Look Inside’ media links
- Ability to download MARC records
Why choose BookData Online?
- Reliable information to help you run your business efficiently
- All the information you need to easily answer customer enquiries and help build your business’ reputation
- Streamline your ordering to reduce unnecessary paperwork and phone calls
- Share book lists with customers and local organisations to support your local community
- Although you may have limited space for physical stock, BookData Online gives you access to the whole database allowing you to compete on a level playing field
- Search using a wide range of classifications and subject headings, including Thema/BIC subject categories, Dewey Decimal Classification and UK Standard Library Categories
- Publishers can use BookData Online for competitor analysis to see what is being published as well as critical information including publication dates and pricing
- Provide advice to your customers on the bestselling books in the genre they are interested in by sorting by BookScan chart position
- Access the service anytime and anywhere
To register for a FREE trial visit:
Get in touch
If you would like to discuss our services in more detail email: sales.book@nielseniq.com
BA Members
We offer a number of our services to BA Members at specially reduced rates, for more information: click here
Related Content
