How to Edit Metadata of EPUB Using Python – A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Edit Metadata of EPUB Using Python

EPUB files contain metadata such as title, author, description, and publisher information, which helps organize eBooks effectively. If you want to update or modify this metadata, Python provides powerful libraries to do so easily. In this guide, we will explore how to edit metadata of EPUB using Python, with examples, real-life applications, and common mistakes to avoid.

1. Why Edit EPUB Metadata?

Editing metadata is useful for:

  • Correcting wrong information (e.g., author name or title).
  • Organizing eBooks in a personal library.
  • Adding missing metadata such as descriptions or categories.
  • Standardizing metadata for eBook distribution.

2. Tools Required to Edit EPUB Metadata Using Python

To edit EPUB metadata, we will use the ebooklib library, which provides an easy way to manipulate EPUB files.

Installation

Before getting started, install ebooklib and BeautifulSoup (to work with XML metadata):

pip install ebooklib beautifulsoup4 lxml

3. Editing Metadata in an EPUB File

Step 1: Load the EPUB File

from ebooklib import epub

# Load the EPUB file
book = epub.read_epub('sample.epub')

Step 2: View Existing Metadata

Before editing, let’s check the current metadata:

for key, value in book.metadata.items():
    print(f"{key}: {value}")

Step 3: Modify Metadata

To update the title, author, and description:

# Modify metadata
book.set_title("New Title of the Book")
book.set_language("en")
book.add_metadata('DC', 'creator', 'New Author')
book.add_metadata('DC', 'description', 'This is an updated description.')

# Save the modified EPUB
epub.write_epub('updated_sample.epub', book)

4. Real-Life Applications

1. Managing Personal eBook Libraries

If you have a collection of eBooks with missing or incorrect metadata, Python can help batch-update the metadata for better organization.

2. Self-Publishing

Authors can edit and standardize their EPUB metadata before publishing on platforms like Amazon Kindle or Google Books.

3. Librarians and Researchers

Libraries and research institutions can use this method to clean and organize metadata for digital book collections.

5. Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Mistake 1: Forgetting to Save Changes

❌ Incorrect Example:

book.set_title("New Title")

Problem: The metadata is modified in memory, but not saved to the EPUB file.

✅ Corrected Code:

epub.write_epub('updated_sample.epub', book)

Solution: Always save the EPUB file after editing metadata.

Mistake 2: Using Incorrect Metadata Keys

❌ Incorrect Example:

book.add_metadata('DublinCore', 'author', 'John Doe')

Problem: The correct namespace is 'DC', not 'DublinCore'.

✅ Corrected Code:

book.add_metadata('DC', 'creator', 'John Doe')

Solution: Always use the correct metadata namespace. The correct key for the author is 'creator'.

6. Conclusion

Editing EPUB metadata using Python is a powerful way to manage and organize eBooks efficiently. By using the ebooklib library, you can update titles, authors, descriptions, and more. This is useful for personal eBook management, self-publishing, and library systems.

By avoiding common mistakes and following best practices, you can successfully modify EPUB metadata and enhance your eBook collection.

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