kdp:metadata

kdp:metadata

Emit a JSON sidecar you can keep next to KDP uploads or feed into your own publishing scripts. Always writes — no enable flag.

papyrus kdp:metadata
papyrus kdp:metadata -d /path/to/book -e /path/to/out

Options

Option Short Default Meaning
--dir -d current directory Book root
--export -e export/ Output directory

Output

export/<slug>-kdp-metadata.json

Config

'language' => 'en',

'kdp' => [
    'print' => [
        'paper' => 'white',
        'bleed_mm' => 3,
        'margin_preset' => 'recommended',
    ],
    'metadata' => [
        'description' => 'Bookstore blurb…',
        'keywords' => ['papyrus', 'markdown', 'ebook'],
        'language' => 'en', // optional; else project language
    ],
],

JSON shape

{
  "title": "…",
  "subtitle": "…",
  "author": "…",
  "language": "en",
  "description": "…",
  "keywords": ["…"],
  "ebook": {
    "enabled": true,
    "cover": "cover-ebook.jpg",
    "artifact": "<slug>-kdp.epub"
  },
  "print": {
    "enabled": true,
    "paper": "white",
    "bleed_mm": 3,
    "margin_preset": "recommended",
    "margin_preset_known": true,
    "trim": {
      "width_mm": 152.4,
      "height_mm": 228.6,
      "width_in": 6.0,
      "height_in": 9.0,
      "preset": "6x9",
      "within_kdp_bounds": true
    },
    "artifact": "<slug>-kdp-print.pdf"
  },
  "artifacts": {
    "ebook": "<slug>-kdp.epub",
    "print": "<slug>-kdp-print.pdf",
    "metadata": "<slug>-kdp-metadata.json",
    "ebook_cover": "<slug>-kdp-ebook-cover.jpg",
    "print_covers": ["<slug>-kdp-print-cover-light.jpg"]
  }
}
Field Source
title / subtitle / author Project identity
language kdp.metadata.language → language → en
description kdp.metadata.description (may be empty)
keywords kdp.metadata.keywords (string list)
ebook.* / print.* Enable flags, paper, bleed, margin preset, trim size; optional wrap cover estimate when print PDF exists
artifacts.* Expected export filenames for uploads

When export/<slug>-kdp-print.pdf exists, print.cover includes page count, spine width, and full wrap dimensions. Rebuild metadata after kdp:print to refresh those numbers.

This file is a helper for your workflow — it is not uploaded automatically to Amazon. Run papyrus doctor to check KDP readiness (covers, margin preset, epubcheck on PATH). Package uploads with papyrus kdp:package.