Docs › How-to › Data exchange, File uploader

The file uploader runs in the background, to allow the upload of many megabytes-worth of multiple files at a time.

1. Go to the file uploader page

There are a number of ways to get to the file uploader page.

2. Choose your files

Once you have selected your files, click ‘Upload files’. Your files will be queued, ready for uploading.

What should my files be called?

The system assumes that if you are uploading an image file with an extension of JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIF, or TIFF (and regardless of the letters being upper or lower case) it will be a cover.

For covers, name your images [ISBN-13].jpg, or [ISBN-13].png etc. For instance, 9781905005888.jpg, or 9781905005888.tif, the system looks for an ISBN-13 in the file name. \My great book 978-1-9050-0588-8.jpg\ is an acceptable file name. The image attaches to the product with that ISBN-13, and also all other products of the same work, for your convenience, and various image formats and sizes are generated from the file you upload. Upload the highest resolution images that you have available.

3. Check the file associations

All non-image files will be uploaded and stored on the Production › Production files ⤴ page. Go there after the upload to match your files to your works and products.

Here is the help text that is provided in the documentation sidebar on the File Uploader page. ( Go to Data exchange › File uploader ⤴)

What do I upload here?

Content and artwork files. Upload non-content files, such as contract PDFs, to the contract directly. Go to Imports to upload Excel files whose data is to be saved in Consonance.

I just want to simply upload cover images

If the file name has an ISBN-13 in it somewhere, and it’s in JPEG format, like 9701234567890.jpg, just upload it and it will be linked as a front cover image to the correct product, and any existing front cover image will be unlinked from the product.

How does the uploader work?

The system uses the file name and type to decide whether it will be loaded as a content file or an artwork file. It also looks for an ISBN-13 in the file name, and at the product form of the product that has that ISBN-13.

If you are uploading a PDF file and the file name has the ISBN-13 of an ebook in it, it will upload the file as a live, public ebook, and link it to the ebook product. These files might be included in your data feeds, so take extra care if you are uploading PDFs. Directly upload non-ebook PDFs such as contract files or print-ready files to the contract or work respectively.

The system also assumes that if you are uploading an image file, with an extension of jpg, jpeg, png, tif, or tiff (and regardless of the letters being upper or lower case), it will be an artwork file. Note that the JPEG file format is very much preferred where possible, as only JPEG format files are sent to third party recipients, and while the system will convert your file to the JPEG format that can sometimes give disappointing results.

There are some additional options available for artwork files, for controlling which products the files link to and the type of artwork file that they will be uploaded as.

Controlling artwork file uploads

The system will attempt to link the artwork file to at least one product in your account, and can optionally:

  • Link it to other products on the same work
  • Set it to be of a particular type (e.g. front cover, sample content, or promotional material)

This is controlled by using particular file naming conventions.

The three forms of control that can be exerted through file naming conventions are:

  • Identification control: which product on in the system the file will be linked to.
  • Only ISBN-13 is currently used as an identification control, and this is used to find a product with the same ISBN-13.
  • In the absence of any linking control, the file will be linked to the products with a matching ISBN-13, otherwise linking control can link the - file to other products on the same work
  • Linking control: which products the file will be linked to.
  • If no linking control is specified then the file will be linked only to products having the ISBN-13 in the file name.
  • Type control: what type of artwork file the image will be identified as.

These are described below with examples to demonstrate their use. The examples are of increasing complexity, showing how all of these controls can work together.

Please note the following:

  • The control strings are all case and order insensitive: 9781234567890_LINKALL_TYPEBACK.jpg is processed the same as typeback 978-1-2345-6789-0 linkall.jpg.
  • Where multiple control strings of the same variety are present, only the first one is used.
  • All others are ignored without raising an error: 9781234567890 LINKALL.jpg and 9781234567890 LINKALL LINKE.jpg both cause the file to be linked to all products.
  • It is possible for multiple files to be uploaded that can affect the same product and linking, for example by uploading two files named 9781234567890 LINKALL.jpg and 9781234567890 LINKSAME.jpg.
  • Although multiple files are not processed at exactly the same time on any particular work, this will likely lead to unexpected effects, and should be avoided.

Identification control

The system will try to find an ISBN-13 in the file name, to use for identifying a product to which it can be attached. The ISBN-13 does not have to be at the beginning of the file name, but can be anywhere in it. It does not have to be a set of contiguous digits. Any of the below will let the system identify the ISBN-13 9781234567890 in the file name:

  • 9781234567890.jpg
  • 978-1-23456-789-0 version 3.jpg
  • My New Novel 9781234567890 final (copy) use this one.jpg

Note: the system does this by reading the name, ignoring any character that is not a digit, and then looking for 13 digits beginning with either 978 or with 9791 to 9799 (if it looks like an ISBN-13 but begins 9790, that is an International Standard Music Number, not an ISBN-13). If it finds 13 digits but they do not validate as an ISBN-13 (in the sense that the final digit checksum is not correct) then it is not treated as an ISBN-13.

Note: the original name of the uploaded file is not used by the system when the file is forwarded to supply chain partners, who inevitably will need a different naming convention. During file transmission the name will be changed to match the recipient’s expectations. For example, My New Novel 9781234567890 final (copy) use this one.JPG might be sent to Ingram as 9781234567890_FCHigh.jpg. If the same file is used as the cover on multiple products with different ISBN-13s, it will be sent multiple times to the recipient with the appropriate ISBN-13 each time.

If:

  • a valid ISBN-13 is found in the file name and
  • that ISBN-13 is assigned to a product in the system

… then the file will be linked to that product.

If you want it to be linked to other products as well, you can use a linking control string in the file name as described below (see Linking control).

The file will be identified as a cover image, unless a type control string is added to the file name (see Type control) Identification examples

  • 978-1-23456-789-0.jpg: Because there is no type or linking control string in the name, it is attached to the product with the ISBN-13 - 9781234567890 as a cover image, and any cover image already linked to the product is unlinked from it.
  • 978123456789X.jpg: No valid ISBN-13 is found in the file name, so the file is not linked to any product.

Linking control

In the absence of any linking control, the file is attached only to the product having its ISBN-13.

This can be modified by including any of the following linking control strings. In all cases, the products linked to will be on the same work as the product having the same ISBN-13 as the file, and all of the control strings use the product form as the means of identification:

  • LINKA - links to all audio products (product form beginning with the letter A).
  • LINKB - links to all print products (product form beginning with the letter B).
  • LINKE - links to all ebook products.
  • LINKBB - links to all hardbacks (product form BB).
  • LINKBC - links to all paperbacks (product form BC).
  • LINKALL – links to all products.

Linking examples

Simple case

9781234567890 LINKALL.jpg links the file to all products on the work which has a product identified with the ISBN-13 9781234567890.

Type control

In the absence of any type control strings, the file will be identified as a front cover.

The following type control strings are available:

  • TYPEBACK - Back cover
  • TYPEFRONT - Front cover (also the default)
  • TYPEFULL - Full cover
  • TYPEPACK - Packshot (3D image of the product)
  • TYPEPROMO - Promotional event material
  • TYPESAMPLE - Sample content (spread)
  • TYPEUNK - Unknown
  • TYPEWIDE - Wide cover

Type examples

  • 9781234567890 typeback.jpg links the file to all products on the work which has a product identified with the ISBN-13 9781234567890 as a - back cover.
  • 9781234567890 typeback linkBB.jpg links the file to all hardback products on the work which has a product identified with the ISBN-13 - 9781234567890, as a back cover.

Once you have selected your files, click Upload files. Your files will be queued, ready for uploading.

Check the file associations

A notification will appear in your notifications when the files have finished uploading.

Once uploading has completed, production and image files can be managed on the Uploaded files page. Go there to link your files to your works and products, or to edit file metadata.

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