Goodreads Librarians Group discussion
Book Cover Help
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Show specific edition as default?
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Scott
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Dec 07, 2012 02:21PM
Got the author. Going to combine some titles now.
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You cannot, unless you are the book's author.
Kramnab wrote: "I managed to figure it out.Another thing, how can I edit a book, with several editions to show a specific edition as the default edition?
For example:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
..."
You can't.
Mod
Maybe for a few hours until the cache cleared, but not really. The default edition is the one shelved by the most GR users.
So is this option to change the primary edition only available to authors? Not even super librarians?
Natasa wrote: "So is this option to change the primary edition only available to authors? Not even super librarians?"The primary author or Goodreads Emplyees only.
Banjomike wrote: "The primary author or Goodreads Emplyees only."At the risk of sounding like an idiot, are super librarians also GR employees?
I'm asking because I'd like someone to change this book's primary edition (which is the library edition) to the HC edition.
I'd contact the author but it seems a bit silly to do so especially if she needs to be walked through the process.
Mod
Whatever for?
rivka wrote: "Whatever for?"Well, since this is going to be a hard launch I'm guessing the hardcover edition is usually the most bought copy instead of the library edition so it stands to reason it should be primary.
Mod
Natasa wrote: "At the risk of sounding like an idiot, are super librarians also GR employees?"No. Super librarians are ordinary people with superpowers. We get Popes elected and stuff like that.
The default edition on Goodreads, PRE-launch, is irrelevant. AFTER launch it will set itself as people shelve it.
RE posts 12/13, I disagree. My personal experience has been that after a certain number of times added, there is no coming back. Way too many people don't care about the specific edition, or don't know how to add anything other than the most popular.That's how things like the Spanish edition of Jurrasic Park gets to be the most popular. Or, people vandalize the Japanese edition of Sailor Moon (ISBN 4063347761), and change all the data to English, because (I assume) they think the English edition should be most popular/primary.
How about this:"The default edition on Goodreads, PRE-launch, is irrelevant. AFTER launch one edition will set itself as people shelve it."
The Jurassic Park thread was interesting.
If anyone does want to try to step author through, helpful links are - Author FAQ #4 this group: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
or help screen: http://www.goodreads.com/help/show/31...
I can see where allowing librarians to set could make for some odd editions being the featured/primary/default. But if they'd consider some sort of policy of allowing us to do so only at author's request and even make it a popup warning when you try to use the option — or even maybe allow just superlibrarians to do...would help.
Particularly with the increasing number of ebook self-published authors who, unlike traditional print, seem to endlessly update covers and frequently post here to get the cover updated. Would be easiest just to go ahead and ask them if they want to be the primary edition and just set.
lots of rounds with authors wanting to update covers; they either hit the "how dare you not policy" from some librarians, "sure thing" from librarians who did not bother reading the manual, then days, weeks or months later that gets undone and author comes back complaining, or they get told "no one can do that" because librarians weren't notified when new feature allowing authors and staffs to set came out. (Don't think authors got a notice either but not an author so not sure).
Debbie (Debbie Rice) wrote: "allowing us to do so only at author's request "My view is that since we KNOW that authors can do this and it is just a matter of a click we should just let them do it. As you point out some authors like to change their products as often as most people boil a kettle. I, for one, don't want to get involved in that. If the PTB want to add an option to UNDO the setting, to return a book to its proper default edition, then I would be happy to have that in the armoury but not to fiddle with books at the authors whim.
I could change this opinion WHEN we get some indication on a book page that the primary edition has been manually set and by whom. It needs to be loggable.
Banjomike wrote: "Debbie (Debbie Rice) wrote: "allowing us to do so only at author's request "My view is that since we KNOW that authors can do this and it is just a matter of a click we should just let them do it..."
+1
❂ Jennifer wrote: "Banjomike wrote: "Debbie (Debbie Rice) wrote: "allowing us to do so only at author's request "My view is that since we KNOW that authors can do this and it is just a matter of a click we should j..."
+1
I agree should be in change log (if not already, I don't offhand know a book with its primary edition set to check for a log entry).I'm seeing enough threads on having to undo illegal cover or isbn changes that I wonder how on earth the author FAQs and librarian manual got so misread. Or why after a dozen posts asking for a cover to get updated were turned down someone would jump in and do.
It really was easier with less ebook authors persistently updating bookcovers on their bookseller product pages thinking they should be able to do the same to the goodreads book data page. I swear some of them audition bookcovers just to see if that'll help gain any sales or any movement on all the bookseller lists and if not happy with the results change again, again, and again...
But I do still feel a bit sorry for the new to goodreads author innocently posting asking to "update" book cover that gets their head kinda chopped off . Granted, they should have read the author FAQs and guidelines. But a bit harsh sounding the way they sometimes get answered. And lots of librarians still not remembering that they can set a primary edition that just tell them "no way ever other than that new edition becoming the most popular."
I'm not positive all librarians know that authors can do this; much less that authors know they can. Just from what I read on these posts. When feature first released, I thought it was a good compromise between not corrupting older editions and still allowing authors to feature their latest works. I'm not sure the information is widespread. (Considering how much attention is paid to info on alternate cover editions and not altering isbns, I'm also not sure how to make it widespread other than repetition in group threads.)
Debbie (Debbie Rice) wrote: "I'm seeing enough threads on having to undo illegal cover or isbn changes that I wonder how on earth the author FAQs and librarian manual got so misread."It isn't being misread. It is often just the author treating Goodreads as an advertising site.
But I do still feel a bit sorry for the new to goodreads author innocently posting asking to "update" book cover that gets their head kinda chopped off.
I haven't seen many like that. If the question is asked then the answer is usually 'can't do that, against the guidelines' or some such. If they get shirty about it then they get stomped on.
I thought it was a good compromise between not corrupting older editions and still allowing authors to feature their latest works.
Not in my opinion. The new improved procedure just means that authors have to do what they did before (add an alternate cover edition or get us to do it) but they ALSO have to select the primary/default edition thing which they have to do themselves. There is still just as much incentive to ignore the policies as there ever was. Perhaps more so since we have all the extra business of who is the primary author.
