Author Profiles

[[deleted user]]

You had said before that you were working to make this this most up accurate database you could. So I was fixing a misspelled name for an author and noticed the author who had published multiple books didn't have anything listed in her profile. So I hope I didn't make some kind of big mistake or anything, but I contacted the author and asked if she could either join or provide a photo and information for her profile. I did tell her I was a volunteer librarian, but I also told her that I wasn't contacting on behalf of the company or anything since I was only a volunteer. Anyway I actually received a response, because I thought what better way to make sure that her work is accurate than for her to be here to check it right? Anyway I recvieved a response from her coordinator. This was what she wrote.
Hi Jennifer -

Thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to us and for your kind words on Julie's work! I checked out the site and it would be wonderful to have a picture and a profile up for Julie.

I noticed you said you are a volunteer librarian. Can I supply a picture and a short bio to you, or should I sign up and manage it myself (i.e. do I need to verify that I am that author to be able to upload the info)? I could get that information to you easily.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks -

Jennifer Craig
Online and Interactive Communications Coordinator
Julie Morgenstern Enterprises
212-586-8084
it@juliemorgenstern.com
www.juliemorgenstern.com

So my question in what should I tell her? Should I just do it for her or what would she need to do to maintain the author profile? I could post it, but my thought is that if she's doing it it will be updated regularly when they're new things that she wants mentioned. I just don't know what she'd need to do to get into an author profile. Help from someone who's not clueless like me would be greatly appreciated.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Have her email support AT goodreads DOT com, and she'll be able to get access to the author's profile. If she prefers, she can send the info to you to upload.

[[deleted user]]

This is what I wrote back:

"It's up to you how you'd like to do the profile. You could send it to me and I could enter it. Personally, I think the better option though would be for you to update the profile. The reason I say this is that you would be able to update it as often as you'd like so if Julie wins a new award or is doing something of interest to her readers you would be able to put that in there when you found out about it, whereas I probably wouldn't know unless I was contacted about it. If you'd like to do the profile, to gain access email support@goodreads.com they should be able to set you right up with whatever you need to keep her author profile up to date. However if you don't have the time to do so, which I completely understand you're welcome to email me back with the relevant info and I'll be happy to post it. I really appreciate you getting back to me. Let me know what you decide and I'll be happy to help in anyway I can.

Jenn"

Hopefully that sounded good... Thanks for the help rivka :)

[[deleted user]]

I hope I didn't overstep bounds by doing that, I just thought that the more authors we had here or at least profiles completed that the more accurate the database would be and and the more members that might join because their favorite authors kept profiles here.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Jenn wrote: "I hope I didn't overstep bounds by doing that"

Not at all. You know there's a group about this: Author Outreach Project

[[deleted user]]

I just joined though I don't know how much time I'll be able to devote.

[Eva-Marie]

She (or you) can also have it so her blog (if she has one that is) is on GR too- and that's even if you put the info up for her. :)

[Clif]

"You know there's a group about this: Author Outreach Project"

I have filled out the biodata sheets and uploaded photographs for numerous authors. I've done this without informing the author or their publisher. Nor have I been asking for their permission because I figured I was simply posting public information that is already available on the internet. This discussion, however, has reminded me that perhaps I should send a notification to the authors or their publishers so they can update or correct the information as required.

However, I would encourage GR members to proceed with posting author information and not wait for the authors to act on their own behalf. I've been amazed at the number of authors who appear to be oblivious to what's being said about them on Wikipedia and websites such as Goodreads.com.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Clif wrote: "I would encourage GR members to proceed with posting author information and not wait for the authors to act on their own behalf."

Certainly. Publicly available information is just that.

Photographs are another matter; they MUST either be public domain or else uploaded with permission.

[Rowena]

Clif wrote: ""You know there's a group about this: Author Outreach Project"

I have filled out the biodata sheets and uploaded photographs for numerous authors. I've done this without informing the author or..."

Cliff,
You shouldn't necessarily be amazed. Some authors are too busy writing the next book to check out what is being said about them. Others may feel that their presence would inhibit readers' discussions.
If bad things are being said, sometimes it's not productive to join in, or to prolong the party.

I'll second Rivka. You cannot lift photographs from websites. Usually there is a copyright notice on authors' websites that reminds you of this.

Here's one reason why I would be annoyed if you snagged my photographs from my MySpace/Facebook/website.

I put photos on my sites because I want to provide unique, personal content for my visitors so they enjoy coming to my site(s) to see stuff they cannot see anywhere else. It's one way of building a relationship with readers or potential readers.

If my photos are all over the internet, I'm over exposed, and my site(s) are nothing special.

Thank you for your support of authors and your kind intentions.

Best wishes
Rowena Cherry

[Clif]

Rowena wrote: I would be annoyed if you snagged my photographs
Your comments and those of rivka have cooled my ardor for posting photos. So I will be more careful in the future.
In the past 24 hours I have emailed two authors requesting permission to post their photos and informing them that I had posted their bio-data information. They both gave me the requested permission and thanked me. I hope that's an indication that my chances of being sued for past postings remain low. It's hard to imagine why an author would object to action taken that could be construed as helping sales of their book.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Because an author (or photographer) who does not act to stop copyright infringement may lose their copyright.

[Rowena]

Clif,

Rivka's answer is absolutely correct.

I'm glad the two authors gave you permission.

Cover art and the official bio photo are usually helpful to sales, as you say, and most authors or their publishers will give you permission to post those.

When you said you were posting photographs without permission, it wasn't clear to me what kind of photos you meant.

As a further example, I have bought (or been given) limited licenses, for instance for the gorgeous models on my interactive jigsaw puzzle pages. I'm only entitled to display those images for the stated purpose, on my own website.

I'd be in trouble if they appeared on GoodReads.com

[Cait]

Yes, we had a longish discussion about a month ago on how GR has rights to show only the image of the actual book cover, not the art used to create the cover.