Published Date Unknown

[C]

I have several books on my TBR shelf that show "unknown" on the date published column. How do I update this date field? I've searched topics in this group and the Goodreads Feedback group, but no luck.

The book I included in this request is one of about 15 I have.

Thanks!

[David]

Generally speaking, if you want book details corrected you ask in this group and a librarian will assist you.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

C wrote: "I have several books on my TBR shelf that show "unknown" on the date published column."

That means the book has no original publication date listed. If you know what that should be (as opposed to the date for the specific edition you have shelved), librarians can add that date for you.

[C]

Ok. Thank you David and Rivka. I'll give it a shot and send the requests to this group. I am relatively new to posting to groups so I'm not very good at inserting books and links into comment boxes. Is there a format I should follow?

Also, stupid question but how or where do I find the original publication date?

[David]

To link a book the simplest way is to paste the URL from your browser.
If an original publication date is available it will be listed on the second line of the details, "first published January 1st 2014" for this book you are currently reading: Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion

[rivka, Former Moderator]

C wrote: "Also, stupid question but how or where do I find the original publication date?"

It's not a stupid question.

In the simplest case, there is only one edition of a work, and the date it was published would also be the original publication date of the work. This is common for books only published on Kindle, and with no later editions, but it's possible for any format.

In some other cases, it's easy: all editions of the work were published at the same time. This is especially likely to be true for recently-released works.

Other times, determining the original publication date is harder, especially if some of the work's individual editions do not have publication dates listed, or if the work was originally published more than 60 years ago. If you can't figure it out, it's ok to post a request anyway. An enterprising librarian may be willing to do some detective work.

[David]

I guess my answer was the silly one, not your question. I thought you meant on GR.

[C]

David wrote: "To link a book the simplest way is to paste the URL from your browser.
If an original publication date is available it will be listed on the second line of the details, "first published January 1st..."

Ok, so the books are in my TBR shelf, so would I look them up on the shelf, then search...say Amazon or Abe's or similar site and paste that URL into a comment box? While I was typing this I saw that you added a comment about your answer being a silly one: not true, it was very helpful. I wanted to know how to link a book, just need a little clarification.

[C]

rivka wrote: "C wrote: "Also, stupid question but how or where do I find the original publication date?"

It's not a stupid question.

In the simplest case, there is only one edition of a work, and the date it w..."
Thanks Rivka! This makes me feel better. I thought there was some mysterious method but this helps.

[C]

Please update pub date for:

Speculative Blackness: The Future of Race in Science Fiction Orig pub Feb 29 2016

How's this?

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Great.

#10 done.

[C]

Ok thanks. Here it goes:
#1: The Strange Crimes of Little Africa. Pub Dec 1 2015
#2: Rebellion. Pub Feb 9 2016
#3: Sleeping Under the Tree of Life. Pub July 18 2016
#4: Iola Leroy, Or, Shadows Uplifted. Pub July 18 2015
#5: The Life And Works Of Bessie Head: Pub Oct 1994 (no day) Retrieved from Amazon
#6: Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity. Pub Mar 27 2012

I have several more but will stop here to check that my linking and post make sense. I'll add more when this post works out.

[David]

We usually use #1 for message numbers, if you want to number items in your list 1) will do better

1,2,3) straightforward, Done
4) surely you mean 1892?
5) I'm not sure. Amazon invents dates very easily. But I don't see any evidence of an edition before 1994 so I set it for 1994 without the month.
6) Definitely wrong. We have 2008 edition: Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity. We even have a 2006 edition: Why I Rejected Christianity: A Former Apologist Explains which is supposedly how the book was originally named, but I don't have time to do the research.

ETA: I found this text "The original edition of this book was published in 2006 and reissued in 2008". So I've set January 4th 2006 as the original publication date.

[C]

David, thank you!

Yes, #4 is 1892. I must've stumbled on a future edition. I'm still learning how to find the "original pub date."