Book Initially Published Under Pseudonym - Author Issues

[Abigail]

Hi All: I have a question about the listing for Louisa May Alccot's The Abbot's Ghost: A Christmas Story, which was initially published under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard. I understand why all the edition were changed, so that Barnard's name was first, in order to combine all the editions together. But for those editions published today, ONLY under the Alcott name, is it necessary to keep the Barnard name? If yes, is it possible to move Barnard to a second place? My edition (ISBN: 9781404186156) doesn't list this name at all, and I would really like Acott first, so my books remain in alphabetical order. Has this already been decided/discussed? Thanks for any insight.

[Olivia]

Hi Abigail,
It is Goodreads policy:
For books published under multiple versions of the author's name or published under multiple pseudonyms: The first author listed for any and all editions should be the author name the book was originally published under - so the reissued edition would need its primary author name changed to the originally published pen name, with the additional name added as secondary for all editions with it on the cover.
Source: https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/4...

[Abigail]

Olivia wrote: "Hi Abigail,
It is Goodreads policy:
For books published under multiple versions of the author's name or published under multiple pseudonyms: The first author listed for any and all editions should ..."

Thanks for pointing me to the relevant part of policy, Olivia. I will leave it as is (although the part of me that loves order will lament). :)

[lethe]

Except that GR policy is not consistent. For classics, the later/real name seems to be preferred: the Brontë sisters' books are not listed under primary authors Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell, and The Bell Jar is listed under primary author Sylvia Plath and not Victoria Lucas.

(ETA And Robinson Crusoe was first published as being an autobiographical account by Robinson Crusoe, but is listed under Daniel Defoe.)

So following that "logic", Louisa May Alcott should be the primary author as well.

(See here for a thread requesting a policy change: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...)

[Abigail]

lethe wrote: "Except that GR policy is not consistent. For classics, the later/real name seems to be preferred: the Brontë sisters' books are not listed under primary authors Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell, and Th..."

That does sound frustratingly inconsistent. It doesn't seem like they intend to change policy, though.

[lethe]

The excuse being that it would be too much work.

But I don't believe for one second that it would be as much work as changing the ACE policy was.