Author Name (Name on Cover vs combining)

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

I have been working on several different public domain authors, so this is really a generic question.

I understand it is policy to enter the author's name as it appears on the book cover. However, it appears that many times when books are republished the author name can appear in many different formats.

Howard Garis
Howard R. Garis
Howard Roger Garis
Howard R. (Howard Roger) Garis

for example. I have already combined at least one of these into Howard R. Garis because that is where most of the books appeared here. The examples of other authors with multiple names are many.

I am assuming it is right to combine these authors, having tried to find the way he was published in his (her) lifetime. I'm just posting for reassurance that my thinking in these cases is correct.

[Z-squared]

I believe in that instance, if there is a book published under Howard Roger Garis (and there's no obvious attempt on the author's part to use pen names to separate out work in different genres), then they should all be combined under Howard Roger Garis, as that name is a more complete version of every other pen name you've got listed here.

This is all assuming that none of the profiles are claimed. Once an author is on GOodreads, things get murky, but those requests get posted to the employee thread anyway.

This is my current understanding, anyway.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

From what I have seen, the books which may be published under different names have been published after the author is dead. It is a publisher who, for whatever reason, has used a name that the author himself never used. Wouldn't it make more sense to use the name used by the author himself?

[Sophie]

I've been thinking of it more in a disambiguation type of way. Like, if there are a bunch of Howard Garises (or John Smiths or whatever), then sure, use the middle name, but if there aren't, the middle initial should be enough. The full name can be put in the "about this author" section.

That's just my personal preference though and I don't know how it aligns with GR policy.

[Z-squared]

Regardless of whether the author is alive or dead, if he's still being published with the full name on the cover, then I think it's valid to make the profile the full name. Whatever is on the book record, it should somehow encompass all the info available on the cover. Even when we have primary author name changes, we still add a secondary author to match what's on the cover for this reason. But it's good that you're bringing this up, because I, too, would like some clarification on this issue.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Z-squared wrote: "I believe in that instance, if there is a book published under Howard Roger Garis (and there's no obvious attempt on the author's part to use pen names to separate out work in different genres), then they should all be combined under Howard Roger Garis, as that name is a more complete version of every other pen name you've got listed here."

This would be my call as well, unless the complete name was on very few editions (and especially if those were all of the cheap reprint publisher variety).

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

rivka wrote: "This would be my call as well, unless the complete name was on very few editions (and especially if those were all of the cheap reprint publisher variety). "

So to make sure I understand the thought process: I should be looking for the predominant way an author is being currently published, regardless of name on original publication. (I *think* this is what I've been doing ... )

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Not just current, but yes.