Author going by two names - precedence?

[Auntie Terror]

Hello everybody,

I was asked in a group to change/edit an author's name because the reader felt it was wrong. I checked, and it isn't wrong as such, it's just one of two names used on her publications. The reader wanted to edit this so the original and its translation could be connected.

The more "filled-out" author profile is https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... - while the name more used on the covers is https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

I tried to connect the German translation I was asked about by what the Librarian Manual suggests for authors going by multiple/pen names. But I still can't seem to combine editions.

So my question is this: Should the name used on more covers take precedence and be changed accordingly on the author profile (or at least on all the book edition covers where I can see it)? Or should I change the precedence of author names on the one edition so I can combine the two and be done?

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Are there any covers with the longer name? It was not on the couple I checked, but a more thorough check should be done.

If it's definitely not on any covers, you can just merge the longer name into the shorter (this is the one case where that is ok). Probably a good idea to note the longer version in the bio of the remaining profile.

If it IS on one or two covers, those editions need to keep the longer name as the secondary author. Unless a significant number of the covers have the full name, or the author has indicated elsewhere a preference for it, I would not merge into the longer one. (Of course, "a significant number" is a judgment call, and in some cases two Librarians may disagree. I don't think that will be an issue here.)

[Auntie Terror]

Thanks for your advice.

From the titles listed on Goodreads with a cover added, there is one cover which shows the full name. The rest show the short version (and one none being an anthology, I'm assuming.)

The only source for the author in English Google offered was a short Wikipedia article where the longer name is listed as "also [...]". There is no mention of the author's wishes there, and her being Slovenian, I can't read any of the other scant sources.

So I will proceed with your suggestion and make the short version her primary author's name on her works, but not merge the profiles to keep the longer version for where indicated by evidence of cover.