Print on Demand

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

A time or two I have seen in the format field Print on Demand (Paperback). It was imported this way. I have changed the format to Paperback and then placed the Print on Demand in the edition field.

Does this seem the right action? I expect to be seeing more of it, might as well make sure I have the right thought process.

[lethe]

In my opinion, Print on Demand is not a format such as paperback or ebook. I agree with your action.

[Renske]

I don't think 'print on demand' belongs in the edition field, I don't see how it is relevant to list this information.

[annob [on hiatus]]

I agree with Print on Demant neither being a format nor relevant to keep as Edition info. Possibly it should influence the publisher name listing, similarly as Amazon Digital Services should be entered for manually added Kindle records?

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Print on Demand could apply to many publishers.

I do believe this information is specific to the edition. I could put it in the description field. Information such as bilingual editions also don't go in the edition field but should be placed in the description.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

annob wrote: "Amazon Digital Services should be entered for manually added Kindle records?"

I know Rivka often said this is a publisher, but I don't think this is true. Amazon Digital Services is simply the printer. The publisher is the one who assembles the material to be printed. Yeah, I know, printing is hard to equate to digitizing.

[lethe]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Information such as bilingual editions also don't go in the edition field but should be placed in the description."

I do put that in the edition field, just as I do "Illustrated edition", etc.

(In the description I specify the languages.)

[annob [on hiatus]]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I know Rivka often said this is a publisher, but I don't think this is true. Amazon Digital Services is simply the printer. The publisher is the one who assembles the material to be printed."

Personally, I fully agree with you. I consider Amazon to be a distributor, not a publisher. But site rules are site rules, that's why I mentioned it.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

annob wrote: "But site rules are site rules, that's why I mentioned it."

I leave the field blank.

[Tal]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "annob wrote: "Amazon Digital Services should be entered for manually added Kindle records?"

I know Rivka often said this is a publisher, but I don't think this is true. Amazon Digital Services is ..."

You would be correct. And yet several years of being informed of the facts has not led to a correction in GR policy.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Leaving it blank is the ethical thing to do, so kudos to you!

And no, Print on Demand has no place in a GR book record, it's simply a distribution/order fulfillment practice not anything to do with the edition or publisher. The same ISBN (author provided) can be used for print books whether they are POD or stocked in stores. POD books from Amazon where they supply the ISBN to the author will already be documented by the Amazon registered (Bowker) publisher of record 'Independently Published' - the same is true for other platforms that provide a free ISBN for print publishing.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

OK. The overwhelming - justified and explained - opinion is to omit the Print on Demand info from the record. I'm glad I asked about this. Thanks to all.