Goodreads Librarians Group discussion
Questions (from Librarians only)
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Attn. Jaclyn - Audible editions
Not a librarian, but also chiming in: if an Audible edition (and presumably also a Kindle edition) was added to the site with placeholder cover art before this new bot policy was enacted, it just won't update the book at all once the new art comes out. See:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... - Upcoming novel that had its page created in October, still using older, scrapped version of the cover art
https://a.co/d/boUMjrx - Actual Kindle page, new art is on Amazon but has not been updated on Goodreads.
[EDIT: The cover art was corrected. This is because I sent a message to Goodreads Staff to fix it, because they're the only people who can do so.]
So, in a nutshell, the bot has already screwed up and begun to not do the task this change was meant to let it do.
Quite frankly, I think this was a terrible idea. We have seen time and time and time and time again that the bot is terrible at handling this website's functionality. It constantly imports invalid duplicates created from secondhand Amazon sellers, still doesn't know how to add a Kindle book and an ebook as separate editions, and let's not forget how, this past autumn, it went on a rampage and deleted literally tens of thousands of ebooks from the site and merged them with Kindle editions, a staggering disaster that Goodreads staff ignored for weeks and that the site is still dealing with. Everyone who pays attention to what's going on on this site knows it doesn't work. And staff wants to delegate more duties to it?
Well said, Drace!I've come across dozens of both Kindle and Audible editions that do not have the current Amazon cover but since ACEs are no longer added then I'm not bothering to report them. Authors pay good hard-earned money on these covers and in my opinion, it is disrespectful to the author to simply delete old covers.
I want the cover of the edition I bought on my shelf, not have the book 1984'd.
Edwina wrote: "I want the cover of the edition I bought on my shelf, not have the book 1984'd."Same. Well, theoretically, since I don't read Kindle ever. But who knows with the merging maybe it will start happening to e-books as well.
It goes against the long-standing policy of keeping old covers for old readers and I couldn't believe it when I saw the announcement.
It also puts a lot more work on librarians since before authors could add their own new editions in most cases. Because of this change, I won't be handling these requests any more. I will continue to work on other formats as needed.
Scott wrote: "It goes against the long-standing policy of keeping old covers for old readers and I couldn't believe it when I saw the announcement."The central idea for Goodreads over the past several months seems to be "let's make the bot do things that violate our own policies." First randomly generating ASINs and shoving them in the ASIN field of any non-Kindle edition that leaves that field blank when the site policy is to put the ISBN-10 in that field, now completely disregarding how ACEs get handled in favor of letting the already-malfunctioning bot do whatever it can figure out how to do.
The librarian manual does state "Optionally, an added edition can be created as an ‘ebook’ or ‘audiobook’ format in Goodreads catalog to represent a previously used cover image." But that isn't happening. Librarians are simply replacing the covers and not bothering creating ACEs with the incorrect format.
Personally, I'd rather have a wrong format than a wrong cover.
I have auto updates turned off on both of my Kindles, so the cover stays the same as the day I bought the book, and I would like it to match what I shelve here.
Edwina wrote: "The librarian manual does state "Optionally, an added edition can be created as an ‘ebook’ or ‘audiobook’ format in Goodreads catalog to represent a previously used cover image."So they want us to remove the old image, upload the new image, then create another edition with the old image?
Hahahahaha no.
Scott wrote: "Edwina wrote: "The librarian manual does state "Optionally, an added edition can be created as an ‘ebook’ or ‘audiobook’ format in Goodreads catalog to represent a previously used cover image."So..."
Don't forget to list it with incorrect format.
Excuse me, please, while I step aside to try to unscramble my brain. I'm sure it won't take long; there's a bot for that.
Dobby wrote: "Excuse me, please, while I step aside to try to unscramble my brain. I'm sure it won't take long; there's a bot for that."🤣
Just want to ask the librarians a quick question so I can know how to handle creating cleanup threads in the future: are you all still able to edit already-existing Kindle/Audible editions' details outside of format and cover, or are you completely locked out of even editing stuff like the description, contributor list, and page count?
Scott wrote: "We can still edit those other things."Thanks for the clarification, much appreciated.
Here's a fun update. You know how in Jaclyn's original announcement it said that Goodreads Support could add new Kindle/Audible editions? Turns out that's not true. Over the past couple days I've been reaching out to staff to get Audible editions that the bot ignored added to the site, and staff added them all with the Audiobook format instead of Audible. When I pointed that out to them, they told me they can't add Audible editions because of the new policy change.
Yep, they told me that when I tried to get them to add an Audible a couple of weeks ago. As per the announcement in the Librarian Group, Kindle and Audible editions can no longer be added as they are now imported directly from Kindle and Audible to ensure readers automatically have the most up-to-date information. This includes us as Staff too.
Obviously all these outdated covers we think we are seeing are figments of our imagination.
Brad wrote: "Yep, they told me that when I tried to get them to add an Audible a couple of weeks ago. As per the announcement in the Librarian Group, Kindle and Audible editions can no longer be added as they ..."
Either Jaclyn was wrong and she needs to update her post (anyone know when she was last active on this forum?) or Goodreads staff is wrong and she needs to have a meeting with them.
Drace wrote: "...anyone know when she was last active on this forum?..."I'm not sure if it was the last time, but I saw a comment from her elsewhere on April 17th..
Just a heads up - I'm starting to find Kindle bot imports with the Kindle ASIN and Paperback ISBN on the same book.
.... as if there wasn't enough chaos already
I have been reporting those to support for months. I always send the Amazon link showing the ASIN and ISBN together as well as the affected pages. Between those and the bots just kicking the ISBNs out to create a non-existent book I have yet to see where the bots are true positive force. Maybe a tenth of the books they create are correct. If only they would get the 3,000 limit.
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I've updated the original announcement and removed the sentence stating that staff could add Kindle or Audible editions. Sorry for that confusion.
Edwina, if you see any further imports with both Kindle ASIN and Paperback ISBN on them, please feel welcome to share them here so we can take a closer look.
So, what's to be done about Audible editions that the bot doesn't add? It seems to be completely ignoring non-USA Amazon sites for most imports. If librarians/staff manually add a Kindle or Audible edition that the bot missed, but they can't mark it as Kindle or Audible, what are they supposed to do with the format? Or if a Kindle or Audible edition was mistakenly labeled as a non-Amazon ebook or audiobook?
Jaclyn, please also clarify the issue about replacing the cover for a Kindle edition which was blocked (the image was added by Goodreads employees) and the cover is incorrect. The support responded that they also can't change the cover, only the bot can do it (but it didn't).
Drace wrote: "So, what's to be done about Audible editions that the bot doesn't add? It seems to be completely ignoring non-USA Amazon sites for most imports."I've added an idea about this.
https://help.goodreads.com/s/suggesti...
Can you please check the link, @Javier? For me it results in an error... (invalid page)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...Above is a prime example of a hot mess.
The book was added in 2019 as an ebook with ISBN.
Many changes later, it is now a Kindle edition with an ASIN.
The bot changes the author names that I corrected (I thought that the bot can't change librarians edits)Example 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/book/edits/...
Mar 18, 2025 - The bot added the Audible edition (Russian) with latin version of the author name Kir Bulychev. All data was correct. I added the second name in Cyrillic and combined with other editions.
Apr 24, 2025 - The bot changed the author name to Cyrillic version, so there are two identical names (Кир Булычев)
Example 2 - https://www.goodreads.com/book/edits/...
The bot added a Russian book in transliteration (in 2023)
Apr 11, 2025 - I fixed it and changed the author name (by correcting the author profile)
Apr 25, 2025 - the bot changed the author name to a crooked version which is on amazon
Olga wrote: "The bot changes the author names that I corrected (I thought that the bot can't change librarians edits)"Recently I was looking at an anthology I read a couple years back, and noticed that *all* of the contributors' names had been removed, along with the description I typed in by hand from the jacket flaps. The removal edits do not show in the log, but my additions still do.
Being a librarian is basically pointless now.
Drace wrote: "So, what's to be done about Audible editions that the bot doesn't add? It seems to be completely ignoring non-USA Amazon sites for most imports. If librarians/staff manually add a Kindle or Audible..."There are even editions on US Amazon that the bot missed as well. I'm listening to ASIN B09S3WYDSJ right now. Absolutely on US Audible, not searchable on Goodreads
Erika wrote: "Drace wrote: "So, what's to be done about Audible editions that the bot doesn't add? It seems to be completely ignoring non-USA Amazon sites for most imports. If librarians/staff manually add a Kin..."That edition was created Feb. 28, 2022, and Bot deleted on Jan. 17, 2025. It needs to be restored.
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The Audible US marketplace should have catalog data for all language editions, so these should also be imported into Goodreads. Our team is looking into why this isn't occurring for some editions.
One note is that Audible has a different ASIN in each Store marketplace for it's Audible Audio book editions, so in some cases the edition might be added with the same cover and information, but using the ASIN listed for Audible.com.
The Amazon.com catalog contains almost all Audio Audio global editions, so most should be added to Goodreads. Please feel welcome to share example ASINs for any that aren't added and we'll look into it.
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I'm still looking into this and will loop back.
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I've shared this with the team.
Jaclyn wrote: "Please feel welcome to share example ASINs for any that aren't added and we'll look into it."All of the following books were Audibles from the UK (and one from Australia) that were not added to the site by the bot and that I had to ask Staff to add:
Universality (B0DJDGSM4M)
Shroud (B0D5FD9PZ3)
Shroud (B0DMCMDP52)
The Devils (B0CXXXCLL7)
The Queen (B0DGVV51KF)
Bat Eater (B0D84D4LPQ)
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng (B0D3RMXDK1)
Old Soul (B0D74RQJVV)
Stag Dance (B0DJC3WLGQ)
And here's a UK Audible ASIN that has never been added to the site: B0CYF1QSTN
Jaclyn wrote: "A note that editions added to Goodreads as audiobooks which are actually Audible Audio editions (as listed on Audible) will have the format automatically corrected to Audible Audio when scanned. The inverse is also true, and incorrect Audible Audio editions will be corrected to audiobook format."
1. On what kind of time scale? All of the links here were set to Audiobook by staff since they can't set it to Audible, and they still appear as Audiobook. I contacted them approximately 2 weeks ago.
2. The Goodreads bot can't even tell the difference between ebook and Kindle editions, and for years now has been incorrectly putting ebook ISBNs on Kindle editions. We know it doesn't work and is terrible about handling digital editions. How is it supposed to just be able to tell the difference now? The bot automatically assigns an ASIN to everything that doesn't have one, regardless of the fact that doing so is against Goodreads' own policies (see the "ISBN-10 has to go in the ASIN field" rule, which the bot completely ignores). What happens when a self-published ebook without an ISBN gets assigned an ASIN by the bot? Does it see that it only has an ASIN and turn it into a Kindle edition even though it's not?
As much as I'd like the bot to be able to handle the conversion process easily, I've seen how it works too much to put any faith in its ability to do so. And I'm not even a librarian on this site.
Some more non-USA Audibles that the bot ignored:B0DCCKKFWJ
B0DRPPMYD5
B00I5C0Z78 (published 11 years ago!)
B0CVBMHC7V
B0DK4SFLPV
B0DJPP41CH
Edwina wrote: "Erika wrote: "Drace wrote: "So, what's to be done about Audible editions that the bot doesn't add? It seems to be completely ignoring non-USA Amazon sites for most imports. If librarians/staff manu..."I'm pretty sure I'm the one who added the edition in 2022, in fact!
In that case is it a request to support to get it added, or since I mentioned it here Jaclyn is looking into it?
(If it's the latter, I have a few more that I manually added years ago that were wiped in a bot purge and I haven't checked that the new import resolved that or if they need to be manually restored)
Yesterday, May 12th 2025, a new book by one of my favourite authors was published. Decided to check it on Goodreads. Paperback, Kindle & Audible editions were all added by the Amazon bot. Here's what I found and what I had to correct.1. Paperback needed combining with the Kindle & Audible editions.
2. Paperback title needed changing from "Your Husband's Fault: A totally unputdownable psychological thriller" to "Your Husband's Fault".
3. Paperback description was blank and needed adding.
4. Kindle edition had 15, yes 15, reviews in the description which is against GR policy and needed removing.
5. Kindle edition title had already been cleaned up by another librarian from "Your Husband's Fault: A totally unputdownable psychological thriller" to "Your Husband's Fault".
6. Audible edition had a blank cover which needed adding (from the Amazon US site which the Amazon bot should have added according to what we've been told).
7. Audible edition needed Unabridged adding.
8. Audible edition had no page count or running time which needed adding.
So, still plenty of work for librarians and another total mess from the Amazon bot which we are now relying on to keep the Kindle & Audible database accurate and up to date.
I was tempted to just leave this untouched so the evidence could be seen but the changelog should have all the details. All corrected now.
Erika, as a librarian, you can change the status back to "Public" yourself, you don't need help from the support. (I did it)I saw that this was added to the manual (Deleted Books, Setting the Status Back to "Public")
https://help.goodreads.com/s/article/...
Brad, I think it takes time for the bot to add all the data. I follow some new books and the bot added covers and descriptions over time (about a month). The title and description from amazon, so all incorrect data must be corrected on their part, the bot can't do it automatically.
"Unabridged" and page count - these are plans for the future, I think.
Emmy wrote: "Can you please check the link, @Javier? For me it results in an error... (invalid page)"The link is correct but it appears the page works only for me, I checked with a friend and he gets the same "Invalid page" error message. He also cannot see the idea listed in the Ideas page (I can). I've reported it to support.
When I click it it asks me if I want to use my username to post a question in Help.
When I click that idea link, the post is shown for a split second -- enough time to start reading the "Automatically import items from other Amazon ..." headline -- and then it's replaced with the "Invalid page" error message. So your idea post IS there, but Goodreads won't show it to us. How interesting.
https://help.goodreads.com/s/suggesti...
Today I learned: Using an old and very slow computer has an advantage for problems like this. LOL.
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Goodreads Librarians Group
Books mentioned in this topic
Universality (other topics)Shroud (other topics)
Shroud (other topics)
The Devils (other topics)
The Queen (other topics)
More...
1. It looks like the bot only adds Audibles from Amazon.com. Unlike Kindle editions, every Amazon (in different countries) uses a different ASIN for the same Audible book.
For example
amazon.com, B07KGKM7HN - https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Helena-In...
amazon.co.uk, B07KGNC91M - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lady-Helena-...
amazon.ca, B07KGK1FFF - https://www.amazon.ca/Lady-Helena-Inv...
amazon.com.au, B07KGLJFZL - https://www.amazon.com.au/Lady-Helena...
amazon.de, B07KGKRHFD - https://www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B07KGKR...
What is the policy in this case? Can we add (optionally) additional Audible editions with different ASINs or is Audible with ASIN from amazon.com considered the only correct one?
2. Some Audibles are only available on other Amazons. For example, Audible editions in German language on Amazon.de. And they were not added by the bot.
Since we can no longer add Audible editions, I sent such requests to support. And these editions were added as "Audiobooks" (by different employees). I wrote again and asked to change the format to Audible. The answer was "We don't have the Audible audio feature yet".
My question is - can we add Audibles as Audiobooks (which was previously considered an incorrect format) or should we send anything related to Audibles to support? But they also can't add them as Audibles.
3. I also noticed that the bot replaces the ASINs from the Audible site (which were added incorrectly) with ASINs from amazon.com (correctly). And also changing the format "Audiobook" (which was added incorrectly long ago) to the format "Audible" (correctly). Is it planned that the bot will fix all incorrect data to match amazon.com?
(I wish I could talk to the bot :)))