User talk:Swan

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Welcome!

Hello, Swan, and welcome to the ISFDB Wiki! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are some pages that you might find helpful:

Note: Image uploading isn't entirely automated. You're uploading the files to the wiki which will then have to be linked to the database by editing the publication record.

Please be careful in editing publications that have been primary verified by other editors. See Help:How to verify data#Making changes to verified pubs. But if you have a copy of an unverified publication, verifying it can be quite helpful. See Help:How to verify data for detailed information.

I hope you enjoy editing here! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will insert your name and the date. If you need help, check out the community portal, or ask me on my talk page. Again, welcome! Mhhutchins 05:25, 26 May 2014 (UTC)

Talking to Strangers

Submission adding this record to the database was accepted, but several changes were made for it to comply with ISFDB standards. Those standards are given on the help pages which are linked in the Welcome section above.

  • No source (other than an malformed URL to the Amazon listing) was given in the Note field, so I used the Amazon listing as the basis for the record and for the following changes.
  • Publication date was changed to 2013-08-29
  • Binding/pub format was changed to "tp" indicating a trade-size paperback


If you have a copy of the book, please do a primary verification of the record (instructions linked above). Thanks for contributing. Mhhutchins 05:31, 26 May 2014 (UTC)

I do have copies of the three books in the Strangers series. Swan 20:57, 26 May 2014 (UTC)
Go to the publication record, and click on the link labeled "Verify This Pub" under the Editing Tools menu. On the next page, check the middle button (under "Verified") on the Primary row. Doing this confirms that the data in the record has been verified against the actual publication. Please make any changes as needed in the Note field using the "Edit This Pub" function. Thanks. Mhhutchins 00:29, 27 May 2014 (UTC)
The back of the title page gives the publication date of this edition as 2011. I have made that change and included a note to the moderator. Swan 16:33, 27 May 2014 (UTC)
The publication date of an edition isn't necessarily the date of the work (the title). The date field of a title record should give the first date the work was published, and it retains that date regardless of the date of any editions of that work. I accepted the submission to change the date of the work, but made it more specific (2011-03-06). I found that Listening to Strangers was first published in March 2011 as an ebook, and created a publication record for that edition. Thanks. Mhhutchins 20:51, 27 May 2014 (UTC)
I believe the publication dates of all three ebooks in the Strangers series are earlier than the print editions. If that is the case, should the date of the ebooks also be that of the print edition? Swan 14:48, 28 May 2014 (UTC)
No. As I stated above, the dates of works are not the same as the dates of editions. A work (the author's creation) can be published in many editions (the publisher's creation, i.e. a book), each with their own date. The work itself can only have one date: its first publication. Robert Heinlein's work titled Stranger in a Stranger Land is dated 1961. A new edition of that work was published in 2008, and that is the date given in the publication record of that edition. Thanks. Mhhutchins 20:28, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

Series

Hi, and welcome. A word about a gotcha when working with series. The interface unfortunately leads just about every new editor to this pitfall, so you're in good past and future company. See Help:How_to_work_with_series. When you enter a new publication, the only "series" you can provide is the publication (think "publisher") series, which is almost never what you want. A publication series is a collection of books not really related but grouped by the publisher. If another publisher were to issue the book, that publisher's edition would not be in the series. For example, "Ballantine Adult Fantasy" or "Bantam Modern Classics". Series where works are related by setting, characters, plot lines, etc. are title series. No matter who publishes the work, it still remains in the same series. You cannot designate a title series when entering a new publication. You have to wait for the submission to be accepted, then go edit the title (what you see listed in the author's bibliography is links to titles; there's also a link to the title from within the publication record). From there you can Edit This Title and place it in the appropriate series.

I have done that with Listening to Strangers, putting it into the Strangers title series (and removing the Strangers publication series you provided).

Sorry, it sounds sort of complicated, but it's pretty easy once you get used to it. Thanks, and thank you for contributing. --MartyD 01:31, 27 May 2014 (UTC)

It seems to conform to the proverbial: "It's easy, once you know how." Swan 15:02, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

Ancient Empires

Submission to add this new record was accepted, but changes were made to conform with ISFDB standards (those standards are linked in the Welcome section at the top of this page.)

  • The number you entered into the ISBN/Catalog Number field is neither. It's Amazon's identifier (ASIN). You have the option to record it in the Note field.
  • Kindle books do not have page numbers, so the Page Count field should be left blank. (Some ebooks, in PDF format, do have page numbers.) You can record the "print length" in the Note field if you wish, but not in the Page Count field.

I've linked the cover page image file on Amazon to the ISFDB record, and made the appropriate changes, including giving Amazon as the source for the publication date, assuming that is not stated in the book itself. Thanks. Mhhutchins 21:24, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

I've created a record for the print edition. Mhhutchins 21:26, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

Amazon's ASIN

Please give this in the "Note" field of the publication, not the "Note to Moderator" field. Data in the first field remains as a visible part of the record. Data in the second field disappears the moment the submission is accepted. It should not be used to provide information about the publication, instead providing information about the submission. Thanks. Mhhutchins 16:20, 29 May 2014 (UTC)

Peacock Dancer and Other Works

I've accepted the submission to add this record to the database, but made changes for it to conform to ISFDB standards. Please take some time to look over this page which is a field-by-field guide on how to create and update publication records.

  • The title was changed from Peacock Dancer to Peacock Dancer and Other Works as that is what appears on the title page of the book.
  • Date field was changed to 2010-10-20, based on the Amazon listing, which is then sourced in the Note field.
  • Cover artist credit and ISBN was added to the record based on the "Look Inside" of the Amazon listing.
  • Contents were added to the record. (A COLLECTION isn't considered "primary verified" until its contents have been recorded.)
  • The cover image file on Amazon was linked to the ISFDB record.

Thanks. Mhhutchins 16:32, 29 May 2014 (UTC)

I've created a record for the print edition. Mhhutchins 16:36, 29 May 2014 (UTC)
Complicated. Necessary. Thank you. Swan 17:34, 29 May 2014 (UTC)

Distant Places, Foreign Faces

Are you certain that this book should be typed as a NOVEL? At 77 pages in print length, it would appear to be less than 40K words. Thanks for checking. Mhhutchins 16:49, 29 May 2014 (UTC)

I estimate about 30K. Does that move it into chapterbook? Swan 17:32, 29 May 2014 (UTC)
Yes, I'll do that for you. It will require the addition of a content record for the SHORTFICTION work. Please look it over after I've done it to help you if the situation should arise again. Thanks. Mhhutchins
Also, please read the message I left earlier about where to record Amazon's ASIN. Mhhutchins 20:07, 29 May 2014 (UTC)
Noted. Swan 18:37, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

River of Night

You did not give a source for your data in the Note field of this record. Also, if it contains a work of less-than-novel length, (which I have to assume since you typed it as CHAPTERBOOK), you must add a content record, just as I did for your earlier record. Thanks. Mhhutchins 00:41, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

Amended. Swan 17:59, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

The Hunting of the Monster Bear

A few problems with this record.

  • You've given the Amazon sale price in the Price field. That's where the retail price goes.
  • A nonfiction work contained in a larger publication should be typed as ESSAY. The type NONFICTION is reserved for larger works of nonfiction.
  • The titles of generically titled essays (like "Introduction", "Foreword", "Afterword" should be disambiguated by adding parenthetically the title of the work in which they are contained. In this case, the title should be "Afterword (The Hunting of the Monster Bear)".
Amended. Later, Swan 21:53, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

Also, are these stories speculative fiction? It's important that we only enter works which are covered by the inclusion policy of the database. (More about that here.) Thanks. Mhhutchins 19:25, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

They are retellings of American Indian legends, much as European legends are recast in Snow White, Blood Red edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling. Swan 20:28, 30 May 2014 (UTC)
That doesn't necessarily make them speculative fiction. Do they include elements of fantasy or the supernatural? Mhhutchins 20:14, 30 May 2014 (UTC)
Yes. There are skinchangers, a windigo, magic and sorcery. Swan 20:28, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

Rejection of submissions

Occasionally a submission may be rejected without the moderator feeling it necessary to post a message on your talk page. In these cases, there's a place in the rejection to give you the reason. You can access your rejections by clicking on the link "My Rejected Edits" on the Main page of the db. You should keep an eye on that list. I've rejected your last three submissions to add series data to CHAPTERBOOK title records. Series data should go into the SHORTFICTION title record. Thanks. Mhhutchins 20:18, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

Amended. Swan 21:53, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

CHAPTERBOOK vs. SHORTFICTION

A chapterbook is a publication consisting of a single shortfiction work. When a chapterbook exists, there will be a separate title record for the shortfiction contained in the chapterbook (ex: Tide of Day chapterbook title record vs. Tide of Day novella title record). Series data should be recorded on the shortfiction title record as stated above. The chapterbook should NOT be changed to shortfiction as they are different things. Hence, I've rejected your last three edits. Let us know if you still have questions. Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 22:52, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

Amended again. Thank you. Swan 23:50, 30 May 2014 (UTC)

Starlog

This periodical isn't eligible for inclusion in the database. It is considered a nongenre magazine (it's devoted to film and television sf, not sf literature). The only exception to this rule would be if it included works of speculative fiction, and then the only contents added to the publication record would be for the fiction. Mhhutchins 20:39, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

Thank you. Swan 20:44, 4 June 2014 (UTC)

A Machen Omnibus

A publication containing more than one short fiction work by a single author should be entered as COLLECTION. The publication should be credited to the author of the contents, not the editor. An OMNIBUS is a publication which contains previously published works typed as NOVEL or COLLECTION (containing all of the works of the previous publication.) The record you've submitted gives only three works of SHORTFICTION (two novelettes and a short story). If this is correctly entered, I'll accept the submission, change the author from Catherine Mintz to Arthur Machen, and change the type to COLLECTION. Mhhutchins 18:06, 5 June 2014 (UTC)

Checking against the listings here, Hill of Dreams is listed as a novel, The Great God Pan as a novella, The Angels of Mons as a short story. This makes it a collection, despite the title? Swan 18:36, 5 June 2014 (UTC)
You gave "The Hill of Dreams" as SHORTFICTION in the submission with a novella length. Also, the title of a work shouldn't be a factor in typing it. Sprague de Camp's New Anthology is a COLLECTION, The Robert E. Howard Omnibus is a COLLECTION, A Science Fiction Omnibus is an ANTHOLOGY.
If you want to redo the submission, cancel it and submit another one. Or let me know if you want me to accept it so that you can make the necessary changes. Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:25, 5 June 2014 (UTC)
I have accepted the submission and made the corrections. I could not find an earlier publication of "The Angel of Mons". Is this its first appearance? Also, at 54 pages, it's not likely a short story. Mhhutchins 13:46, 6 June 2014 (UTC)
I found a publication titled The Angels of Mons which is a collection of six stories. Could this be the same? Mhhutchins 13:50, 6 June 2014 (UTC)
The book I was referencing is back at the library, but I bought the ebook. The Angels of Mons has: an Introduction by Machen, "The Bowmen," "The Soldier's Rest," "The Monstrance," "The Dazzling Light," and a following essay "The Bowmen and Other Nobel Ghosts" by The Londoner, and all that is followed by a Postscript by Arthur Machen, none of which is noted in the table of contents of A Machen Omnibus. It is, plural, "Angels." Swan 01:20, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
You should not use the Table of Contents page to determine the contents of a publication. You have to go through the book and add contents records based on the information stated on the title pages of the contents. Mhhutchins 13:58, 9 June 2014 (UTC)

Also, I entered the publishers for The Hunting of the Monster Bear as Copper Publishing. It was the Copper Penny Press, which became Copper Publishing. See: http://copper-penny-press.com/ Do you have a link to instructions on how to correct a record? Swan 19:29, 6 June 2014 (UTC)

There is a link titled "Edit This Pub" under the left-side Editing Tools menu. Mhhutchins 13:55, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
Thank you. Correction made. Swan 19:13, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
I will import the contents of The Angels of Mons from another publication of the work. Please make any other necessary changes (adding page numbers if they're available.) Mhhutchins 13:58, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
I'm using a ebook version, the original hardbound copy having been returned to the library. Otherwise, the listing now corresponds in full, except that it is not clear to me that the piece by "The Londoner" is short fiction. It appears to be a newpaper column, more or less factual. The text may be seen by paging down here: http://catalog.lambertvillelibrary.org/texts/English/machen/mons/bowmen.htm Swan 19:13, 9 June 2014 (UTC)
I accepted your submission, added your note about the differences between listing in the table of contents and actual beginning pages, merged the two titles of the COLLECTION and changed the piece you mention to ESSAY. Any notes stated in the copyright section would be most welcome to add to the entry. Thanks, Stonecreek 03:39, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
The copyright page of the ebook edition says: "Published by the Copper Penny Press 2008/Copper Publishing Kindle Edition 2011/Cover, interior art, and introduction/Copyright 2012 by Catherine Mintz/ ISBN: 978-0-9826590-7-6" Swan 16:39, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
You can clone the record for the print edition to create a record for the ebook edition. In the submission, you can make the necessary changes to reflect the data of the ebook edition. Mhhutchins 17:45, 10 June 2014 (UTC)
Done. Swan 19:37, 10 June 2014 (UTC)

White Rabbit

I added the required content record for this publication. Please update the content to designate the length of the story. Mhhutchins 22:51, 10 June 2014 (UTC)

Short story. Done. Swan 23:06, 10 June 2014 (UTC)

Amanita Brandy

Submission adding this record was accepted, but it's missing vital information in the title field. For periodical records (magazines and fanzines), you must give the dating of the issue in the title field, e.g. "Amanita Brandy, January 1999", or "Amanita Brandy #1", or "Amanita Brandy, Summer 1999". This is the only way to distinguish it from other issues of the same periodical. Thanks. Mhhutchins 13:31, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

More added, but not yet done. Swan 17:59, 12 June 2014 (UTC)
Complete. Swan 18:43, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
Concerning the question you asked in the "Note to Moderator" field in the submission updating this record: it's better to ask questions at the ISFDB:Help desk before making a submission, rather than in that field. It's very much possible that the question could be forgotten in the moderation process because any data in that field disappears immediately after acceptance or rejection. And there's no way to respond directly to a question posed in a submission. Asking at the Help desk will get you a faster answer as all moderators monitor that page. This Help page should answer almost any question you may have about creating and updating pub records. It would be a good idea to bookmark that page. Here is the specific section concerning the entry of contents. Illustrations are typed as INTERIORART. They are titled for the work they illustrate. Any illustration that doesn't illustrate a specific work is given the title of the publication which they illustrate. Thanks. Mhhutchins 18:54, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
Please confirm the spelling of the author credit for "Yuggothian FunGuy " on page 25. Also, it appears that you have duplicated several contents in the publication. They will have to be removed from the publication and deleted from the database. Otherwise they'd be two records for the same work. Use the "Remove Titles From This Pub" function under the Editing Tools menu. Then go to each of the duplicate title records and delete the "publess" one from the database using the "Delete This Title" function. Mhhutchins 18:59, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
Also check the spelling of the author credit for "Virulent Wisteria: Three Attempts at Explantion". We have a "John Graywood" in the database. Mhhutchins 18:59, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
Also confirm that the author of "Ice Journey" is James E. Dorr and not James S. Dorr, and the author of "Somedays, Killing Just Isn't Enough" is Steven L. Shrewbury and not Steven L. Shrewsbury Mhhutchins 19:26, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
Another to check "What Turns You On" by Paul Weisman or Paul Weinman.
I have corrected the typos. I am puzzled by the duplicates, since I didn't enter them. Swan 20:18, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
There have been no updates to this record other than the ones you made. In making multiple submissions to add the contents, perhaps you went back a few pages on a subsequent submission (pages 15 - 23 were duplicated.) I'll remove the duplicates and delete them from the database. Mhhutchins 21:31, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
I have removed the duplicates. Swan 21:33, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
I had to reject your submission, because, as I said above, I would remove the duplicates and delete them from the db, which I did before you made the submission. Please look over the record to see if it matches your copy of the publication. Mhhutchins 21:38, 13 June 2014 (UTC)
Done. Swan 02:51, 14 June 2014 (UTC)

Currency and dating

Because the ISFDB contains records for international publications, be sure to use the currency symbol in the price field. For US dollars use "$". Also, if the publication date isn't stated in the publication, you can use a secondary source and then provide the source in the Note field. Thanks. Mhhutchins 00:31, 29 September 2014 (UTC)

Corrected ::Swan —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Swan (talk • contribs) .

Also, you MUST give the source for your data. There is a place in the entry form to indicate it. The default setting requires that you give the source of data in the Note field. If you are working from an actual copy of the publication, check the first button ("I own this publication") Please go back to the three publication you added today and either add the source to the Note field or do a primary verification of the record. Thanks. Mhhutchins 00:37, 29 September 2014 (UTC)

I own the books in question, but where is the button to say so? ::Swan —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Swan (talk • contribs) .Swan 19:00, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
As I said above, in the entry form there's a field labeled Source of data. If you don't choose one of the five choices, it automatically defaults to the last. If you have a copy, check the first button. If you forgot to check the "I own this publication" button when you created the record, you can go back and do a primary verification of the record. Under the Editing Tools menu of a publication record, click on the "Verify This Pub" link. On the next page, check the appropriate box.
Also, don't forget to end any comments with four tildes (~~~~) which automatically signs and dates the post. Adding a colon to the number of colons in the previous message will indent your message and make it easier to follow the discussion. Thanks. Mhhutchins 16:46, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
I think I am caught up now. Swan 19:00, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
One thing, I note the cover scans for three of the just-entered books—Mundança, A Hat Full of Rain, and The Butterfly Tree—appear to be full-sized reproductions. Is it not usual that they be smaller than the originals? Swan 19:09, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
The ISFDB software automatically displays a thumbnail of the cover image file, regardless of its size on the hosting server (in these cases, Amazon.) We only limit the size of files which are hosted on the ISFDB to 600 pixels tall and no more than 150 kb in size. We have no control on the size of images hosted on other websites. Thanks. Mhhutchins 20:23, 7 October 2014 (UTC)

Cover design credit

As I have noted in the responses for several submissions which I have rejected, cover designers are not credited for their work in the "Artist" field. They can only be credited in the "Note" field, since we don't have a dedicated field to credit cover design. Mhhutchins 20:18, 7 October 2014 (UTC)

Well, have a look at http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?359940, where Chip Kidd, a cover designer, is credited with the cover, and the photographer who did the photo the cover is built upon is not. Swan 21:21, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
I won't apologize for that credit. If you had a copy of the book, you'd realize that Kidd deserves credit for the cover, regardless of his multiple awards and recognition within the field. (There's no "Artist" credit in the book.) Mhhutchins 21:37, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
I do have a copy of the book. That's why I thought to look how it had been entered. Kidd is justly famous and rightly credited. Swan 22:15, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
However. The art used for the Deltander cover is the product of three people's work A+B+C. The lettering and so forth that turned the art into a cover is a different matter. Swan 21:21, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
All covers are "the product" of many more people than are actually credited. The purpose of the field is not necessarily to credit everyone who had a hand in creating a publication's cover. It is ISFDB standard to first credit the artist. If there is no artist credit, we credit the designer. We rarely credit both artist and designer in the "Artist" field, since there's no way to distinguish their contributions. Please start a discussion on the Rules and Standards discussion page if you believe that in a publication which credits both artist and cover designer, they both should get equal credit in the "Artist" field. The group consensus may disagree with my interpretation of the standards. Thanks. Mhhutchins 21:37, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
I think perhaps the standards and the layout for entering information reflect the practice of one person creating a picture that is then manipulated into a cover by other people working directly for the publisher. That may have changed, but if so someone will eventually decide to pursue the matter. Swan 22:15, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
You're describing the cover designer, not the cover artist. Those are two distinctive roles. And as I said above, the "Artist1" field is only to credit the cover artist. The cover designer is credited in the "Note" field. Mhhutchins 19:47, 13 October 2014 (UTC)

Gallant Gentlemen Gracious Ladies

Re this publication: I added the currency symbol to the price field, and removed "Tales of French Jamaica" from the publication series field. That appears to be a title series. (This help page explains the difference.) Can you confirm that? If it is a title series, enter it into the title record of the short story. Data for title series can't be entered without a title record, and that is only created after the initial submission adding the publication to the database has been accepted. Thanks. Mhhutchins 19:43, 13 October 2014 (UTC)

It is a title series. I am not clear where that should be entered. Swan 20:49, 13 October 2014 (UTC)
That was stated in my original comment. Further detailed instructions: 1) click on the title record link, 2) click on "Edit Title Data" link, 3) enter the series name in the "Series" field, and 4) submit. Mhhutchins 21:10, 13 October 2014 (UTC)

I rejected the submission to add series data to this record, as it appears to be a title series and not a publication series. Please add title series data to the title record. Mhhutchins 19:49, 13 October 2014 (UTC)

Done. Swan 23:58, 13 October 2014 (UTC)

Linking uploaded cover images

Re this publication and this image file: Once you've uploaded a cover image file to the ISFDB server, you must update the publication record and enter the complete URL of the uploaded image (not just the file name) into the URL field of the record. Ask if you need help. Mhhutchins 00:48, 14 October 2014 (UTC)

Well, it doesn't want the jpg name, nor the URL of the page the jpg is displayed on. Where do I look for the correct URL? Swan 00:58, 14 October 2014 (UTC)
Go to the image's wiki page (which I've linked above), and you can either right click on the image to copy its URL, or left click on it and copy the URL from your browser's address window. Here is the complete URL of the image:
http://www.isfdb.org/wiki/images/8/87/THHNTNGFTH2007.jpg
Copy this URL and enter it into the "Image URL" field in an update of the publication record. Mhhutchins 04:18, 14 October 2014 (UTC)
Thank you. Done. Swan 23:45, 14 October 2014 (UTC)

Dating publication records

I've noticed that for your past half-dozen or so records which I've moderated, you're only giving the year of publication for the publication record and not the exact date. For example, you dated Waking Blind Angels as "2015", when it was published on "2015-01-06" (according to Amazon). The database gives you the option to record the exact date of publication, when known. If you only know the month, it should be entered as, for example, "2015-01". I've been correcting these when I notice them, but other moderators may have let others go through without changing them. Thanks. Mhhutchins 00:12, 9 January 2015 (UTC)

Noted: YYYY-MM-DD at the top also.

I've also been adding links to the cover image files on Amazon. You can do that yourself. Ask if you need instructions on how to get the file's URL. Mhhutchins 00:15, 9 January 2015 (UTC)

Yes, I noticed and appreciated that. Given I have to wait for the record to come up to have the right link, I've been doing them in batches. Swan 18:45, 9 January 2015 (UTC)
Actually, you can add a link to the Amazon file in the same submission that creates the publication record. Just go to the Amazon listing for the publication and click on the small image of the coer below the caption "Click to open expanded view". Then right click on the larger image to copy the image URL. Then paste that URL in the data entry form field labeled "Image URL". Mhhutchins 19:59, 9 January 2015 (UTC)

That's much easier. Thank you. But what about a new cover for a book that already has one displayed? Swan 21:31, 9 January 2015 (UTC)

If you mean a file that's on your computer's hard drive, you can upload it to the ISFDB server by clicking on the "Upload (new) cover scan" at the bottom of the publication record's metadata section. The file can not be larger than 150 kb, and the image size can not be more than 600 pixels tall. Once the file is on our server, you must copy its URL and then update the publication record to give the URL of that cover file. Mhhutchins 04:00, 10 January 2015 (UTC)

This would be a new cover displayed at Amazon for Deltander. (And I guess entering the URL here is a bad idea: enormous picture.) Swan 03:43, 11 January 2015 (UTC)

The ISFDB software creates a thumbnail to display it on the ISFDB publication record. It's only large if a user clicks on the image and loads the entire file. Mhhutchins 08:01, 11 January 2015 (UTC)
I think I added that correctly. Thank you. Swan 16:10, 11 January 2015 (UTC)

Cover design credit, again

I know I've brought this to your attention before, but we don't credit cover design in the cover artist field. According to the Amazon Look Inside, Catherine Mintz designed the cover of this publication. She should not be credited in the cover artist field. Please keep this in mind for all future submissions. Thanks. Mhhutchins 03:06, 15 January 2015 (UTC)

Insofar as I can tell, the cover art is a digital painting based on a photograph by peapop. Who should be credited? Swan 16:46, 25 January 2015 (UTC)
The artist who created the cover should be credited in the "Artist1" field. The cover designer is credited in the "Note" field. As I said above, the Amazon Look Inside clearly shows the art is copyrighted by peapop, who should be credited in the "Artist1" field. The cover design is copyrighted by Catherine Mintz, who should be credited in the "Note". This same standard should apply to all cover credits. Mhhutchins 02:21, 26 January 2015 (UTC)
Thank you. Swan 21:08, 5 February 2015 (UTC)

Disambiguating generic titles

As mentioned in a previous post, all generic titles (like "Introduction", "Foreword", "Afterword", etc.) should be disambiguated parenthetically with the title of the publication. This prevents accidental merging of identically titled and credited records. As an example, see how I corrected this record. I also changed the type from NONFICTION to ESSAY. The first type is used for book-length works of nonfiction, while the latter is used for shorter works of nonfiction which are contained in another publication. Mhhutchins 23:29, 5 February 2015 (UTC)

Thank you for the correction. Swan 01:26, 8 February 2015 (UTC)

"A Blackwood Omnibus"

I accepted your submission of "A Blackwood Omnibus", but corrected your author listed from "uncredited" to "Algernon Blackwood". Whenever we have a collection or omnibus that's all by one author, we list it as by them -- i.e. as the author, not necessarily the editor. Unfortunately, that means that we don't have any place to put a editor, when that is known, except in the notes field, but we figure it's more important to credit the person who wrote everything in the book than the person who put it together. Of course usually the editor at least gets an Introduction essay to their credit :-) I also changed the binding from "unknown" to "tp", based on the data on Amazon. Chavey 00:29, 11 February 2015 (UTC)

Not obvious, but what works, works. Thank you for the emendation. Swan 20:38, 11 February 2015 (UTC)
I had to add a content record for Four Weird Tales. Otherwise this wouldn't be considered an OMNIBUS, and just a collection of stories. I also merged the newly-created content records with those already in the database. (This must be done manually, because the system doesn't do it automatically.) The merging required changing "Sand" from short story to novella, and "The Glamour of the Snow" and "The Insanity of Jones" from short stories to novelettes. (Chavey, you forgot to update the author credit of the title record when you changed it in the publication record.) Mhhutchins 16:35, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
Sorry 'bout that Mike, thanks for catching it. Chavey 14:57, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

Soldiers Home

Your verified Past Future Present contains Soldiers Home which is sized as "shortstory". Previous publications of this title are sized as "novelette". Is your version truly a new, shorter version or a reprint of the novelette? Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 14:28, 15 February 2015 (UTC)

It's listed as previously pubished in Asimov's, May 1999, and Space Soldiers, 2001. I assume it is a novelette. Swan 18:52, 15 February 2015 (UTC)
I have merged the two versions as a novelette. Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 21:44, 15 February 2015 (UTC)

Three Wizards

Thanks for your edit, which I approved. I merged the story titles that were already in the database: it wouldn't have been necessary to change the dates of those, since you can choose the date when merging titles.

But to another point: After taking a look at the amazon listing it appears that this volume should be categorized as a COLLECTION rather than as an ANTHOLOGY: as shortfiction it does contain only the three titles by Helen E. Davis, doesn't it? Stonecreek 20:34, 17 February 2015 (UTC)

In grave danger of my forgetting this, I have changed the title type to COLLECTION. If there are more titles by other authors, please do add them and change the type back to ANTHOLOGY. Thanks, Stonecreek 10:22, 18 February 2015 (UTC)
Collection is correct. Thank you. Swan 16:20, 18 February 2015 (UTC)

Shadowface

Hello, I've approved your submission for this pub, but can you be more precise about the cover artist. Is the cover credited to Catherine Mintz, Adimas or both? Thanks. Hauck 16:04, 21 August 2015 (UTC)

The second artist is credited on a line underneath Catherine Mintz. My copy reads: "Cover art and cover design copyright 2015 by Catherine Mintz" then, new line, "Art copyright adimas." Swan 17:26, 21 August 2015 (UTC)
We usually don't use copyright to credit artwork. I'll make the modifications. Hauck 17:40, 21 August 2015 (UTC)

Entering novels

Hello, when you enter a novel, you mustn't add the record for the novel as you did with Jaguar Child. As this (adding the NOVEL record to the publication) is done automatically, you'll end up with two NOVELS in your publication. I've deleted the superfluous one. Hauck 17:25, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

Thank you. Noted. Swan 17:57, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

Virulent Wisteria: Three Attempts at Explantion

Would you please double check the spelling of "Explantion" in Virulent Wisteria: Three Attempts at Explantion from Amanita Brandy #4? Is this misspelled as such in the publication or is this a typo in the database? If the typo is in the database, it should be corrected. If the typo is in the publication, a note should be added to the title record stating the spelling is per the publication. Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 18:23, 30 October 2016 (UTC)

It's a typo in the entry; checked against the original. Swan 16:40, 31 October 2016 (UTC)

Zilbrant the Traitor

Added ASIN to your verified Zilbrant the Traitor Annie 00:41, 21 June 2017 (EDT)

Thank you. Noted. Swan 11:28, 30 June 2017 (EDT)

Catherine Mintz's Green Wife

You have verified this pub containing Green Wife and this pub containing Greenwife. Are these the same story? Is so, can you confirm that the one does have a space and the other doesn't? Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 21:34, 6 November 2017 (EST)

It is the same story and should be Greenwife, one word, in all cases. Swan 10:45, 7 November 2017 (EST)
Merged together as "Greenwife". Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 12:40, 7 November 2017 (EST)

First Light cover credit

Hi. I took your note to the moderator about the First Light cover art credit and put it in the pub notes. We want to document the source of any information that does not come directly from the pub itself. Thanks. --MartyD 21:43, 19 December 2017 (EST)

Noted. Swan 11:39, 20 December 2017 (EST)

Strangers Volume One

Hello,

I approved this book but converted it to an omnibus (3 novels make an omnibus) and added the 3 novels. Annie 22:56, 28 November 2019 (EST)

Swan 11:52, 30 November 2019 (EST) An omnibus; of course it is. Thank you.

Cover art linking to Amazon

When using a URL from Amazon.com for cover art, please make sure to remove the formatting info from the URL. See the Amazon section here for more info on that. Thanks! ···日本穣 · 投稿 · Talk to Nihonjoe 13:39, 29 December 2022 (EST)

Swan (talk) 21:31, 30 December 2022 (EST) I think I got that right. We shall see.

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