Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

Hi, please can you add the following book to Goodreads. It will be published in Kindle ebook and paperback versions. I have included the separate ISBN/ASIN but everything else will be the same. Can all be included on one book page? I would prefer not to have multiple book pages for the same book.

Title: this boy is a rainbow (all lowercase)
Author: Sam Payne
ISBN:9781979529525
ASIN:B077MPLV38
Publisher: Self-published through CreateSpace
Publication date: January 1st 2018
Format: Paperback and Kindle eBook
Description: He endured the storm. Found the sun. And became the rainbow…

Sam Payne’s debut poetry collection, this boy is a rainbow, tells a touching story of gay love and heartache, healing and empowerment. It is the story of a boy who lost love and thought he would never be whole again. Divided into three chapters, it follows his journey as he endured the storm, found the sun, and became the rainbow.

Featuring over two-hundred original poems and illustrations, the collection encourages readers not only to survive the storm, but to thrive in it. And when the storm is over, be ready to let love in again. For love is everywhere, if only you open your heart.

thank you

for throwing me

into the bared teeth
of a treacherous storm
if you hadn’t

i wouldn’t be

the rainbow

i am today
Page count: 218 (paperback)
Link to book page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077MPLV38/

P.S. Please format the description with the bold and italics as above. Sorry to be quite specific!

Added: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Sam wrote: "Can all be included on one book page? I would prefer not to have multiple book pages for the same book...."

It's one work with two editions: https://www.goodreads.com/work/editio...

Thank you! Both editions have the same cover. Can you add the cover to paperback too?

I prefer to verify that before uploading it, but you as the author can upload it, too: https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/4... the "upload photo" section is bit down the page.

The title can stay all lowercase?

Can this title have the word WHOLE capitalized? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Lexa wrote: "The title can stay all lowercase?"
If the book specifies it, I think so:
https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/2...

Lexa wrote: "Can this title have the word WHOLE capitalized? " I'm not sure, do the inside/ copyright pages have it all caps?

Yes please keep the title lowercase, that's how it's formatted on the Amazon product page and is representative of my poetry which is also all lowercase. Thank you both!

Ayshe wrote: "I'm not sure, do the inside/ copyright pages have it all caps? "

Idk. Its returned to the library but when I offered the cover to be added, my request about the title case was shot down. Based on that I thought they all had to follow a standard. I believe the librarian said it had to follow GR policy, not what the cover said.

I'm happy for Sam I hope he gets to keep it how he wants. The way words look are important to poets.

I just thought I was "educated" differently and would like to know the true answer because now I'm confused. From manual: "Only use sentence capitalization, all uppercase, all lowercase, or other capitalization if the book specifies it." The book is about feeding whole foods to your whole family so they emphasized that word. (I just asked for the word WHOLE in the title be capitalized not the subtitle.)

They emphasized in on the cover. The help topic mentions: Note that many titles appear to be in all uppercase or lowercase letters on the cover but are not otherwise capitalized this way, and that therefore the cover is used for the words of the title but not necessarily the capitalization.

I checked amazon, worldcat and author's site: http://www.cynthialair.com/published-... (though it does not have that specific edition) and they don't have it in all caps.

As far as I know, Goodreads policy is to capitalize according to language rules, not according to how it is capitalized on the cover. So 'this boy is a rainbow' becomes 'This Boy Is a Rainbow' and 'WHOLE' should be 'Whole'.

Thanks Ayshe I totally get what your saying with the help topic, even though the title is in all caps ie. Dean Koontz' HIDEAWAY becomes Hideaway on GRs. Koontz example p.s. subtitle needs to be deleted

What lethe is saying is what I thought was GR policy.

Lexa wrote: "What lethe is saying is what I thought was GR policy."

You are right, Lexa :)

Only staff can decide if exceptions are made for poetry collections.

I deleted the blurb from the title of Koontz' book.

What does Only use sentence capitalization, all uppercase, all lowercase, or other capitalization if the book specifies it. mean then?

Ayshe wrote: "What does Only use sentence capitalization, all uppercase, all lowercase, or other capitalization if the book specifies it. mean then?"

Let's wait for staff to clarify that :)

You think Sam should contact GRs and get a request for "the titles in lower case" started?

Sam, if you don't get a staff note on your books (behind the scenes) then you may always run the risk of it being changed based on the manual interpretation.

I am hoping staff will post here so we will all know for future cases. (And if it is allowed, then they can add a staff note :) )

If this is the case it will be a problem when librarians can't find the cover for a book.

I'll leave all the ALL CAPS & all lower case titles alone until we get a staff ruling.

Carol♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "If this is the case it will be a problem when librarians can't find the cover for a book."

In that case, we should just do it according to policy.

bump

@rivka (or other staff)

Could we have a ruling on this, please? Should capitalization be according to language, or does Goodreads allow for exceptions, for example in the case of poetry?

In general capitalization should always be according to language. We do review these kind of requests on a case-by-case basis though, and in this specific case, we've decided to make an exception and allow the title to remain all lowercase. I have made a note on the book to that effect.

Thanks, Vernice!