Metadata retrieval help needed

[ebookergurl]

When retrieving metadata, there may be more than one option. Sometimes I'm not sure, so I just pick one. Then when I see what's retrieved, I don't think it's correct so I would like to retrieve from one of the other options listed. Problem is, Calibre no longer gives me all the original choices: it lists only the one I chose in first place. So frustrating. Today I happened to still have the original epub I loaded into Calibre so I loaded another copy and this time chose a different one of the three sources listed by Calibre. This time it retrieved the data needed.

Is reloading another copy my only choice for getting around making a "wrong" source choice when I first request metadata? I cannot find anyplace in Calibre where I can make it offer me the same choices as when I first requested metadata (and, btw, the isbn does not change)

Running 0.8.31

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ebookergurl

When retrieving metadata, there may be more than one option. Sometimes I'm not sure, so I just pick one. Then when I see what's retrieved, I don't think it's correct so I would like to retrieve from one of the other options listed. Problem is, Calibre no longer gives me all the original choices: it lists only the one I chose in first place. So frustrating. Today I happened to still have the original epub I loaded into Calibre so I loaded another copy and this time chose a different one of the three sources listed by Calibre. This time it retrieved the data needed.

Is reloading another copy my only choice for getting around making a "wrong" source choice when I first request metadata? I cannot find anyplace in Calibre where I can make it offer me the same choices as when I first requested metadata (and, btw, the isbn does not change)

Running 0.8.31

Erase the ISBN (id FIELD), that locks you in to that wrong title.

Read all the choices you are presented You must highlight each to read the synopsis on the right. Not all shown are for the exact title, but may match some other key words.

[ebookergurl]

Thanks for your help, theducks. I had tried erasing the isbn before posting, but tried again. Still doesn't work, at least for this book. Sometimes (as with this one book) I can see in Calibre's synopsis window both the isbn in one place and a number labeled as ID. That ID number does not show up in the IDs ISBN field visible to me. It was a clickable link, so I clicked. Took me to World Catalog and message of no match. Have no idea where that "ID" comes from nor where it's stored in Calibre.

Yep, I do read each description offered by edit-metadata process, but recurring problem is often none of the choices match isbn / publisher/etc I am seeing on actual ebook loaded. That may in part be because Amz, Google etc are not listing an epub isbn. In this case, I clicked on one skimpy info option just to get more info than the description given. Bad choice <shrug>.

Calibre flat will not let me enter my own data; if I key in the isbn I see plainly on the epub's publication info page, Calibre won't accept it. Perhaps because it does not match info from Google, Amazon, etc. The custom metadata option is completely incomprehensible to me but I've many times tried to change wrong data I see in the metadata fields shown in the edit metadata window. Calibre flat won't let me. Can't change isbn, nor pub date, etc. I like to have a synopsis from Amazon or Google. Most of the time the publication particulars don't matter all that much to me. IThe books are for my personal enjoyment. But .. it would be nice to have a little more control over the metadata and have it actually match the efile I have loaded. Ah well, enough time spent on this. :-))

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by ebookergurl

Thanks for your help, theducks. I had tried erasing the isbn before posting, but tried again. Still doesn't work, at least for this book.

Delete all of the IDs out of the Ids field, see attached.

Originally Posted by ebookergurl

Calibre flat will not let me enter my own data; if I key in the isbn I see plainly on the epub's publication info page, Calibre won't accept it.

To enter the ISBN, use the below format in the Ids field.

isbn:9780123456789