How to make Calibre download metadata for specific edition?

bizzybody · 07-21-2020, 09:04 PM

I have this e-book Bad Magic: 6 Novels of Demons, Djinn, Witches, Warlocks, Vampires, and Gods Gone Rogue

but Calibre 4.21.0 insists the book is really a different edition with 5 novels. To make things worse, Library Thing lists versions with 7, 8, and 10 novels. Searching around I see most places have not bothered to update the info for the various editions, they just incremented the number in the title and left the cover image and content blurb from the 5 novel edition. Also many links that say they're to the 6 novel one, only to find they're for the older 5 novel edition.

How do I make it download the data for the 6 novel edition? The 5 novel version is the only one it will give me.

ownedbycats · 07-21-2020, 10:07 PM

If the eBook has an ISBN, sometimes adding that to identifiers helps.

davidfor · 07-22-2020, 01:06 AM

The metadata source plugins use two things to find books: identifiers and the title plus the author. In general, each metadata source plugins checks:

Identifier for the site
ISBN
Title and author
Title (not all do this)

In general, if there is an identifier for the site, that is all that is used. It is assumed that it is the correct value for the book. If the identifier is not found on the site, no more searches are done. Some can do the other checks, but not all.

If the book has an ISBN, and the site supports ISBN searches, this will be used. If there is a match, it will probably be treated the same as for the site identifier. If there is no match on the ISBN, the plugin will usually go to the title searching.

If the title searches are done, it is again dependent on the plugin and site. Some sites allow searches only on title, some allow author and title. This is handled in different ways by the various plugins.

For the book you are looking at, I think you will have to find the edition of the book you want manually and set the identifier. That should get the correct details from that site, but, you might also need to disable other metadata source plugins.

DNSB · 07-22-2020, 01:21 AM

I suspect in this case, nothing is going to help the OP. B&N shows the book but the cover on their page is for the 5 story. See Bad Magic: 6 Novels of Demons, Djinn, Witches, Warlocks, Vampires, and Gods Gone Rogue on B&N's site.

theducks · 07-22-2020, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

I suspect in this case, nothing is going to help the OP. B&N shows the book but the cover on their page is for the 5 story. See Bad Magic: 6 Novels of Demons, Djinn, Witches, Warlocks, Vampires, and Gods Gone Rogue on B&N's site.

Happens frequently (and not just with B&N, who I do not use).
Search the Internet (plugin): Google for images (or your fav), the Drag and drop into the details for the book, the one that makes you happiest

ownedbycats · 07-22-2020, 11:32 AM

On Goodreads, if you go to book page there's a link to see all editions down in the details section. For cases where the download is being finicky with editions I just go there and manually input the information. Thankfully it's not often.

badbob001 · 07-22-2020, 01:19 PM

I had a book that kept downloading the metadata for a different language of the book. I had to clear out the ids section of the metadata and then it gave me a choice of multiple versions.

bizzybody · 07-24-2020, 02:44 AM

I finally found a site that listed the 6 novel edition with correct information for that edition then copied and pasted.

Would be nice if more indie authors would bother to include *some* metadata or at least get their books listed on Goodreads, with metadata. There's plenty of books on there with nothing but title, author, and a small cover image.

07-21-2020, 09:04 PM	#1
bizzybody Addict Posts: 294 Karma: 7742186 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Idaho, USA Device: Various PalmOS PDAs, Android Phones, Sharper Image Literati	How to make Calibre download metadata for specific edition? I have this e-book Bad Magic: 6 Novels of Demons, Djinn, Witches, Warlocks, Vampires, and Gods Gone Rogue but Calibre 4.21.0 insists the book is really a different edition with 5 novels. To make things worse, Library Thing lists versions with 7, 8, and 10 novels. Searching around I see most places have not bothered to update the info for the various editions, they just incremented the number in the title and left the cover image and content blurb from the 5 novel edition. Also many links that say they're to the 6 novel one, only to find they're for the older 5 novel edition. How do I make it download the data for the 6 novel edition? The 5 novel version is the only one it will give me.

07-22-2020, 01:06 AM	#3
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303824 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	The metadata source plugins use two things to find books: identifiers and the title plus the author. In general, each metadata source plugins checks: Identifier for the site ISBN Title and author Title (not all do this) In general, if there is an identifier for the site, that is all that is used. It is assumed that it is the correct value for the book. If the identifier is not found on the site, no more searches are done. Some can do the other checks, but not all. If the book has an ISBN, and the site supports ISBN searches, this will be used. If there is a match, it will probably be treated the same as for the site identifier. If there is no match on the ISBN, the plugin will usually go to the title searching. If the title searches are done, it is again dependent on the plugin and site. Some sites allow searches only on title, some allow author and title. This is handled in different ways by the various plugins. For the book you are looking at, I think you will have to find the edition of the book you want manually and set the identifier. That should get the correct details from that site, but, you might also need to disable other metadata source plugins.

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07-21-2020, 10:07 PM	#2
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,757 Karma: 74203799 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	If the eBook has an ISBN, sometimes adding that to identifiers helps.

07-22-2020, 01:21 AM	#4
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 45,194 Karma: 168808723 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	I suspect in this case, nothing is going to help the OP. B&N shows the book but the cover on their page is for the 5 story. See Bad Magic: 6 Novels of Demons, Djinn, Witches, Warlocks, Vampires, and Gods Gone Rogue on B&N's site.

07-22-2020, 11:32 AM	#6
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,757 Karma: 74203799 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	On Goodreads, if you go to book page there's a link to see all editions down in the details section. For cases where the download is being finicky with editions I just go there and manually input the information. Thankfully it's not often.

07-22-2020, 01:19 PM	#7
badbob001 Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 1102020 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Kindle Keyboard (rip), Kindle Voyage, Fire Tablet 10 '17, iPad '19	I had a book that kept downloading the metadata for a different language of the book. I had to clear out the ids section of the metadata and then it gave me a choice of multiple versions.

07-24-2020, 02:44 AM	#8
bizzybody Addict Posts: 294 Karma: 7742186 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Idaho, USA Device: Various PalmOS PDAs, Android Phones, Sharper Image Literati	I finally found a site that listed the 6 novel edition with correct information for that edition then copied and pasted. Would be nice if more indie authors would bother to include some metadata or at least get their books listed on Goodreads, with metadata. There's plenty of books on there with nothing but title, author, and a small cover image.

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