Search for an Author often fails

[meRobs]

Before buying/getting a new eBook, I first do an author search in the Library to see if I already have it. This often fails because a click on the Authors column-heading in Library often responds to the author's first name rather the surname. For example, Jo Nesbo may appear as a 'J', Michael Connelly, as an 'M' and Bernard Cornwell, as a 'B'.

As a result, I have sometimes obtained a book only to find, on trying the "Add Books", that I already have it in the library!!

Thus, I need to check the sorted-author list twice. Under the J's and under the N's when seatching for Jo Nesbo, say.

Can this be improved? Or, am I missing something?
Am using 64-bit Calibre 4.9.1

[BetterRed]

My guess is that you have some books recorded with the authors sort name as FN LN, and others as LN, FN.

See ==>> How does calibre manage author names and sorting?

BR

[Sirtel]

Yep. The problem is messy metadata, especially author-sort. The metadata needs to be corrected, so that the author sort is LN, FN.

[theducks]

Get and use the Quality check Plugin to find Author sort and initial problems.
This cant find all the ways metadata has been messed up (some by the publisher being inconsistent)
eg. Fn MI Ln | Fn Ln | Fn Mn Ln

Then there is the case where the data overlaps with another, complexly different case ( Series name duplication, Authors with the same name )
YOU need to intercede and pick how you will tweak the data to break the tie

For Series, I added the Authors initials to the series: Magic (AN)

[meRobs]

Thanks for all your comments/suggestions.
However, I may not have explained myself properly and I don't understand the distinction between 'Author' and 'Author-sort'.
Most of my books appear in Calibre, in the column 'Author(s)', as First Name Last Name, which I asume you express as FN LN. For example, "Bernard Cornwell", where Bernard is in fact the first name. Yet, when clicking on the Heading of the Author(s) column some of his books appear under the "B", ie, with authors whose LN starts with a "B", and other books listed in the same way, as "Bernard Cornwell", are listed with authors whose LN starts with a "C". This is inconsistent: the same author, expressed in the same way is sorted differently.

[meRobs]

Hi all.
I had a closer look under "Edit metadata" and re-examined the entries for "Author sort" and had a fiddle. It seems that Calibre is clever enough to spot a faulty entry (desn't suit the 'Author' entry) in the Author sort box. At which time, it surrounds the box in a red border (green, when correct). When I change the Author sort entry into the format 'LN, FN', it all works.

This is as you all suggested, above, but I was too green to realise it. So, THANKS again.
Calibre does a similar thing for Title sort.

Am now a happy ole boy!

[theducks]

And the Quality check PI can look at the entire Library and tell you the ones (being checked) that have the Red.
Select All (of those): Tap "E" (bulk mode MDE) : tick the appropriate SORT box: OK
2 tests/ Bulk edits and the Red is gone

[meRobs]

Thanks theducks.
I shall keep that in mind. However, as I use Edit Metadata when loading each new eBook into Calibre, to edit the info in the Comments panel, it will be easy to check for faulty Author-sort data.
Thanks

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by meRobs

Thanks theducks.
I shall keep that in mind. However, as I use Edit Metadata when loading each new eBook into Calibre, to edit the info in the Comments panel, it will be easy to check for faulty Author-sort data.

I too like to get things right as I add, rather than fixing things later when I've forgotten what might have lead to something being wrong. To that end I add books to an Intake library, where I do what ever it takes to get the metadata straight, convert to EPUB if needed, and then move the books to the target library with calibre's Copy to library tool. As a result the Intake library is usually empty, or nearly so, and anything in there is 'unfinished business'.

BTW: glad you worked out how the xxxxx_sort fields work, when I read post #5 I was wondering how I was going to explain that. Much better that you worked it out for yourself.

BR

[drdancm]

Originally Posted by meRobs

Before buying/getting a new eBook, I first do an author search in the Library to see if I already have it. This often fails because a click on the Authors column-heading in Library often responds to the author's first name rather the surname. For example, Jo Nesbo may appear as a 'J', Michael Connelly, as an 'M' and Bernard Cornwell, as a 'B'.

As a result, I have sometimes obtained a book only to find, on trying the "Add Books", that I already have it in the library!!

Thus, I need to check the sorted-author list twice. Under the J's and under the N's when seatching for Jo Nesbo, say.

Can this be improved? Or, am I missing something?
Am using 64-bit Calibre 4.9.1

A common problem I find is when some author names have or are missing a period after their middle initial the search only turns up some of their books.

It would be helpful to allow the search to allow for this problem.

[theducks]

Get (and use ) the Quality check plugin

Step 0 (one time): Configure the Author initials format you wish to standardize on
Step 1 Check Metadata:Check Author initials: <these failed to conform
Step 2 (select those from step 1) Fix: Authors Initials

You can use step 2 on any selection in the future.
Fix can also do a 'flip' of Fn Ln
This is probably my most used PI overall