Series Names

[Dragonhome]

I have Series Names that appear differently across different books in the same series.

For Instance, The same series may be named:

Book Lovers Cozy Mystery
A Book Lovers Cozy
The Book Lovers Cozy Mystery
A Book Lovers Mystery

I am looking for a way to the "A" and the "The" from the front of the Series Names.

This is happening across many series.

When I go into the book and look at the title page, MOST times the Series name is "Book Lovers Cozy Mystery" then the book number of the series.

What I am trying to do is to be able to easily find the book within the series that I may be missing. With the "A" or "The" in front of the series name it won't always sort the series correctly (even when the series numbers are correct)

A have tried doing find and replaces in the series names and that causes other issues.

I have searched the forum and haven't found a solution to this problem.

[hobnail]

I always chop off the unnecessary "junk". In your examples I'll often find names like "The Book Lovers Cozy Mystery Series" so I'll excise "The" and "Series" and maybe change Mystery to Mysteries. Right now I'm reading the "The Lord Ramage Novels" which is what's on the covers but fantasticfiction.com lists the series as Nicholas Ramage for some reason (https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/d...cholas-ramage/). In any event for each book I've entered the series name as "Lord Ramage".

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by Dragonhome

A have tried doing find and replaces in the series names and that causes other issues.

That seems like an odd way to fix the series name. I've just selected all of the books in a series so that they're all highlighted and then tapped the E key to bring up the metadata editor and in that change the series name. Unfortunately they all end up with the series number 1, but that's easy, although tedious, to fix.

[kovidgoyal]

If you want to rename a series right click on it in either the book details panel or the tag browser and choose "Manage" that allows you to rename series without changing the series number for all books at once.

[theducks]

Manage series Plugin to rename selected booksAND assign sequence (index)

[Sirtel]

I used the bulk management to fix the series names when I cleaned up all the metadata in my library a few years ago. And I change the series name manually with every new book I add to my library (if it belongs to a series, of course) so that the name remains the same across the whole series. No mixed-up author or series names in my library anymore.

[rosalita]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

If you want to rename a series right click on it in either the book details panel or the tag browser and choose "Manage" that allows you to rename series without changing the series number for all books at once.

I had not yet discovered this feature, and it works brilliantly! Thanks for pointing it out, Kovid.

[MSWallack]

I agree with the previous suggestion to strip "The" and "A" from series titles. I also agree with the suggestion to strip "Series" and the like. That being said, I do tend to leave "Trilogy" or "Septet" or the like in a series title.

Further, I usually try to go with the author's series name, if there is one rather than the character name, but if only a character name is readily available to distinguish the series, then I use that.

The absolute key point though is to set your own rules and then stick to those rules!

Oh, and don't try to come up with any sort of rules for certain types of extended series with numerous authors (I'm looking at you Sherlock Holmes) because trying to come up with good rules that will keep all series identifiable and consistent ... well, that way leads to madness.

[capink]

Find Duplicates Plugin > Metadata Variations can help with some of these.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

If you want to rename a series right click on it in either the book details panel or the tag browser and choose "Manage" that allows you to rename series without changing the series number for all books at once.

Thanks. I figured there would be a better way than my klunky method.

[theducks]

I strip the A, and other stuff, if it is more of a descriptor than the name

A Big Long Series
OTOH The Secret World Chronicles stays.

Sometimes I need to tie-break because the name belongs to more than one series. I usually add the authors initials
Imperium (JLN)

I also tend to use Mysteries (yes, it really is a descriptor ) part of the name.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by MSWallack

Oh, and don't try to come up with any sort of rules for certain types of extended series with numerous authors (I'm looking at you Sherlock Holmes)

Recently I started reading the Herbie Kruger series by John Gardner, which is pretty good. British spy thriller written back in the Cold Wars days; East Germany, Soviet Union, etc. From his fantasticfiction.com page I discovered that the James Bond 007 owners allow other authors to add to that series. I'm looking forward to giving them a try.

[Sirtel]

I usually dislike series with multiple authors and seldom read such. Don't ask me why; it's not anything logical or rational. Still, the dislike is clearly there and I prefer to read a series with only one author.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I usually dislike series with multiple authors and seldom read such. Don't ask me why; it's not anything logical or rational. Still, the dislike is clearly there and I prefer to read a series with only one author.

My case was Multiple SERIES that just happen to have the same name but ARE NOT related.

I tend to leave the same series name if an author 'takes over' (under agreement or family member ) Unfortunately, the old quality may not hold .

[hobnail]

I read several of the Ian Fleming James Bond books back when I was in high school; late 1960s and early 1970s, around when they were making the Sean Connery movies. I mainly remember being titillated by the sex. A year or so ago I tried reading the first one but didn't find it engaging. So I'm sort of hoping the John Gardner ones will be entertaining.