Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

Is there a policy/best practice about series naming?

I am seeing a lot of "Name Name Thriller" as the series title - the word "thriller" is included in the title of the series.

Why not "Name Name" without the word thriller? (Name Name being something like "Bozo Bob")

I believe that it is against policy to have a book subtitle as "A Legal Thriller" or "A Psychological Thriller" for example. It seems to me that having the word "thriller" in the series title should also be against policy.

I always take out the descriptor and leave the character name.

Scott wrote: "I always take out the descriptor and leave the character name."

That would be good, but there are hundreds of them (and then the titles that include the series name has to be edited too). And I'll be glad to work in this direction if there is a specific policy/best practice.

But is "Thriller" part of the official series title per the author/publisher?

Or are these where there is no official series name and a name is being assigned to create the series?

Miriam wrote: "But is "Thriller" part of the official series title per the author/publisher?

Or are these where there is no official series name and a name is being assigned to create the series?"

Do you consider XXXX: A thriller is the official name from the author/publisher? And if not, then why would we accept thriller in the series name?

(And GR doesn't always agree when an "official" series is even a series. Not sure why we think we have to go by the author/publisher series name.)

It is against policy for subtitles but not series names as I've seen on the group per rivka's replies. When the name of the series is Thriller (s) per the cover you add it. See this thread for example, the series was listed as only the character name, and was edited to add Thrillers per the covers: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thanks, Tami. Just what is required!

Ok for Thriller.

What if the cover says "A Character Name Novel"?

I don't think we'd format the series that way.

If it is a series about that character we would normally just put a Character Name, #1
“A Jack Ryan Thriller” is just Jack Ryan #1 but it is ok to use the whole thing since it is on the book per Rivka. So A Character Name Novel #1 would technically be ok. I would prefer Character Name, #1.
“A Cozy Bookshop Mystery #1” would be the same thing though I would much prefer Cozy Bookshop Mysteries, #1. Or Cozy Bookshop, #1.

Thanks, Emily. I see the flexibility here, that there is no hard and fast rule.

Emily wrote: "“A Cozy Bookshop Mystery #1” would be the same thing though I would much prefer Cozy Bookshop Mysteries, #1. Or Cozy Bookshop, #1."

I would much prefer that, too. To me, "A Cozy Bookshop Mystery" is one book in a series of cozy bookshop mysteries, not the title of the series.

That’s a good way of looking at it lethe. Thanks