It would be really nice if in "edit book details" we could edit the primary thing that I find wrong--the binding!

I think we need to be able to submit and have it changed to "Unknown" if both a PB and a HB were issued under the same ISBN.

I understand that changing it from HB to PB or the other way could cause problems with already listed copies, but if it was issued with that ISBN half shouldn't be unlistable! Changing it to "unknown binding" seems reasonable, and I've seen that on other books, so I know it's an option for that field. 

Per the Help Center:

"Problem: You enter the ISBN on your paperback and the book Listing Preview says "hardcover".

Explanation: This means one of two things:

1.  Your book is an ARC

If your book is a paperback, and the ISBN brings up a Book Listing Preview that says "hardcover", please check your book to be sure it is not an ARC.   If it is an ARC, it cannot be posted for swapping at PBS.

Solution: You can offer this book to others in the Book Bazaar Discussion Forum, but you cannot post it to your PBS bookshelf.

2. The publisher chose to assign the same ISBN to more than one version of this title.

Publishers sometimes choose to assign the same ISBN to multiple versions of a book.  However, PBS can attach only ONE booktype to the listing for an ISBN.  If your book does not have the booktype assigned to the ISBN in the PBS database, you will need to post it with a customized listing, using the Post a Book Without an ISBN link on the Post Books page, so that the booktype matches your book.

Solution: You will need to post this book with a customized listing for the book, using the Post Books without an ISBN link on the Post Books page."

This is why they don't allow us to change the format, as they don't want multiple formats posted under one ISBN.

Cheers,

Catt

 

Although it is a PITA to list a book without an ISBN, I am glad that they don't allow the lumping under unknown binding. I personally would never order a book under that. I want to know what I a getting when I order without having to exchange a bunch of PMs to figure it out.

Actually, there is a third alternative besides the two that the pasted Help Center guidelines mention: the underlying data used for the PBS database has transposed the PB and HC ISBN's. I have had a couple of British books that i will never post here because the bindings are correct at Amazon.uk, but are switched at Amazon.com (U.S.). Rare, affecting only a handful of titles here, but there is another reason why the ISBN bindings may not match.

Melanie: Well, the flip side is, a lot of people don't care what the binding is.  When I have made a mistake and missed that the database was wrong, I have PM'd folks to see if they still want it (saying I will cancel if they don't answer since I screwed up).  The answer has always been they don't care and send it anyway.  

Since it is a PITA to post without an ISBN, I won't do it--and I don't think I'm alone. So I think the club as a whole would be better off if they switched the binding to "unknown" if there are two bindings under the same ISBN, so those who don't care have a better shot of having the book posted

I am with Melanie...I want to know what type of binding I am ordering and I probably wouldn't order if it listed it as "Unknown Binding"  For one, then you could be lumping Hardbacks, Trade Paperbacks, Mass Market Paperbacks, soft cover, all under one heading and that would not be good.  Yeah it could be a PITA for some people but, I for one don't find listing something under the non-ISBN category as a problem...it takes what 5 minutes.

I like to know exactly what I'm ordering, so I don't want this. The no-ISBN entry works for me, and I've used it a lot.

No one who ordered the three books I screwed up cared, and I personally don't care (other than large print).  Lots of folks put all the version on their WL.  So I'm really surprised at the negative reaction to this idea.

 "Trade Paperbacks, Mass Market Paperbacks, soft cover" already get lumped under "paperback" most of the time.  That's hardly a reasonable distinction to be making.  I see MMP occassionally, but usually it's just "paperback".

But I guess I won't submit it as a suggestion to the site since the folks who care enough to respond don't like it.

*drops a stack of books in the donation bin*

Just curious:  What is PITA as used above as an acronym?  What is meaning?

Robin -

It means "Pain in the *ss", lol! 

LMAO, okey dokey.  I didn't get it.  Thanks, Amy!