[Solution] Kindle Paperwhite: Lastname_Firstname author, Series in author field

[Katsunami]

As many other people here, I read a lot of fantasy, and that means: series. Lots of them. The Kindle ignores series, and everybody already knows of the plugboards to put a series name and title into the title field.

This creates another problem. Sometimes a series' name is so long, that the title is cut off the screen before you can actually see the index, or the title of the book.

If you are using "Firstname Lastname" in Calibre's Author field, you could put the series name there (smaller print, much more room), but I don't. I highly prefer "Lastname, Firstname", not only for sorting, but also for display. Unfortunately, the Kindle sees this, and "helpfully" reverses the display and ditches the comma.

If you put the the series in the author field and the index in the title, Calibre sends this:

[1] Homeland
Salvatore, R.A. (The Dark Elf Trilogy)

However, Kindle displays this:

[1] Homeland
R.A. (The Dark Elf Trilogy) Salvatore

If you are using "Lastname, Firstname" in the Author field, and still want the series displayed on the Author line on the Kindle (and preserve the display of "Lastname, Firstname as much as possible), then you can do this.

Source Template: {author_sort:re(\, ,_)} {series:|(|)}
Destination Field: Author field.

Template: {series_index:|[|]} {title} 
Destination Field: Title field.

It will replace the comma and space with an underscore, add the series (in parentheses) to the Author field, and the index (in brackets) to the Title field.

It will display like this:

[1] Homeland
Salvatore_R.A. (The Dark Elf Trilogy)

Obviously, you should sort by Author if you use this, or the series will not be kept together. If you sort by title, all books starting with [1] will appear first, then the ones with [2], and so on.

If you want to sort by title, without being disturbed by the index, you should put the index into the Author field as well:

Source Template: {author_sort:re(\, ,_)} {series:|(|} {series_index:||)} 
Destination Field: Author field.

It will display like this:

Homeland
Salvatore_R.A. (The Dark Elf Trilogy 1)

Should you want a hash (#) before the series number, use this:

Source Template: {author_sort:re(\, ,_)} {series:|(|} {series_index:|#|)} 
Destination Field: Author field.

If you wish to be able to sort by title AND keep the series together, then you will have to start you title with Series Series_Index in the "old fashioned" way, but then you must accept that part of the title can become cut off.

Hope this is of some use to anyone.

[DoctorOhh]

Thanks for the excellent walk through. When I was using my old Sony readers I always put the series info in the Author line. Now that I use a Nexus 7 I use the Calibre companion app to manage things and it too places the series info in the author line.

[mylinh]

Thank you so much, I was so frustrated when I could not arrange them in series before.

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

If you are using "Lastname, Firstname" in the Author field, and still want the series displayed on the Author line on the Kindle (and preserve the display of "Lastname, Firstname as much as possible), then you can do this.

Source Template: {author_sort:re(\, ,_)} {series:|(|)}
Destination Field: Author field.

Template: {series_index:|[|]} {title} 
Destination Field: Title field.

It will replace the comma and space with an underscore, add the series (in parentheses) to the Author field, and the index (in brackets) to the Title field.

It will display like this:

[1] Homeland
Salvatore_R.A. (The Dark Elf Trilogy)

Could someone walk me through this?

I enter (in the author column) my author lastname, firstname - and "use author sort for author" - is there something else I need to do in this step?

In Metadata plugboards, I add new plugboard, with format = any format and device =any device, then "Source Template: {author_sort:re(\, ,_)} {series:|(|)}
Destination Field: Author field."

This is the part I"m not sure about:
If in Preferences>sending book to device - save templete, I change "{author_sort}/{title}" to "{series_index:|[|]} {title}", where do I put Destination Field: Title field.
[/code]

I'm learning one step at a time, here and any help would be most appreciated.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

Could someone walk me through this?

I enter (in the author column) my author lastname, firstname - and "use author sort for author" - is there something else I need to do in this step?

You leave the author column alone. Under Preferences ==> Conversion ==> Output Options you must choose from the left-hand side "MOBI Output" AND "AZW3 Output" then for each one of them, check the option "Use author sort for author"

The purpose of this is so your Kindle sorts the author view correctly, rather than treating the whole author filed as just the last name. Basically, mobi doesn't have proper support for author metadata, and this is the workaround.

In Metadata plugboards, I add new plugboard, with format = any format and device =any device, then "Source Template: {author_sort:re(\, ,_)} {series:|(|)}
Destination Field: Author field."

If in Preferences>sending book to device - save templete, I change "{author_sort}/{title}" to "{series_index:|[|]} {title}", where do I put Destination Field: Title field.

Here you must fill {author_sort:re(\, ,_)} {series:|(|)} in on the Source Template box, and choose "authors" on the dropdown in the Destination Field box.

Likewise, {series_index:|[|]} {title} goes in the next row, under Source Template, and "title" goes in the Destination Field.

It should look like this:

And you should undo the change you made to Preferences ==> Sending Books to Devices; this is very easy, just go back there and click the top right corner button "Restore defaults".

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

You leave the author column alone. Under Preferences ==> Conversion ==> Output Options you must choose from the left-hand side "MOBI Output" AND "AZW3 Output" then for each one of them, check the option "Use author sort for author"

The purpose of this is so your Kindle sorts the author view correctly, rather than treating the whole author filed as just the last name. Basically, mobi doesn't have proper support for author metadata, and this is the workaround.

Here you must fill {author_sort:re(\, ,_)} {series:|(|)} in on the Source Template box, and choose "authors" on the dropdown in the Destination Field box.

Likewise, {series_index:|[|]} {title} goes in the next row, under Source Template, and "title" goes in the Destination Field.

It should look like this:

And you should undo the change you made to Preferences ==> Sending Books to Devices; this is very easy, just go back there and click the top right corner button "Restore defaults".

Thanks! Almost there, except the series name is not appearing. When I transfer, I'm getting the series number in the title, but no series name in the author. So, author is "Archer, Zoe", title is "Stranger, and series is "Blades of the Rose [4]".

I get "[4] Stranger" in title and just "Zoe Archer" in Author. I copied your exact phrases, so there must be something else I'm doing wrong. I have "Blades of the Rose [4]" in the Series column.

Much appreciate your help!

[peaceridge]

Thanks again, eschwartz,

I restarted Calibre and all is good! Don't know why I didn't think of that before. Your directions were perfect! Thank you, thank you!