How to "superimpose" title and author on default book covers?

Hi all,

I notice that some people have managed to get the author and title of a book printed on the default book cover image. For instance: http://www.librarything.nl/work/5823833
How are they doing this?? It must be some kind of automatized process, because I can't imagine so many people typing so many pieces of information on an empty book cover. So, how is this done?

Thanks for your replies!

It's automatically superimposed by the system, based the book title and author info.

I've noticed that my blank covers are mostly missing titles and authors, but occasionally they are present. I don't know why they aren't there always, but it has bothered me a bit too.

As far as I've seen, the superimposed title and author never occur on my own book because I am seeing the specific book cover, not the edition cover (which is the one that would have the generalized cover).

For other people's books, assuming they are ones I don't own myself, I will see the author-title when I am looking at the work page, not the book page.

>5 Collectorator: That is one of my pet peeves too. I would love to go straight to the edition in a members library from the work page.

Some people see the superimposed author and title on their default cover, others don't. Message 3 even talks about "mostly missing, occasionally present", which really sounds like a bug. Should I transfer this thread to the Bug Collector?

First--can anyone give a specific example of a book in their library where the default cover on the book page has the superimposed author and title?

Edited to say: If not, then I think it isn't a bug and is instead consistent (see msg 4)

Do you mean that one never sees the superimposed title on your own books, but only on other people's books?? What is the point of that? We're talking about a generic cover, which only serves aesthetic purposes, in my opinion. And it would be more aesthetic to see the title on them.

On a work page, one never sees the superimposed title etc. on a book cover. Only on a work cover.

And since, when you own a book, you always see your book cover, even if you are on the work page, you will not see the superimposed title.

Now, you may disagree with the system (and maybe should recommend a change in Recommend Site Improvements), but it isn't a bug if it is functioning as designed.

Thanks for your reply, Christiguc.
But what is the difference between a "book" and a "work"??
Judging from other replies in this thread, there are people who "sometimes" see the superimposed things, but not always. Strange. I feel you're always dealing with book, whether or not you call it a book or a work, whether or not you own it or not.
You also say that "when you own a book, you always see your book cover". That's not correct: I only see covers if they are present in (say) Amazon, or if they have been uploaded by users. For many older books, the bulk of my collection, that is not the case. Having the title superimposed for all "items" ("books", "works", whatever) would be far more logical (and desirable).
But for now, could you please clarify the distinction between "book" and "work"?

Thanks!

A "book" is an individual entry in someone's catalog, you can edit your books. Here's a link to a book in my catalog: /work/book/41946995

A "work" is the combination of all books that are judged to be the same, either automatically or manually. Here's a link to the work page for that book: /work/226717. You can't edit the details of a work, they are a summation of all the individual books that have been combined in that work. If you click the Editions link on either of those pages, you'll see the list of books.

If you're looking at the work page for a book in your library, you'll see your details. If not, you'll see the summary details. E.g. I have the title for that book entered as "Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien", which is what I see on my book page and on the work page. Others have just "Pictures" and that's what they'll see as the title. If you don't have the book in your library, you'll see the system chosen title (usually the most popular) or the Canonical Title from the Common Knowledge if there is one. The same distinction applies to the cover image, I'll see mine, others will see theirs if they have the book, and if you don't have the book you'll see the "work" cover which the system has chosen.

Thanks, Rorrison, your explanation helped a LOT. That distinction between "book" and "work" looks essential to understanding LibraryThing's workings - and I feel it deserves a bit more decent clarification in some introductory screen or something.

With regard to the title, I understand now that it is superimposed on Work covers, not on Book covers - since books are what you have in your personal collection.

Still, I feel it would make sense to at least have the option to have the Work title superimposed on a Book for which you only have the generic cover: the generic covers are just a coloured rectangle and are not informative. A title, even a generic "work" title, would make them better.

I wouldn't object to having the title superimposed on my default "default" cover (because I use THAT cover as the cover on my "inclusion" works - which don't HAVE covers). BUT sometimes I actually select one of the other default covers because it ACTUALLY LOOKS like the cover of my book (i.e. blank dark green with no title) and I don't want to bother to scan a "blank dark green with no title" cover...

If you don't like the blank cover you could always scan or photograph the real cover and upload it.

Or create a cover image (maybe starting with a scan of a plain book cover) and just change the text overlay, then upload it as a cover image option for each book. Admittedly a bit of work, but I could see myself doing it at some point for some of my books that don't have helpful covers.

Another thing - when you look at Your Library in list view, books with default covers have no text. If you look at it in Covers view, the text is superimposed (horribly, it falls off the bottom - that is a bug and has been reported, sometime it will get fixed). So the assumption is that the List view (and the Book Details page) have sufficient data that you can tell what book it is without superimposed text. When you're in the Covers view with no data except the cover, it gives you the title. Makes sense to me.

>16 Helcura: ;) I do that (e.g. http://www.librarything.com/work/108126/book/42359054)
just save a full size default to your desktop, edit, upload. Ta daa.

>17 jjmcgaffey:
See http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=58001 for the bug you mention (seems to be FF only)

>18 kevmalone: and >16 Helcura:: That approach with manual editing might work for a few books, but not if there are a couple of thousand, esp. older ones :-(

>18 kevmalone: - Kevmalone,

Oh, that's very nice!

>18 kevmalone:
Not FF only - if you read carefully, you will see that I have the problem in both Safari and IE6.

>20 Helcura: Danke - I use GIMP for the edit - it's free and simple.

>21 staffordcastle: Sorry - yes - I meant for me (I use FF and IE5)

I have the same problem. Some book covers are automatically titled, others are not. I wonder if it has to do with ones I've individually chosen a "blank" cover for versus those that are given the "default" cover. I would like the title to be automatically superimposed on the default cover without my having to do it manually until such a time I can look for a better cover.

Have you read this thread, especially posts 10-13?