Work author role overrides blank book role

I find it redundant to have most of my books' authors display "(Author)" behind the name, so I almost always blank the role field out. But I've noticed that if the Other Authors section has a primary author with a role assigned, that role still displays on my book's page. This is irritating, but I can live with it.

Today, I noticed something even more egregious: The omnibus Tordotcom: Chambers, Scalzi, Wagner is a collection of 3 works by different authors, so my book's authors are set as: "Becky Chambers, John Scalzi, Erin K. Wagner" with no roles entered.

But the Other Authors section has the primary author set to Tor.com with role of Editor, and the three authors listed as secondary Contributors. I have no problem with this. What I have a problem with is that my book displays: "by Becker Chambers (Editor), John Scalzi, Erin K. Wagner".

A work title never overrides my book's title, so why does a work's Other Authors and their roles override my book's authors?

>1 saltmanz: Apologies, that may have been me working with the merged version of your book, another user's version and the version I just entered myself. I entered my copy, merged it with yours and did some cleaning up on the merged record. Then I merged in the third copy which seemed to do some odd things to the author list giving several duplicates...

>2 Maddz: No worries! Like I said, I have no issue with how you sorted out the Other Authors at the work level. My issue is simply with my book page displaying work-level data that contradicts my own book-level data.

>2 Maddz: But those should only affect work-level, not saltmanz's record, which is what is being reported as a bug.

I've reported a bug a while ago about authors with blank role getting one anyway, but I couldn't find any consistency when and why it happens, so it never received attention. The only mainstay is that I list more than one author in all cases, but it sometimes cropped up and sometimes not, showing blank role as it should.

Oh good, I was a bit worried...

>4 SandraArdnas: Good thoughts on multiple authors being the issue, it got me to playing around, and I think I found what the issue actually is:

When you have a blank author role at the book level, and a work-level primary author role set to anything other than "Author", then the work-level primary author role will display in place of your blank book-level author role.

I tested it out a few different ways, and it seems to be consistent, multiple authors or no.

I'll link the other bug report here too for developers to have reference

https://www.librarything.com/topic/326014#n7306531

>1 saltmanz: I'm having trouble finding the exact book you're referring to in your library, mind giving me the link to the book page in question? Thanks.

Hmm, I'm seeing the authors as you have them listed in >1 saltmanz: in your book details:

Title A Psalm for the Wild-Built / Unlocked / An Unnatural Life
Author Becky Chambers
...
Other authors
Scalzi, John
Wagner, Erin K.

Is there something I'm missing?

>10 kristilabrie: I see what >1 saltmanz: is seeing when I click on the link in >9 saltmanz:.

It's the author list under the title at the top of the page, yes? Not the authors as in Book details.

>10 kristilabrie:

A Psalm for the Wild-Built / Unlocked / An Unnatural Life
by Becky Chambers (Editor), John Scalzi, Erin K. Wagner

>11 Maddz: and >12 MarthaJeanne: Ahhh, okay, took me a second to catch up. I saw the top section author names, but wasn't quite understanding the claim/request.

>1 saltmanz: Okay, so because we show you your book-level title, you want to also see your book-level authors, in the top section on book pages. Yes? That makes sense to me. I'm not sure if this is changed behavior or not (i.e. if it's a true bug instead of a recommended site improvement), but I agree it makes sense to match your book-level data on book pages. Especially where we're showing the book-level title, but not book-level authors.

Let me see what the developers have to say and I'll post an update when I can.

>13 kristilabrie: It is definitely a bug. It's your record and it normally shows your data. Only occasionally it decides to override your data.

Thanks, it's behaved this way I think since Other Authors was implemented, but it's certainly not desired behavior (and inconsistent with a "your book, your data" ethos.) Plus, the fact that it requires such specific circumstances (book has a blank role, work has a non-blank non-Author primary role) makes it seem more like a bug than not.

>14 SandraArdnas: and >15 saltmanz:, yep, just needed to double check with timspalding

For developers to reproduce:
1. log into saltmanz account and go to https://www.librarything.com/work/28144317/edit/216234292
2. check the authors listed on the book, and the roles assigned (none)
3. now go to the book details page https://www.librarything.com/work/28144317/details/216234292

Bug: work-level author data (Becky Chambers's author role) is overriding book-level data (no author role). We need to make sure we're using book-level data on book pages.

I actually want to point out a small error in >16 kristilabrie:
It is actually that the primary author's (Tor.com) role on the work is overriding the primary author's (Becky Chambers) role on the book. (That is, it is not only pulling over from the work, it is pulling over the incorrect data according to all members with that work. Becky is listed as Author, Contributor, or no role; depending on which member.)

>17 IrrationalDM: Ah, my apologies! Thanks for the correction.