Historical Fiction Online

[quote=""SGM""]And Kindle editioning adds an extra layer of silly too. I wish they were obliged to give the publication date of the original real book they have made the digital version from to assist you in figuring out if it is something you have already read (or worse bought). Even better would be if they were obliged to use the original ISBN with an "e" at the end. But I suspect they will continue to do this until the law catches up with them.[/quote]

I had an older OOP book, two editions HB and PB. I asked them to combine them as each edition had a review from two different reviewers. They wrote back that they couldn't do it as the individual sellers must have specially listed them separate. Or some such nonsensical canned reply.

Now it gets even trickier as the rights have reverted to authors for a lot of the MMPBs from Zebra, Leisure, etc. from the 90s and 2000s and authors are getting them out on kindle. Some times the new versions are combined with the older, and some times they're not. Sometimes the authors are using a different name to further complicate the hunt.

[quote=""Misfit""]The publishers don't do themselves any favors by swapping names like this. It just irritates readers when they find they've bought the same book over again. In the case of the Brandy/Emily Purdy book, Amazon UK was at one time promoting purchase of the two together. I believe they've stopped that, but to encourage you to put both in your basket was beyond the pale.

Bec, Goodreads is generally a good place to check something like that out. There are plenty of volunteer librarians with the power to combine books like these. Trying to get Amazon to combine them is darn near impossible.[/quote]

It is annoying and I have no clue why they would want to irritate their customers. I am lucky in that Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk interests me, but someone who is not 'into' the Howards (of Tudor times) may not know they are the same, even if the title says so. I tried to join Goodreads but am not good on the puter tech thingy's. I'll give it another go .Thanks Misfit.

Bec

It happens with titles, too. I can get quite excited when I think an author has written a new book, only to find out it's one they've already written but under a different title. Very aggravating.

[quote=""rebecca""]Take Ruth Downie / R. S. Downie, for example.
Her latest book is called "Caveat Emptor" by Ruth Downie in North America, but "Ruso and the River of Darkness" by R.S. Downie in the UK. Pretty confusing, huh?

Yes they've also done it with one of Carol Goodman's books - last year's Incubus is now called Demon Lover, by Juliet Dark.

'Darcy'....'Bogdan'

In some cases it can be confusing but in others it is downright misleading. I don't know why publishers would do this, in that I am sure many readers would be downright ticked off if they discover they have bought the same book twice! Thanks everyone for clearing it up.

Bec [/quote]

I bought one of the Downie books through amazon UK, not realizing!!!