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Contributors & Authors

Manage the authors, illustrators, editors, and other people who contribute to your books.

Viewing Contributors

Navigate to Contributors in the sidebar to see everyone in your database.

Search and Filter

  • Search - Find contributors by name
  • Role Filter - Show only Authors, Illustrators, Editors, etc.
  • Sort By - Order by name, role, email, or date
  • Page Size - Display 25, 100, 250, or all contributors

Adding a New Contributor

  1. Click the + button in the top right corner
  2. Fill in the contributor details (see fields below)
  3. Click Save

Contributor Fields

Basic Information:

FieldDescription
NameFull name of the contributor (required)
RoleTheir primary role - Author, Editor, etc. (required)
Person NameName in normal order (e.g., "John Smith")
Person Name (Inverted)Name in inverted order (e.g., "Smith, John")
Alternative NamePen name, pseudonym, or alias

Biography & Contact:

FieldDescription
BiographyBiographical information about the contributor
EmailContact email address
WebsitePersonal or professional website URL

Professional Identifiers:

FieldDescription
ISNIInternational Standard Name Identifier (16 digits)
ORCIDOpen Researcher and Contributor ID
Professional AffiliationUniversity, organisation, or company

Location & Dates:

FieldDescription
CountryCountry of residence
Region/ProvinceRegion within the country
Birth DateDate of birth
Death DateDate of death (if applicable)

Profile Image:

Upload a profile photo for the contributor, or select one from the OnixFeed image library.

Editing a Contributor

  1. Find the contributor in the list
  2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon)
  3. Update the details
  4. Click Save

Deleting a Contributor

  1. Find the contributor in the list
  2. Click the Delete button (trash icon)
  3. Confirm the deletion

Note: If a contributor is assigned to books, you may want to transfer their books first.

Transferring Books Between Contributors

If you have duplicate contributors or need to reassign books:

  1. Find the contributor whose books you want to transfer
  2. Click the Transfer button (exchange icon)
  3. Select the contributor to receive the books
  4. Confirm the transfer

All book assignments will be moved to the new contributor.

Contributor Roles

OnixFeed uses ONIX-standard contributor roles. Common roles include:

RoleUsed For
AuthorPrimary writer of the book
Co-authorJoint author
EditorEdited the work
TranslatorTranslated from another language
IllustratorCreated illustrations
PhotographerProvided photographs
Foreword byWrote the foreword
Introduction byWrote the introduction
Afterword byWrote the afterword
Cover design byDesigned the cover

Assigning Contributors to Books

Contributors are linked to books through the book's Contributors tab:

  1. Open a book for editing
  2. Go to the Contributors tab
  3. Choose one of these options:
    • Add existing contributor - Search for someone in your database
    • Create new contributor - Add someone new

For Each Book Assignment

When adding a contributor to a book, you can set:

  • Role - What they did for this specific book
  • Sequence Number - Display order (1 = primary, 2 = secondary, etc.)
  • Biography Override - A book-specific bio that replaces their default biography

Managing Book Assignments

  • Edit - Change the role, sequence, or biography for this book
  • Remove - Remove the contributor from this book (doesn't delete them from the database)

Import and Export

Importing Contributors

  1. Click Import CSV on the Contributors page
  2. Upload a CSV file with contributor data
  3. Map the columns to the correct fields
  4. Complete the import

Exporting Contributors

  1. Click Export CSV on the Contributors page
  2. A CSV file will download with all your contributors

Tips for Managing Contributors

  1. Use consistent naming - Decide on a format (e.g., "First Last" vs "Last, First") and stick with it
  2. Add identifiers - ISNI and ORCID help with accurate identification
  3. Include biographies - Good bios enhance your catalog
  4. Upload photos - Profile images make contributors more recognisable
  5. Check for duplicates - Use the transfer feature to merge duplicate entries

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OnixFeed - Book Metadata Management