Google Books

Because Google's web search draws on it, a wrong record here is visible to readers and librarians and gets cited in other databases, and an old edition or an advance file left previewable is the version people will read. Corrections go to whoever holds the partner account for the title rather than to the search result: traditionally and hybrid published authors normally ask the publisher or its distributor, once they have established which of the two holds it. If you publish the book yourself, you may hold the account, in which case the fix is yours to make. Search every edition by ISBN, check the core facts, and make sure any preview shows the current file.

Google Books is Google's searchable index of book content and bibliographic records. For each book it can show a record (title, authors, publisher, date, ISBN, page count, description) and, depending on rights, a preview of some pages, a full view, or no view at all. Book records and previews come from two main sources: publishers and authors who supply files and metadata through the Partner Program, and Google's own Library Project, which scans books from partner libraries.

Because Google's web search draws on it, a Google Books record is often the first thing a reader or librarian sees when they search a title, and its About this book page is frequently cited in other databases.

The book's identity in Google search results and the Google Books catalog: which editions exist, whether a preview appears, what the description says, and which ISBNs are linked. It does not sell print books; ebook sales through Google Play are a separate function of the same partner account.

Audit every edition. Search by each ISBN and confirm the title, subtitle, author name, publisher, publication date, and page count. Check whether a preview exists and whether it is the current edition; a preview from an old edition or an advance file can linger.

Corrections go upstream to whoever controls the title in the Partner Center. If the book has a publisher, that is the publisher or its distributor. If you self-published through a platform, it may be the platform. Google's help pages provide a form for reporting problems with a record, and a route for an owner to claim a book that appears without a partner, but the fastest fix is usually the account holder updating the metadata.

1. Go to books.google.com (opens in a new tab) and search each ISBN in turn, then search the title with your name.
2. Open each result and compare the About this book details with your identity sheet.
3. Note whether a preview is available, which edition it comes from, and whether it is the version you want public.
4. Log errors, identify the Partner Center account holder, and send corrections there.

Google Books is not Google Play Books. Google Books is the search and preview index; Google Play is the store that sells ebooks and audiobooks. The Partner Center serves both. A Google Books record is not a library catalog record, and it is not a signal that the book is available anywhere in particular.