Read this before adding or editing anything in the database.
This is the official reference for adding and editing books in Kaguya’s database. The source of truth for what’s allowed and how everything should be entered. It covers which works are included, how to write descriptions, who gets credited as an author, series guidelines, cover requirements, and canonical page counts.
Clean, consistent data means a better experience for everyone.
What Counts as a Work
Kaguya lists standalone, published books—complete works written to be read, designed to be read as a single experience.
Each entry should represent an individual book, not a format, edition, translation, sampler, or bundle.
Include works that are:
- Full-length books, fiction or nonfiction
- Novels, novellas, memoirs, essay collections, nonfiction
- Manga, graphic novels, manhwa, webtoons, comics
- Should be officially published, not self-posted or unpublished drafts
- Books with at least 10 ratings on Goodreads
Example:
✅ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
✅ One Piece, Vol. 1
✅ Persepolis
Do not include:
These things do not get separate Kaguya entries.
- Translations (use the canonical work entry)
- Deluxe, illustrated, annotated, or special editions without major new story content
- Box sets, omnibuses, bundled volumes (collections of existing works)
- Split works or partial volumes
- Samplers, previews, excerpts
- Art books or picture-only showcase books (unless they have a real narrative/essay)
- Coloring books, cookbooks
- Textbooks, technical, reference books
- Unpublished fanfiction
Example:
❌ 1Q84, Part 2 (should be logged under 1Q84)
❌ Harry Potter Box Set (Books 1–7)
❌ “Special Illustrated 10th Anniversary Edition” (log under the original work unless it adds substantial new written content)
A valid book is one you read for meaning, not you just use to do something (manuals, textbooks).
Description
Every book on Kaguya needs a clear, spoiler-free description that helps readers understand what the book is about. It’s there to give users a quick sense of the story, tone, and premise.
Basics
- Language: English (use original language only if no English translation exists).
- Length: 100–500 words (200–300 is ideal).
- Focus on the work itself: story, subject, main ideas. No edition/format/packaging details. No author bio or other books.
- Tone: Neutral, reader‑first. Write like you're helping someone decide if this book is for them.
- Source material: You can start from a publisher blurb, but rewrite it in your own words and strip all hype.
Avoid
- Marketing or praise: “critically acclaimed,” “bestselling,” “masterpiece,” etc.
- Empty hype: “a thrilling journey,” “a heartbreaking tale,” “a dazzling debut,” etc.
- Spoilers, twist reveals, or endings.
Example
In a parallel Tokyo in 1984, Aomame and Tengo live separate lives that slowly begin to echo one another — pulled into a strange alternate reality shaped by mysterious forces and quiet danger. As the lines between fiction and truth blur, they each search for meaning, memory, and connection in a world that’s not quite what it seems.
Author
List only the people who made a direct, substantial contribution to the book’s actual content.
- For prose: credit the primary writer(s).
- For manga, graphic novels, and other visual narrative works: credit the creator(s) responsible for the core writing and/or full storytelling art (writer + primary artist, if both are credited).
Only credit people who helped create the work itself.
Do not credit someone as an author if:
- They just wrote a foreword, introduction, or afterword
- Their name appears for marketing purposes
- They created cover art only
Examples:
- J.K. Rowling should not be listed as the author of a Harry Potter cookbook unless she actually wrote the recipes.
- If Rebecca Yarros writes just the foreword for someone else’s novel, she isn’t an author - she didn’t help create the book itself.
Rule of thumb: If the person didn’t help write or shape the core of the work, don’t list them.
Image
Every book on Kaguya should have a clear, high-quality cover.
- Images must be at least 600 × 900 pixels to be submitted.
- Covers are automatically cropped to a 1:1.5 aspect ratio, so make sure the content fits well within that frame.
Page Count
Each book gets one canonical page count. We don’t track multiple editions, so pick the number most readers will see. We use it for progress, comparing lengths, and calculating stats (like pages read).
Use the page count from the main paperback on Goodreads/Amazon. If there’s no paperback, use the main hardcover. Ignore special, abridged, or deluxe editions. It doesn’t need to be exact. Just make sure it reflects the typical reading experience.