How we verify
A date is published only with its tier, its sources, and the time it was last checked. Here is the process.
Verification gates
- Every title is checked against at least five kinds of source: the publisher's catalog, three or more retailers, an ISBN database, the author's own site and social posts, and reader sites at low trust.
- A placeholder filter stops fake dates: 31 December or 1 January, Untitled or TBA, no ISBN, no cover, or more than 18 months away. These entries show as Placeholder.
- Two independent sources that agree earn Listed. A publisher or author statement earns Confirmed. When sources disagree, the page says so instead of choosing.
- A companion, novella, graphic novel, or special edition is never mixed up with the next numbered book. The biggest series get a human check.
- The biggest series need a human sign-off before any date change goes live. All other pages publish with their tier visible.
- Every future date is re-checked nightly. A change is logged, shown on the page, and sent to subscribers.
- On the day, a retailer showing the book in stock marks it Released. If not, the page is flagged for a look.
- A public corrections log and an error-report form keep the record open. A set of known dates is re-checked weekly, so a broken source is caught first.
The tiers
Five tiers plus Pending for an edition not yet checked. Each tier uses a color, a mark, and a word, so it reads on every screen and for every reader.
- ConfirmedThe publisher or author stated the date, and at least two retailers agree.
- ListedTwo or more independent sources agree. No publisher or author statement yet.
- AnnouncedThe author or publisher has named a window, such as spring 2027, but not a day.
- PlaceholderA retailer holds a slot with a dummy date, usually 31 December, or an Untitled entry. Shown as a placeholder, never as a date.
- No dateNothing announced. The reader gets a predicted window and a one-tap alert, not a guess.