Identify first edition printing

To shed a little more light, the first time a publisher releases a new book all copies of that book that are printed without major changes can be considered a first edition. If the initial print run of this first edition sells out and the publisher decides to produce a subsequent printing with the same typeset the book would be described as a first edition, second printing.

On the other hand, if substantial changes are made to the book after its first printing, perhaps the addition of a chapter or a foreword, then the book would be described as the second edition. To make matters more confusing, each time a new publisher releases an instance of the same title or a book is released in another format they may also describe their book as a first edition for instance, the Penguin Classics first edition or the first paperback edition.

You can now probably understand why there is so much debate about first editions. If there are two or more books described as a first edition, then a collector will want to know which one is superior. The confusion around first editions is illustrated by by George Orwell.

However, that UK first edition comes in a red dust jacket and also in a green dust jacket, and no-one seems to know which one was printed first. The general consensus is that the red issue is the true first but no-one has proof.

The first printing is the first batch of books printed from this first setting of type. For a small press, this might be the only printing a book gets, so all copies are first edition, first printings. In general, books before did not indicate first or subsequent printings.

The best way to determine first printings of older books is by the date usually on the title page , however the practices differed wildly between publishers in this period, so the best advice for pre books is to consult a reference guide such as the ones listed at the end of this article or simply to seek advice from an ABAA member.

Copyright page for The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Little, Brown indicating a first edition middle of the image and first printing number line at bottom. When western publishers began indicating printing numbers on the copyright page of their books in the mids, they adopted various methods. Some print the words "First Printing" on the copyright page of the true first printing, and remove the designation on subsequent printings -- but not all do this.

The unifying factor is that the lowest number indicates the printing, so. Just to make things more confusing, some publishers add a year to the printing number usually seen in best-sellers which were reprinted frequently -- several times per year , leading to lines like this:. Unless a collector is seeking to collect one copy of every book published within a certain year, we can assume there will be little interest in specific printings of the huge bestsellers likely to require this notation.

Copyright page for Allegiant by Veronica Roth Harper Collins, , which indicates the printing number on the right, and optimistically includes year notations on the left anticipating many and rapid reprints for this hotly anticipated final book in the Divergent Trilogy.

The bottom line is beware of placing blind faith in the words "First Edition. As every publisher has their own ways of doing things, the above advice serves as a general rule, but doesn't always hold. Who wouldn't be! Thankfully, there are a number of excellent books by long-time book dealers which detail how individual publishers denote first editions.

One of the best is Allen and Patricia Ahearn's Collected Books: The Guide to Values , which includes a trove of information on 19th century and 20th century publishers. Professional booksellers keep these on hand for reference, as there are simply too many publishers and too many different notations to keep straight otherwise.

Most collectors prize the first edition, first printing because it was the way the book first appeared. However, occasionally errors are caught after the first printing ships. Depending on the severity of the error one end of the scale comprising a single typo and the other whole chapters of the book being bound in the wrong order!

Publishers, like anyone else, prefer to sweep their mistakes under the carpet. If any books have been shipped to stores when this level of error is discovered, they are usually returned immediately, making surviving examples of some first states quite rare indeed! If you collect the unusual, the very rare, or the unique, then certain notorious first states may be of great interest.

For example: the first state of Franzen's The Corrections had pages and transposed. The first issue pages and transposed of his National Book Award-winner, in the first issue dust jacket, without the Oprah seal. Fine in a fine dust jacket with the slightest crimp to the crown. First Edition. Signed three times by Franzen: once on the title page, once on page with a frowny face ; once on the erratum slip laid in explaining the error with a smiley face. This copy was offered by Ken Lopez - Bookseller , but is not longer available.

Most collectors do not get over-excited about first states, but as in any human endeavor, there are purists who pursue first states with a near-religious zeal. The choice of whether first states are something you want to collect depends upon your interests, collecting goals, and budget. Whether first states are "worth it" can be a bone of contention among booksellers and collectors.

Famed book collector John Carter, in his classic guide to the terminology of the rare-book world, ABC for Book Collectors , described people who obsess over first states as "Point-Maniacs" -- beginning his page-long analysis of the uselessness of such activity thus: "These are the collectors who do not merely love POINTS but love them to excess. If you do go in for collecting first states, expect to attend a lot of book fairs and get to know a lot of dealers, as advice about, and the "secrets" of, first states are often kept close to the chest.

In a market where anyone on eBay can pose as a book dealer, some antiquarian booksellers prefer to share their knowledge with serious collectors in person. Which is why we at the ABAA encourage you to get to know our members. Call a store to talk about a book you are interested in. Ask questions; request pictures. Go to book fairs and get to know antiquarian booksellers. Many presses kept no records of their practices, while others varied so often that it's hard to list hard and fast "rules.

In general, though, many books published prior to the s went by the widespread practice of publishing the date on the title page as well as on the copyright page. More recently, most publishers have adopted a numbering system where there are two sequences of numbers, one set indicating date and the other indicating edition. The lowest number is the one that matters. But look at new books carefully.