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Why is the first edition of a book so important?
What is a first edition book?
What is a true first edition?
What does first edition mean on a copyright page?
Nov 15, 2023 · There are four major criteria your book must meet, be it a hardcover or a paperback, to be considered a true first edition. You can check whether “first edition” is mentioned on the copyright page, but you also need to check it for the correct publisher, date, edition number, and print run number.
- Number Lines
- First Edition Stated
- Other Things to Look For
- First editions and First States
Typically, you will want to start with the copyright page as a first glance into a book’s lineage. That page is usually on the verso of the title page. Publishers will often use one of a few methods for showing where that copy falls in the printing history of that book. A number line might show the printing and sometimes the year of publication. Th...
Sometimes the word “First Edition” will helpfully be printed on that page, often described as “First edition stated” by booksellers. “First printing”, “First Impression”, and “First Published”are other ways of publishers stating the first edition. That bold declaration can’t always be taken as authoritative, though. If the word First Edition is on ...
The printing history page is the first thing to check, but not the last. In some cases the printing history may show everything that you could hope for, but other parts of the book contradict that story. Reprint houses (EG: Sundial Press, Triangle Books, Grossett and Dunlap) would sometimes purchase the original printing plates from the original pu...
Once you have some level of confidence that your book is a first edition, you may be faced with a question of state. Some books went through some subtle but significant metamorphoses mid-print run. As the first printing/first edition was being printed, some change would occasionally be introduced. Sometimes this was a matter of catching a typo or m...
Nov 11, 2023 · A first edition is the very first publication of a book, often more valuable due to its rarity and significance. Learn how to tell a first edition by looking for copyright dates, number lines, printing runs, and other clues in antique and modern books.
- Look for the words “First Edition” printed on the copyright page. Open your book and locate the copyright information usually found on the back of the title page.
- Check for “1” listed in the line of print run numbers. Look on the copyright page for a string of ascending or descending numbers where 10 is the highest and 1 is the lowest, such as “1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10” or “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.”
- Confirm that the copyright date matches the publication date. Check the title page to see if the publication date is listed at the bottom and find out how old the book is.
- Search for typos and misprints edited out of future editions. Many publishers will fix typos or make changes to a book in between editions, so older copies may have more mistakes.
Aug 1, 2022 · If a 1 is present - in any sequence - it's usually a sign that the book is a first edition. If a book reads something like 3 5 7 9 8 6 4, then your book is not part of the first printing (the example above indicates a third printing cycle).
- Pan Macmillan
Oct 3, 2019 · For publishers, “first edition” may just mean the first version of the text, without significant revisions. Many publishers will print the hardcover edition of a book and call that a first edition, then print the same text in paperback and call it a first edition as well.
Oct 15, 2018 · When a book is published for the first time by anybody, anywhere, it is considered a first edition. However, there are several different types of first edition books, and the difference is essential in the book collecting world.
