Some serious collectors will stop at nothing to track down the most rare and valuable first editions of classic, renowned works. Valuable comics are typically older, dating from the 1970s or before, and the quality of the printing was often inconsistent. This can usually be determined by rudimentary checks though specialised bibliographies may need to be. Print runs are a way for collectors to identify which first edition is truly the earliest version of the book to exist in.
Compare your book to the details of each book listed, comparing the publisher, year published, edition, condition, and any physical description of the book. General guidelines for identifying a first edition number lines. The bibliographical definition of an edition includes all copies of a book printed from substantially the same setting of type, including all minor typographical variants the numbering of book editions is a special case of the wider field of revision control. How to identify a first printing or first edition this is for private use only. Additionally, there are millions of book club editions in print. It is a motion picture edition published december, 1939. We show you what to look for so you can determine if you have a true first edition or a book club edition. How to tell which printing a book is from broken secrets. Check the year the book was ed versus when it was published. Publishers usually list the printing date on the inside cover.
As more runs are printed, the lowest number in the line will determine. In books printed after 1968, look at the number line for the actual printing history. If it is the second printing then the 1 is removed, meaning that the lowest number seen will be 2. This little book lists most publishers and uses a simplified code system based on the authors experience handling actual first editions.
The publisher may actually state the words first edition or first printing on the page. How to identify first editions or a first printing of a book. This is how the printers key will appear in the first print run of a book. To determine when a book was printed, you need to look inside the book and do some research. When a nonfiction book is first published it sometimes instigates more research on its subject. Jan 22, 2020 use the number line to determine the printing.
The most surefire way to determine the printing history of an oz book is to use the book collectors guide to l. The print run system was introduced around the time of wwii, so any books published prior to the 1940s wont have these hintsyoull have to do even more research to determine their edition based on publishers and their individual practices many of which have now gone out of business or been absorbed by bigger houses, or consult a rare. Apr 04, 2019 a first edition, first printing that is signed by the author is a book collectors dream and may be worth a significant amount, depending on its rarity. Most publishers list the number of the printing in an ambiguous format on the publishers page near the front of the book. Gone with the wind first edition points and identification. Each new edition gets a new print line and starts out at the first printing. Book libris provides some additional suggested resources for how to determine first edition status travelin librarian a guide to editions and printings one other thing to note. Easily publish textbooks, course materials, and research.
It is common for authors to provide lists of errata in the book that are organized by the printing. If that first group sells out then another batch of books is printed. Any edition can appear in multiple printings, and each printing includes all of the copies produced from the same plates or setting of type at a given time for example, an edition may include. Publishers each have their own way of identifying the first edition or more correctly first printing of any book they produce. You can have a large print run or a small print runits completely up to the publisher, and generally speaking the size of a. Sell your work on or buy the books you need immediately. Abebooks explains how to identify a first edition book youtube. The printers key, also known as the number line, is a line of text printed on the page. There are thousands of publishers and they use a large variety of methods, which are often changed, to define first editions.
If there is a 1 still present in the number line, it is the first print of the book from the publisher. Open up the book and look through the first few pages, paying special attention to the lefthand side of the book. Covering everything from how to determine printing costs and calculate royalties to the most uptodate marketing strategies, the fine print of selfpublishing has become the goto book for authors considering selfpublishing. When a book is sold for the first time, that is called the book s first edition. How do i determine if a marvel comic is a first print. If, however, the pages are substantially modified, or the book is reformatted, such as for printing in paperback, then the printings in this new format will be a new edition. How to identify first editions or a first printing of. In publishing terms, an edition is technically all copies of a book that were printed from the same setting of type and the book is only described as a second edition if substantial changes are made to the copy.
Book club editions book of the month clubs often use the same printing plates as the original publisher, right down to the words first edition on the printing history. Sometimes the number line is also accompanied by the words first edition, but be careful because some publishers leave on the words first edition even when the book is in its third printing. That changed with the printing press, making duplication of books faster and cheaper, which made books more accessible to common people. Not all first editions say the words first edition on the title page. The one on the left has an blue tinted photo of ernest hemingway, and the one on the right has an olive tinted photo. In golden books dates to not help to determine edition. So if you ask the printer to print 10,000 copies of a book and then you sell them all and go back and ask for another 7,500 copies, the first 10,000 copies was the first printing. Vj books use of 1st edition in a book s description denotes a first edition first printing of the book being described. Picture of the first edition charles scribners sons boards for the old man and the sea. Sep 08, 2008 i have a complete and unabridged gone with the wind by margaret mitchell. That means that there are literally millions of copies of the book that can technically be referred to as first editions. If your copy is a 3rd printing, or a book club edition, it wont have the same value as a first edition. How to tell if you have a first edition copy of a book. It won the pulitzer prize for fiction the next year.
The images above are from one of my favorite books, the book of awesome. Picture of the 1998 first edition dust jacket for harry potter and the sorcerers stone u. Condition is very important and will greatly influence value. But they lack the embossed diamond pattern on the book boards. The string of numbers can be descending, as it is here, ascending, or in totally random order. From everything you said above, i believe it is an original first edition motion picture edition. The most notorious are know as book club editions, which mislead many people into believing that they have a valuable first edition book when in fact they have a very common book club edition. Subsequent printings would be, for example, a 2nd printing but not a first edition. The first edition consists of all the copies printed from the first setting of type. The beginners guide to identifying first editions book riot.
A primer on contracts, printing costs, royalties, distribution, ebooks, and marketing sixth edition by mark levine is a must read for anyone thinking of selfpublishing a book, or who has already published and wants to consider other options. Best guess, if it doesnt say specifically that its a. This can usually be determined by rudimentary checks though specialised bibliographies may need to be consulted book club editions. Fiction and nonfiction writers alike can create, print, and sell their books through all major retail channels. Books go through multiple printings over the years, and a first edition is going to bring you more money than a newer printing. A hardcover book published in 1958 by viking isnt the same as a reprint published by penguin in 1963. First edition points to identify the old man and the sea. Some important indicators are the content changes that occurred as potter refined the book during the first year it was commercially available. How to determine when a book was printed pen and the pad. The traditional conventions for numbering book editions evolved spontaneously for several centuries before any greater applied. Pocket guide to the identification of first editions sixth edition bill mcbride. There are genuine issue points on some jackets that determine the printing of the book but the biggest potential problem is when later state wrappers find their way onto first edition books. A first edition is the first time a book is printed by a publisher.
A first edition, first printing that is signed by the author is a book collectors dream and may be worth a significant amount, depending on its rarity. Indie authors can decide for themselves when the time is right to do a second, third, or. Sometimes, theyre in left to right order from 1 to 10. Jul 05, 2017 the phrase now in its second edition would sound pretty great next to your nonfiction book title, wouldnt it. If a book is a first edition it will carry the notice first publishedfirst published in great britian 19if it is a reprint or a second or subsequent edition the original notice will be followed by reprinted 19 or second edition 19 as appropriate. Vj books use of 1st edition in a books description denotes a first editionfirst printing of the book being described. Older books are generally worth more money, but before you can determine the books value you first need to determine when it was published. How to tell if a book is a first edition or valuable.
In the first three printings of the trade edition the text on page 51 reads wept big tears. First printing, first impression, and first published are other ways of publishers stating the first edition. Later printings when offered will always be disclosed. So even if you have the first printing of a book, you may have the first printing of the second edition. How to know if a comic book is a reprint our pastimes. Oct 03, 2019 print runs are a way for collectors to identify which first edition is truly the earliest version of the book to exist in the world. As a result, people erroneously assume that the book is a first edition because only one date is given. The first edition of gone with the wind has been reprinted over 100 times since it was first published. Potter changed the wording to shed big tears for the fourth printing of april 1903. To identify what printing you have, look for the lowest number in the string.
The phrase now in its second edition would sound pretty great next to your nonfiction book title, wouldnt it. In this example, the lowest number is 1, so i have a first edition, first printing. The number line near the bottom of the page doesnt necessarily determine the edition, but it tells you how many times the book has been printed. They put the numbers 1 through 10 on their own line near the bottom of the page.
Print runs are a way for collectors to identify which first edition is truly the earliest version of the book to exist in the world. When a particular book is printed for the first time by a particular publisher, thats the first printing, or impression. A new iteration of the book would be published as a new edition, which may be denominated a revised and updated edition. The first commercial print run of a novel is called the first printing of the first edition. You can find detailed help on identifying book club editions here.
How to identify first editions or a first printing of harry. How to identify a first printing or first edition this is for private use only last update 7. May 31, 2016 if, however, the pages are substantially modified, or the book is reformatted, such as for printing in paperback, then the printings in this new format will be a new edition. Book collectors tend to define first edition as the first printing of the first edition. As you can see, this book has been extremely successful its in its 12th printing. First editions of peter rabbit from the cataloguers desk.
If you find that the date on a book s page matches the date on. How to tell the edition of a book checking the copyright page look for text that states the edition of the book. The new batch will now will be labeled second printing of the first edition. Bauman rare books first editions, signed and inscribed rare. The international standard book number isbn is a digit number that uniquely identifies books and booklike products published internationally. Typically, you will want to start with the page as a first glance. The author may determine that new information justifies the revision of the book. Remember that even if the lowest number is 2, 3, or whatever, if the publisher is still. Having an isbn barcode on the back of your book that includes the book price allows bookstores to scan your book directly into their point of sale. If it is the second printing then the 1 is removed, meaning that the lowest number seen will be. When a book is sold for the first time, that is called the books first edition. The first edition continues until the book is changed. Quite simply, it is the initial printing of a book after the book proofadvance copy. Note, though, that it may not be designated as a second edition or third or fourth, and instead may be called a first paperback edition, first us edition or penguin.
Expert tips to help you identify and collect first editions. Nov 08, 2012 the string of numbers can be descending, as it is here, ascending, or in totally random order. How to determine the value of rare books chicago tribune. Edition and printing can be used fairly interchangeably in talking about collectible books, especially in regard to modern fiction. First edition points to identify the old man and the sea by. Reprinted january, february, 1940 with a dust jacket.
The first printing is also what book collectors call a first edition. In publishing terms, an edition is technically all copies of a book that were printed from the same setting. It went on to at least 100 more printings and is one of the bestsellers of all time. For technical books, readers typically prefer the most uptodate version of the book. Best guess, if it doesnt say specifically that its a second printing, it is probably a first printing. Picture of the first edition page for harry potter and the sorcerers stone u. Bauman rare books first editions, signed and inscribed. If you have the 5th printing of the book, then you can assume that the errata corrected in the 2nd through 5th printings have been corrected in your copy of. As such, mintcondition comic books from the early to mid20th century are very rare. A first edition signed by the author will have even. Sometimes the word first edition will helpfully be printed on that page. Numbers are removed with subsequent printings, so if 1 is seen then the book is the first printing of that edition. Number lines have been commonly used in the postworld war ii era.
It also depends on how many were printed, what condition its in, and so on. A book club edition is far less valuable than the true first u. A more recent example would be the us 1st hardcover edition of salems lot which went through three dust jackets before the second printing of the book. Print runs are the set number of copies of the book printed at one time. How to identify first editions book collecting guide. Editions and printings, how to tell the difference. The first edition of gone with the wind by margaret mitchell was published in 1936 by the macmillan company in new york. Traditional publishers might suggest a second edition if the first one sells well or if the content changes regularly. Printers key news newspapers books scholar jstor march 2020 learn how and when to remove this template message.
Book editions, or book printings, follow the standard conventions used by various publishing houses. But determining whether or not a modern book published in the 19th or 20th century post the invention of the printing press is in fact a true first edition book, in its most original form, can be a confusing and timeconsuming process. The first edition of a book can be worth money, if its in demand i. Identifying and collecting first editions shop for books. But determining whether or not a modern book published in the 19th or 20th century post the invention of the printing press is in fact a true first. The hardcover of the winners curse was the first edition, which started with a first printing. Since paper and ink deteriorate over time, a comic book that still looks brand new and claims to be a first edition is. A beatenup old book that is falling apart will have little value. With the harry potter books, the first edition of harry potter and the philosophers stone is worth much more than first editions of the later books. Why do books copyright pages have 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. The oldest books have printings listed in front such as.
How to tell if a book is a first edition or valuable book riot. As weve mentioned elsewhere, first edition means the first printing of a book. Now in its sixth edition, the fine print delves into more topics than ever before, including a comparison of the quality of finished books produced by popular diy. All following statements 1976, 1981, and 1988 are essentially the same. Technically the phrase first edition consists of the first printing plus any additional printings of the same first edition. First editions are soughtafter by book collectors and a first edition is usually more valuable than a later printing.
Abebooks explains how to identify a first edition book. To a collector, books that state first edition on their copyright page but have. Sep 24, 2010 generally, the edition doesnt change unless the content in the book or the publisher changes. Oct 17, 2011 sometimes the number line is also accompanied by the words first edition, but be careful because some publishers leave on the words first edition even when the book is in its third printing.
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