Jan 17, 2016 remember that different publishers have their own criteria. As weve mentioned elsewhere, first edition means the first printing of a book. Modern bestsellers, obscure novels, out of print books, classic literature from the victorian age. This book lists the points of issue, the fine details a typo, binding color, dustjacket detail that may distinguish the first books printed in a first edition from later ones. Using a tactic heavily dependent on the power of suggestion, burt was able to essentially sell the dictionary as a companion book to various manuals and reference books, and was. How to tell which printing a book is from broken secrets. Includes identificaton criteria and points of issue to help collectors identify the original book. First, be aware that sometimes people mean one thing when they say first edition as in, the valuable copy of a book, but what they really mean is first printing. Sometimes publishers include the words first edition next to the number line, even if the book was on its third printing, according abe books website.
Helen younger, a specialist in collectible childrens books and illustrations, discusses points of the first edition of ludwig bemelmans madeline and how it has fared in the rare book market. Are the books on your shelves or in your grandparents attic worth something. Nov 08, 2012 so if a book has had more than one printing, how can you tell which one you have and therefore whether or not your edition is a true first. Nook 1st edition frequently asked questions, faqs barnes. For a small press, this might be the only printing a book gets, so all copies are first edition, first printings. Redownload amazon kindle ebooks to different devices. How to identify first editions book collecting guide. Its core members were kenny rogers lead vocals and bass guitar, mickey jones drums and percussion and terry williams guitar and vocals. A general definition for a first edition is the first time that a written work appears in a. Occasionally a number line will be accompanied by a date line. How to tell if i have a first edition copy of a book. May have occasionally stated first edition, but in general, the absence of a later printing statement indicates a first edition. This can be really easy sometimes or really complicated sometimes. Are these two separate variations and, if so, which is considered rar.
However things are often not so easy and a book can clearly state first edition or first printed without mention of another edition or date and still be a reprint. The beginners guide to identifying first editions book riot. A number 3 would indicate this first edition 3 4 5 6 7 8. The first edition continues until the book is changed. For some blockbuster titles, this can be as many as 50,000 copies or more. Abebooks offers an immense collection of first edition books for sale, including some of the most famous books ever published. Trim size is given because book club editions are often smaller than trade editions. It is only a first if you dont find indications of additional printings. I cant tell whether these people are reading a first printing or a first edition from the state library of victoria. The power of positive thinking 1st first edition text only dr. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Collecting madeline the new antiquarian the blog of the. This is a broad term that gets misused all the time.
But a first edition, first state is more desired and valuable among collectors, as a first edition usually is closest to the most original source. For the second printing, the 1 is removed, so the 2 is the lowest number present. How to identify first editions or a first printing of a book. The psychology and body language of poker caro, mike on. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. Antique traders first edition guide what is a first edition. Its way beyond my expertise to go into all of the variations and possibilities, but here are some pointers. First printing, first impression, and first published are other ways of publishers stating the first edition. All orders shipped to destinations within the united states will ship free of charge per standard usps mail.
Collectors use the term first edition as a short form of first printing of the first edition and that is how we will be using this term. Any printing that is of the original edition is first edition. A first printing in collectors terms means the first printing of the first edition, so that when you see those words your research may well be over. Publishers, bibliographers, researchers and librarians use the term first edition to mean a book reprinted without changes. Generally speaking, if the 1 is present, the book is a first edition first edition, first printing. Find a first edition of your favorite book to add to your own collection or as a gift for the bibliophile in your life.
A free ecopy of the eight edition of abc for book collectors is made available for download. Identifying first editions the new antiquarian the blog. The power of positive thinking 1st first edition text only. To check books without first edition slugs, use the article stalking the unmarked first. Paul helps a reader identify a first edition book to enable her to be sure she has struck gold. Pictures of the true first edition of harry potter and the sorcerers stone u.
A guide to first editions by glenn larsen white unicorn books. Different publishing companies use different methods to note the first edition status of a book. If a book is printed in the same format as it was originally, than it is a first edition first state. We frequently get emails from people asking about first printings and first editions of books, and sometimes there seems to be some confusion about whether or not theyre the same.
If its from a small press, which often run one printing of their books, youre sometimes safe assuming what you have is a first edition unless otherwise. The definition of a first edition depends on who you are talking to. How to identify a first edition book justcollecting. Nov 17, 2006 to determine a book s provenancem you may have to be a bit of a deytective. Paul, i think i may have a first edition copy of the original harry potter and the philosophers stone hardback, but all the numbers are confusing and i m not sure ifits the real thing. First edition copies state first edition on the page and the number sequence will be 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3. The book on the bottom of this picture is the first state boards for the firm. How can i tell if a book is a first modern library edition. After 1985, began using a first edition statement and number row. New collectors and hobbyists are regularly asking themselves how do you tell a first edition book. Pictures of the true first edition of outlander by diana gabaldon. That bold declaration cant always be taken as authoritative, though.
Oxford university press until the late 1980s, there was no first edition statement, however, later printings were noted. Burts first venture into the publishing world was his sale of a small edition of the national standard dictionary while working as a travelling salesman. The first printing is the first batch of books printed from this first setting of type. Publishers often reprinted using the same plates as the first, sometimes for years afterwards. Book club editions can usually be identified as such by one of a few telltale signs. For example, a number line that reads 5 6 7 8 9 indicates a fifth printing. All following statements 1976, 1981, and 1988 are essentially the same.
Also, book club edition dust jackets dj are occasionally found on first editions to replace lost or damaged jackets. Before anything else you should check to see if the book has first edition, first printing written inside the cover. Be careful to avoid damaging the book when confirming the presence of the 8 in y38. How to tell if a book is a first edition or valuable book riot. Browse our collection of first edition, first printing rare books.
The power of positive thinking 1st first edition text. Not every book has points of issue, but for many literary works which do, these differences can make a vast difference in value. Obviously, a copy of tom sawyer dated 1922, could not be a first edition, but the page before the title page should give you useful information such as library of congress number and year of publications. Information on publishers and first edition identification. Prior to the 1970s, may have used a first edition statement with the exception of books produced outside the united states. 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. The vast majority of first editions published before 1900 had the year of publication on the title page this is true for fiction and nonfiction titles. But for older books, or books originally published by small imprints, the first run may have been as few as 100 copies.
Make sure that a book that does have a first edition slug hasnt carried the slug forward beyond the first printing by checking the table presented in the article false firsts. The words first edition and first printing are often used more or less interchangeably in the book world, though really they shouldnt be. That changed with the printing press, making duplication of books faster and cheaper, which made books more accessible to common people. The first edition refers to a book s first printing run.
The book club edition also states first edition and has a full number line. The bibliographical definition of an edition includes all copies of a book printed from. On the far right side are action buttons for each publication. The book, the first in the sevenpart series of harry potter books, was kept in pristine condition by a private uk collector. Heres how to tell if what youre reading is a first edition or not. Luckily, there are other ways of telling if your book is a first edition. Besides sending a chill up the readers spine, the book provides. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Book club editions book club editions are a source of great confusion to many and are regularly missold as first editions, usually out of ignorance but occasionally not. More scary stories to tell in the dark, 1st, first edition. The abaa glossary is a master of understatement when it says every printed book has a first edition, many never have later editions.
Frequently there will be a list of previous printings. Aug 14, 20 im not familiar with this particular comic magazine. A general rule is that if the number 1 is listed, the book is a first edition. If there are two or more books described as a first edition, then a collector will want to know which one is superior. For example, lets say a book was originally published in 1922 for the first time, in a particular format. Some publishing companies do not use any markings or identifiers at all.
Since the number line method wasnt widely used until the 1980s, you may well find books older without one. 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. For collectors of uk first editions this is less of a problem than it is for collectors of american editions. How to tell if you have a first edition copy of a book. Exmembers of the new christy minstrels with the exception of the drummer, mickey jones run the fun gamut on the first edition, and had they disappeared after this effort it would have been a huge collectors item. In the case of titles published before 1900, the key to first edition identification is often the date on the title page. When the first edition of a book has a few typos or other small errors called points of issue, a second state of a first edition may be printed to correct these. The majority of booksellers and collectors want the true first edition the edition of the book that supersedes all other editions chronologically and sometimes detective work is required to identify the true first. Find out how to tell if a book is a first edition with this handy. Very few people who attempt to have a childrens book published actually succeed in either getting it published or if published, having it sell well. Expert tips to help you identify and collect first editions. Verify the book s date using barry neavills dating key.
Sep 24, 2010 how to tell which printing a book is from. A new version of the book is then typeset, which becomes the second edition. It is compact because of space limitations, and dealers of any size should consider one of the two books in the reference book section. Presumably in the 1970s began using a first edition statement and number row. Lately, first edition has become widely accepted tto mean first edition, first printing when buying or selling books although, technically speaking, it shouldnt be. The presence of a date on the title page alone may identify books published prior to the mid1800s as first editions. Occasionally, they accidentally left the first edition statement on later printings.
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support. In 1964, began stating first edition, along with later printings being noted. First edition criteria and points to identify outlander by. Re download amazon kindle ebooks to different devices. Edition and printing can be used fairly interchangeably in talking about collectible books, especially in regard to modern fiction. If the word first edition is on the page with a number line, that number line must be complete. We venture to say that no other piece of terminology has caused so much contention among booksellers and collectors as that of first edition. Scary stories to tell in the dark this spooky book is first in the series of shwartzs. In most any hardcover modern work of fiction, the dust jacket has a price in the. A true story of murder, family secrets, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood kindle edition.
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