A first printing is the first run of when a first edition of a book is published. While second and third printings are technically first editions as long as edits arenât made, the first printing is considered the collectible first edition that collectors are looking for.
How does one identify a first edition? Each publisher has its own way of identifying first editions of its publications, and even those are not always consistent, especially when taken over a span of years or decades. Many state âFirst Edition,â usually on the copyright page, which is generally the back of the title page.
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).
For publishers, âfirst editionâ 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.
Call-Outs Call-out terms like âBest Selling ,â âAward-Winning,â or âNow a Major Motion Pictureâ are all clear indicators that a book is not the first edition. After all, itâs been out long enough to top the charts, racking up awards, and be adapted into a movie.
In the simplest terms, a first edition is the first commercially distributed version of a book. For the purposes of modern collectible books, first edition is shorthand for the first printing of the first edition of a work. There isnât any one profile of the collector.
How to Find First Edition Books: Getting Started. First things first: definitions and identification. A first edition is the very first cover, design, format, etc., that a book is published with. A first printing is the very first round of books printed.
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what is a first edition book
