how to tell if a book is first edition

These lines of numbers usually follow a format such as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 where the 1 signifies that the book is a first edition. A printing is one print run of a book.

How To Tell If A Book Is A First Edition Antiques Antique Book Collection Antique Books Vintage Books

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.

. Third you can search online or on Google to see when the first edition was published. In the post I am going to cover all the things that will help you figure out whether youre Harry Potter book is a first edition as well as other signs your book could be worth more than you might think. The number line refers to the line of numbers printed on the copyright page. This book video will show you how to know if you have a first.

How Can You Tell If A Harry Potter Book Is A First Edition. Random House also defined these as first printings. Want to know a books printing number. If there is no date research the information you find.

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. Sometimes a publisher will have both the words First Edition and a number sequence. 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. Looking for a way to tell if a book is a first edition.

The number sequence would then tell you the printing. On the other hand if substantial. Jonathan Cape First published Year or First published in Great Britain Year statement on the copyright page of first editions with later printings noted. If the initial print run of this first edition sells out and the publisher decides to produce a subsequent.

I cant tell whether these people are reading a first printing or a first edition from the State Library of Victoria We frequently get e-mails 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. First you can tell if the book specifically says 1st edition. Also Book Club edition dust jackets DJ are occasionally found on first editions to replace lost or damaged jackets. However in collecting terms a very rough description of first edition would be when it is the first appearance of a work in question.

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. One of the best books written on the topic. Well the original 1959 First Edition has become quite the collectors item. Secondyou can also tell if the book is a hard cover edition.

So if you ask the printer to. When a book is sold for the first time that is called the books first edition Quite simply it is the initial printing of a book after the book proofadvance copy. Check the number line or print run. Look up the original publication date of the book to see if it matches.

A first printing is the first set of a particular version or edition of a book while the edition refers to the content and format of the book itself. Trim size is given because Book Club editions are often smaller than trade editions. If the string of numbers has a one in it and the copyright page date matches the publication date youve probably got a first printing of the first edition though you should check this. Quite simply it is the initial printing of a book after the book proofadvance copy.

In the rare books trade first printings of first editions are usually the most sought-after and the term first edition is often used to refer to the first printing of a first edition. I see many go up for sale on eBay and Amazon but the seller usually does not show the inner corner of the DJ flap where it says Book Club. Knopf Until around 1934 they sometimes stated Published Year or Month and Year on the copyright page of first editions with later printings noted. First edition copies state First Edition on the copyright page and the number sequence will be 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3.

In some more recent publications there may be a number line which in first and second printings begins or ends with a 2 eg a book with the print number line 23456789 is a first printing with the first. Book Club edition dust jackets are easily identified because they. The example of First Edition 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 would indicate a first edition third printing. All first editions from Random House AA Knopf and Pantheon carry the words first edition on the copyright page.

Additional text and misprints to look out for. Often youll find a number line such as. If a 1 is present - in any sequence - its usually a sign that the book is a first edition. A first edition book can have multiple printings if the first printing sells out.

The thing isevery 1959 hardcover version I have ever seen says Book Club Edition in the inside lower corner of the front dust cover flap. You can tell if the book is a first edition with 4 easy steps. Fourth you can tell by talking to someone who knows about book history. To check books without first edition slugs use the article Stalking the Unmarked First.

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.

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