Editions and Printings, How To Tell The Difference

Editions and Printings, How to Tell the Difference: a guide for book co... https://www.travelinlibrarian.
info/writing/editions/
Editions and Printings, How to Tell the

Difference:
a guide for book collectors
by Michael Sauers
1 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
Editions and Printings, How to Tell the Difference: a guide for book co... https://www.travelinlibrarian.info/writing/editions/
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definitions
3. Some words about hardcovers
4. Some words about paperbacks
5. What is an edition? What is a printing?
6. Bringing those definitions up to date.
7. How do I tell one printing from another?
8. How do I tell one edition from another?
9. What is a "First"?
10. When is a "First" a "first"?
11. Can there be more than one "First"?
12. What is a "True First"?
13. Is it a limited edition?
14. What about "galleys", "proofs", "advance reader copies", and "presentation copies"?
15. Then then came the BCE...
16. What is a "state"?
17. Any other variations to consider?
18. Further reading and resources
2 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
1. Introduction
I have been collecting "modern firsts" (there's a confusing term already but I'll get to that
later) for over 15 years now (including as a bookseller and as a librarian) and have come to
think of my self as, not realy an expert, but one with a good eye for telling the difference
between editions and printings.
With my more recent experiences with online auctions (eBay, Amazon.com, Yahoo, and
their like) I find that many others are not very clear on just what "edition" means, how to tell
a first, why a first is significant, and the difference between an "edition" and a "printing".
Through textual explaination and many visual examples this document is designed to be a
primer for the budding book collector and one looking to take their collecting to the next level
(usually involving moving you budget for a single book from two-digit dollar amounts, to
three- or even four-digit dollar amounts.)
Table of contents
3 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
2. Definitions
Before I go any further and get into the core of this document, editions, printings and the
ever elusive "first", I'd like to get some terms and their definitions out of the way. This will
help you understand the read of this document.
modern
The idea of a "modern" book has many varying time frames depending on who you
ask. Some collectors view anything published in the 20th century and on as a
"modern" book. Here I am going to take a significantly more narrow view on this term.
For this document I am only discussing books from the 1970s onward. This keeps me
to a more limited set of circumstances for my later examples. (I pick the 1970s since
during that decade the ISBN was established.) If your book was published prior to
1970s you can still use this document but the further back you go, the less my
comments will apply.
trade
A book published for sale by the bookselling trade. Typically books only found in
bookstores.
mass-market
Books published to be sold anywhere. Most paperbacks are mass-market since they
can be found not only in bookstores but in grocery stores and department stores.
limited
Books published in severely limited quantities (usually in the hundreds,) typically
signed by the author and either numbered or lettered. Usually only available for
purchase directly through the publisher and not generally available in bookstores
book club edition (BCE)
Version of a book offered specifically to members of a particular subscription-based
club. These books will be discussed in their own section of this document.
Further bbok-related definitions can be found at the abebooks.com Glossary of Terms.
Table of contents
4 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
3. Some words about hardcovers

If you can't bend the cover without damaging it, it's a hardcover. These covers themselves
are also referred to as "boards". These boards may be covered in a variety of materials
including leather and cloth.
If a book is listed as having a "cloth binding" it is a hardcover since most boards are covered
in cloth, or at a minimum, attached to the spine via cloth.
When a collector reads that a book is "hardcover" they interpert that to mean a "trade"
hardcover, i.e. not a BCE.
Yes covers on most BCEs are hard, i.e. have boards, but that does not them "hardcovers"
as defined in the previous paragarph. Some BCEs have paper covers, that doesn't make
them a trade paperback. The fact that they are a BCE is the overriding factor in all
instances. Anyone selling a BCE should state it as being such or resks defrauding the buyer.
Table of contents
5 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
4. Some words about paperbacks

Paperbacks can be broken down into two types; mass-market and trade.
Mass-market paperbacks (pbk)
AKA "rack sized", these are the books that you can find in any store selling books. Most
measure aproximately 4.25" x 7".
Trade paperbacks (Tpbk)

Paperbacks that are larger than mass-markets, many times having the same dimensions as
a hard cover. Known as trades because they are generally only carried by actual bookstores
(in the trade) and not in non-bookstores, like grocery stores. (This however is starting to
change.)
The note regarding BCEs in the hardcover section applies here too. Books from the
paperback book club should be listed as BCEs, regardless of the material their covers are
made of.
Table of contents
6 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
5. What is an edition? What is a printing?

From A B C For Book-Collectors,by John Carter, Third Edition:
"Strictly speaking, an edition comprises all copies of a book printed at any time
from one setting-up of type without substantial change."
A printing [also known as] "an impression comprises the whole number of copies of
that edition printed at one time, without the type or plates being removed from the
press."
Table of contents
7 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
6. Bringing those definitions up to date.

Type? Press? Are books printed that way any more? No. Computer based printing has
replaced most of that these days, but these definitions still work if we focus on "without
substantial change" and "at one time".
If a book doesn't change it is still the same edition. So, if an author changes the text (as text
books do almost every year) or if the pages need to be re-done for a paperback's smaller
size, then substantial changes have been made and you therefore have a new edition.
If the publisher runs out of copies and makes new ones without making changes, they just
make more, then the edition not has changed, but you have a new printing.
Table of contents
8 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
7. How do I tell one printing from another?

In most cases with most publishers today
the method from telling one printing from
another is to look at the row of numbers at
the bottom of the book's copyright page.
The lowest number in the series is the
number of the book printing.
Figure 1 shows a first printing, the zero Figure 1

being the same as 10 in this case.
Figure 2 shows and eighth printing.
These numbers are not always in numerical

order as in figure 3. The key is to look for
the lowest number.
Some publishers will also use this row to Figure 2

indicate the year of the printing. Figure 4
shows a first printing from 1999.
Sometimes the years may be all strung Figure 3

together. Figure 5 shows a first printing
from 1998. If the statement was not there
you would be able to decipher it from the
string of numbers. Figure 4
Then again, some publishers don't indicate

printing at all. In figure 6 we can establish
the first edition status of the book but not
which printing it is. Figure 5
There are exceptions however. The most
noted one is with books published by
Random House. As in figure 7, they
indicate a first by listing numbers in which
Figure 6
the lowest number is "2" and then the
words "First Edition" appear beneath it.
(Yes, this does not only indicate a first
printing, but a first edition, which we'll get to
next.)
Figure 7
When Random House does a second
printing they will remove the "First edition"
statement thus indicating a second printing. The really odd part about this methods is that
the removal of this statement only indicates a second, or higher, printing but does not
remove the books first edition status. (More about this later.)
Table of contents
9 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
8. How do I tell one edition from another?

A new cover
does not
indicate a new
edition as long
as the
publisher has Figure 8
not changed.
What usually
indicates a
change in
edition
(providing the
publisher has
not changed,)
is the change Figure 9
in the content
of the book.
This most often
occurs with
non-fiction
books, Figure 10
especially
textbooks.
figure 8 is a
perfect
example of a
book stating
not only it's
edition but Figure 11
when that
edition was
published and
when the
previous
editions were
published. I
just wish that
all publishers
did this.
Of course, we
still have no
statement of
printing... Figure 12
These
examples are also quite clear:
Figure 9 is the original hardcover release, Figure 10, the trade paperback release. Both are
first printings, but the second is clearly not a first edition.
I would just like to throw in more more example here, the best I've found, figure 11.
From this we know on which day the original (hardcover) edition was published and that
edition went through a total of three printings. We also know the exact date of the first
paperback edition (now the second edition of the book), and that we are now on the sixth
printing of the second edition which was printed in October of 1997. If only all publishers
were so thoughtful to collectors.
The other case of edition change is if the publisher changes then the edition changes. This
does not need a change in the content of the book at all. The edition change is automatic
since the new publisher had to set the type for this book. (Remember the definition of an
edition.)
10 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
This is more common among fiction titles. Here is an example of three paperback copies of
the Dean Koontz novel Intensity, figure 12
Left to right I'll refer to them as one, two and three.
Copy one lists a printing of "1". Copy two lists a printing of "2". Copy three lists a printing of
"1". The question, which is the first?
Well, we have two first printings, but only one can be a first edition. (Let's pretend for a
moment that there were no other editions.) In order to determine the correct answer you
need a little more information...
Copies one and two were published by Ballantine Books. Copy three, by Bantam. Copy one
was printed in 1996, copy three in 2000. (Copy two does not state when it was printed.)
Figure it out yet?
In this example, copy one is the first paperback edition, first printing. Copy two, a second
printing of the first paperback edition. Copy three is the first printing of the second
paperback edition since the publisher has changed.
Table of contents
11 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
9. What is a "First"?
A First (notice my use of the uppercase) is the first edition of a book published and therefore
usually the most desirable of all editions to collectors.
Unfortunately how most lay-persons describe books makes this a more difficult issue that it
needs to be. (Publishers are also no help as we've already seen.) In most cases when a
non-professional bookseller (read: most sellers on eBay) say a book is a "first" (notice my
use of the lowercase) they mean a first printing not a first edition. This is most non-
intentional on their part. (If everyone could tell the difference I would not have written this
document.)
This seller will look at a book's copyright page and look for that number "1". Finding this,
they will state that the book is a "first". As shown earlier, this only indicates the number of
the book's printing, not necessarily it's edition.
Table of contents
12 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
10. When is a "First" a "first"?

Again, please notice my use of case.
Let's take a look at the two examples in
figures 13 & 14.
figure 13 is from the original printing of the

original hardcover release of a book in 1994.
Figure 14 is from the original trade paperback Figure 13
release two years later. According to these
examples they are both first editions and first
printings. In this case you need to discount
the firsts statements in the second example
and look at the statement "Second trade
paperback edition 1996".
So, according to that, it is the second trade Figure 14

paperback edition. No, it is the first trade
paperback edition released but the second
edition of the book, since the author added a
significant amount of material to the text for
the trade paperback release.
Confused? Let's try an "easier" one that was

listed as a "first edition" on eBay, figure 15
According to this we are looking at a first

printing, published in 2000. Trouble is, look at
the copyright date. If this really was a First
(edition) they why is it coming out 25 years
after the author established the copyright on Figure 15
the book? In this case, this is a first edition
(and printing) from this publisher, University of
Georgia Press. The real "First" was published back in 1975.
Table of contents
13 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
11. Can there be more than one "First"?

Yes, and this is where it starts to get really complicated, as if it isn't complicated enough
already.
Take a look at figure 16. In this case the book was simultaneously released in a hardcover
edition (cloth) and a trade paperback edition (paper). Which is the first? This situation occurs
frequently with publications from university presses.
Where this all starts to get funky is when a seller (or buyer) is not aware of an earlier edition
and therefore takes the copyright page at it's word. For example
Here's another great example using Dean Koontz's Tick Tock, figure 17
Can't tell the difference? Let me zoom in just a little. We now have an "international" edition
figure 18 and a (non international) regular edition figure 19. In this case the paperbacks did
come first so one of them must be the first edition. (There was a hardcover released in the
UK but that came after the paperback editions in this example.)
Let's move on to the copyright pages and try to sort this out...
What we have here is the Canadian "international" , edition figure 20 and the US edition,
figure 21. (Both actually printed in the US but that's not the issue here.)
They both say that they are "First" editions but one obviously came out before the other. The
final word on this one would be that the Canadian copy is the "true first". (We'll get to what a
"true first" is in just a moment.)
And just when you thought is was over, Bantam went and published a copy of Tick Tock:
They graciously listed the publishing history of this title for us, figure 22. Unfortunately, they
did not take into account any of the foreign editions, which is typical, but quite important in
this case. We just determined that the US Ballantine edition was the second paperback
edition but this history implies that this is the second edition...
Table of contents
14 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
12. What is a "True

First"?
A "true first" is considered to be the
very first edition and printing of a
book that was released.
Figure 16
For example, for the past several
years the UK release of Dean
Koontz novels have preceded the
US release by a month or two.
When auctioning off these UK
copies, many of the sellers will list
this as a "true first". However, if
ANY OTHER edition of this book
was released prior to the one they
are selling, then it is no longer a
"true first".
Table of contents
Figure 17
Figure 18
Figure 19
Figure 20
Figure 21
Figure 22
15 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
13. Is it a limited edition?

Take a look at figure 23. Is this
the copyright page for the trade
edition or the limited edition?
In this case the publisher,

Putnam, has used the exact
same pages in both editions. The
difference is in the binding and an
extra page in the limited edition
stating that it is the limited.
Why do I include this scenario

here? Becuase I have seem
books like this on eBay for sale
as limited editions "because the
copyright page says it's a limited
edition." All this realy says is that
there was a limited edition printed
by the same publisher.
If the copyright page listed an

ISBN for a paperback and a
hardcover and you were selling
the paperback, would you list it as Figure 23
a hardcover because the
copyright page said so? Of
course not. Limited editions, always have some other indcation of their limited status.
Usually an extra page stating so.
Some publishers will state on the copyright page if a limited edition has been previously
published by another publisher. Knopf did this in the trade edition of Dean Koontz's Intensity
stating "A signed first edition of this book has been privately printed by The Franklin Library".
Unfortunately, neither Ballantine nor Bantam have made this statement in their paperback
editions...
Table of contents
16 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
14. What about "galleys", "proofs", "advance reader

copies", and "presentation copies"?
I'm going to take these one at a time...
Galleys are copies of the book created solely for the purpose of copy editors at the
publisher. These are generaly low-quality photocopies of the author's manuscript.
Sometimes they are bound, but if so usually cheaply in some sort of spiral binding.
Proofs are the next step in the process. At this point the book has been typeset and the
pages have been printed as they will look in the final edition. The book has been through the
editing process but has not been finalized. These copies have paper covers and may or may
not have the final artwork. They are given to the author to proof for any last minute mistakes.
Often these editions are also sent out to reviewers and booksellers to promote the book.
Advance reader (or reading) copies, also known as ARCs are finished copies of the book
sent out to individuals for promotional purposes.
Unfortunately, theses terms are used almost interchangeable in the bookselling trade and
even by the publishers. Many ARCs are marked as such on the cover but also state "made
from page proofs". This makes them proofs, but since the cover says "advance reading
copy" the book will be listed as such.
Many booksellers also believe that all ARCs are proofs. This is not necessarily true. Neither
are they necessarily galleys, which is also used in place of the term proof.
Lastly are the presentation copies. This circumstance arrises in the case of limited editions.
For example, Dean Koontz's Dark Rivers of the Heart was published in a limited edition of
200 numbered copies. On the statement of limitation page of my copy it has "P/C" written in
where the number should be. This indicates that it is a presentation copy. These are copies
that have been printed above the stated limited number of copies. These are generally kept
by the publisher or given to the author to do with what they wish.
There is a small controversey over whether presentation copies are worth more than their
"regular" counterparts. Some claim that they aren't worth more, and maybe even less, since
they are the leftovers. Others say they are worth more, or at least equal, since there are
even fewer of them than of the "regulars". I have my opinion but I'll leave this on up to you.
So, what about these editions when it comes to finding the ellusive "true first". They always
come out before any other editions. Yet, I have never seen and advance copy listed as a
"true first".
What I can conclude from this is that the definition of a "true first" is based upon editions
released to the general public. I'm not sure I agree with this but it will have to stand for now.
Table of contents
17 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
15. Then came the BCE...

These editions are worthless in most cases but they still need to be discussed for the
following reasons:
1. Completists, those who want to own a copy of every edition, do purchase these to
add to their collections.
2. Many sellers do not know or understand the value of these books and sell them as if
they were worth something.
How to identify a BCE

The following list are all indications (though not all definitive) of a BCE. If one or more of the
non-definitive items appear further investigation is necessary.
Smaller size non-definitive

Edited copyright page non-definitive
DJ matches pbk cover non-definitive
BC number definitive
BCE statement definitive
Poor binding (glued w/o cloth) non-definitive
No date non-definitive
No ISBN non-definitive
Exceptions
In very limited cases some BCEs can have limited to significant value.
If the BCE is the only hardcover edition.
and/or
Specialized book club editions, such as the "The Dean Koontz Book Club", when
they are available only through subscription.
and/or
If the BCE includes additional material, such as a new introduction or afterword,

only available in that edition.
An additional note on BCEs and ISBNs: Some of the newer book club editions include the
ISBN of the non-BCE edition that they were based on. The appearance of this ISBN does
not make a BCE a non-BCE. One clue is the appearance of a mass-market paperback ISBN
on a hardcover book. In that case, it's probable a BCE.
Table of contents
18 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
16. What is a "state"?

A state is generally more complicated than I wanted to get in this text (it is already
complicated enough as you've notices), but it comes up so I will discuss it briefly here.
A state is a variation in a book, but still within the same printing. When books were manually
printed, minor changes may have been made in the middle of a print run. For example, after
printing 100 copies, the printer noticed that a word had been misspelled. The type for that
word alone would be changed and printing would continue. In this case, not enought has
changed to even justify a "new printing". Copies before the fix would be considered the "first
state". Copies after the fix would be considered a "second state."
A more recent example would be the US 1st hardcover edition of Salem's Lot which went
through three dust jackets before the second printing of the book. The jacket was initially
priced at $8.95, and, prior to publication, the price was clipped by the publisher and a $7.95
sticker was affixed. In this case the book itself had not changed at all nor gone back for
another printing. (Thanks to Noah Mitchell for this example.)
One last example: The first trade hardcover edition of Dean Koontz's Sole Survivor came in
two states: signed and unsigned. In this case, the books were printed and then an unstated
quantity were signed by Mr. Koontz and a sticker stating that the book was signed was
affixed to the front of the dust jacket. All of the books were the same edition and the same
printing, just some were signed and some were not.
Table of contents
19 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
17. Any other variations to consider?

Besides the typical hardcover, trade paperback and mass-market paperback editions
commonly found in stores, there are other editions that you may, or may not, want to
consider. These include large print, audio books, translations, ex-library copies.
In most cases, these editions are not worth much to collectors. Only those that insist on
attempting to own "every" edition of a book collect these editions.
Table of contents
20 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22
18. Further reading and resources

First Editions : A Guide to Identification by Edward N Zempel (Editor)
ABCs of Book Collecting by John Carter & Nicolas Barker
rec.collecting.books FAQ
Uncorrected Proof Collector's Website
An Introduction to Book Collecting by Priscilla Juvelis, ABAA President
The Passion and Perils of Book Collecting By Alvin Powell, The Harvard University
Gazette
Jonathan's Book Page - More links to related resources
Table of contents
© MMII, Michael Sauers

Last Updated: 17 January 2001
This document is written in validated XHTML & CSS and does not use any tables.
Bobby Approved
21 of 21 09-May-21, 14:22

Editions and Printings, How To Tell The Difference

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Editions and Printings, How To Tell The Difference

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Editions and Printings, How to Tell the Difference: a guide for book co... https://www.travelinlibrarian.

Editions and Printings, How to Tell the

Further bbok-related definitions can be found at the abebooks.com Glossary of Terms.

3. Some words about hardcovers

4. Some words about paperbacks

Trade paperbacks (Tpbk)

5. What is an edition? What is a printing?

6. Bringing those definitions up to date.

7. How do I tell one printing from another?

Figure 1 shows a first printing, the zero Figure 1

Figure 2 shows and eighth printing.

These numbers are not always in numerical

Some publishers will also use this row to Figure 2

Sometimes the years may be all strung Figure 3

Then again, some publishers don't indicate

8. How do I tell one edition from another?

Left to right I'll refer to them as one, two and three.

10. When is a "First" a "first"?

figure 13 is from the original printing of the

So, according to that, it is the second trade Figure 14

Confused? Let's try an "easier" one that was

According to this we are looking at a first

11. Can there be more than one "First"?

12. What is a "True

13. Is it a limited edition?

In this case the publisher,

Why do I include this scenario

If the copyright page listed an

14. What about "galleys", "proofs", "advance reader

15. Then came the BCE...

How to identify a BCE

Smaller size non-definitive

If the BCE is the only hardcover edition.

If the BCE includes additional material, such as a new introduction or afterword,

16. What is a "state"?

17. Any other variations to consider?

18. Further reading and resources

© MMII, Michael Sauers

You might also like