Started stating the printing some time in the 1940s. The first edition of gone with the wind has been reprinted over 100 times since it was first published. Alcoholics anonymous 1st edition 1st printing 1939 dj aa. I read your information explaining the differences between second edition printing and revised edition. Still a good amount but a far cry from the what the true. How to tell if a book is a first edition or valuable book riot. Identifying first editions the new antiquarian the blog of the. Abebooks explains how to identify a first edition book youtube. Alcoholics anonymous first edition first printings 1939. First edition screenprinting is an allinone, easytoorder custom and stock transfer screenprinting company based in kansas. For some blockbuster titles, this can be as many as 50,000 copies or more. I currently own the rights of my first novel which was unfortunately published by a fullservice. First printing, first impression, and first published are other ways of publishers stating the first edition.
But for older books, or books originally published by small imprints, the first run. The beginners guide to identifying first editions book riot. There are thousands of publishers and they use a large variety of methods, which are often changed, to define first editions. The first edition refers to a books first printing run. A new version of the book is then typeset, which becomes the second edition.
In the world of book collecting, a first edition is generally considered to be the first appearance of a work, in its first. Lately, first edition has become widely accepted tto mean first edition. Book collectors tend to define first edition as the first printing of the first edition. How much new material is needed for a second edition of a. This is the 1st printing of the aa big book of which there were only 4,650 to 4,670 copies printed, far fewer than the ensuing printings that included 20,000 for the 8th and 9th printings, 25,000 for the 10th.
Also, why the difference is price between these two listings for the same title. However, to most booksellers and collectors, a true first edition is both the first typeset version of the book and the first printing. However, book collectors generally use the term first edition to mean specifically the first print run. Firstedition identification by publisher and printers key so for my example. In the rare book world, is there a difference between a first edition and a first printing. How to identify first editions or a first printing of a book. Because so many versions of the book came before this copy, it likely wont be worth a lot of money. The printers key, also known as the number line, is a line of text printed on the page. In the world of book collecting, a first edition is generally considered to be the first appearance of a work, in its first printing. First edition identification would be an easy task if there were only one publishing house and they remained consistent in their printing methods over the years, but alas this is far from the case. First printing is stated on the page and no book club mark on back of. Alcoholics anonymous big book 1st edition 7th printing for.
For publishers, first edition may just mean the first version of the text, without significant revisions. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Big book is in very good condition with light wear to spine gold gilding. As photographers, much time and energy has been spent creating. 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 the publisher sells out of the first run and goes back for. States first edition or first printing on the page of the first edition. As an example, the conventional wisdom first edition the cat in the hat, with the 200200 on the. May have occasionally stated first edition, but in general, the absence of a later printing statement indicates a first edition. It is the first edition, first printing of the paperback in the u.
If your copy is a 3rd printing, or a book club edition, it wont have the same value as a first edition. The first printing is also what book collectors call a first edition. Abebooks explains how to identify a first edition book. This conferenceapproved special edition of alcoholics anonymous is a reproduction of the first printing of the first edition of the big book as it was published in 1939. Numbers are removed with subsequent printings, so if 1 is seen then the book is the first printing of that edition. Subsequent printings would be, for example, a 2nd printing but not a first edition.
Aa first edition, seventh printing january, 1945 big books available for purchase. No matter where you are in the creative process for custom transfers. Join the priority mailing list, or contact abookman about your a. 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. The polar express first edition, first printing hardcover january 1, 1985 by chris van allsburg author, illustrator visit amazons chris van allsburg page. The first commercial print run of a novel is called the first printing of the first edition. The book collectors definition is the first printing of the first edition. In cold blood by truman capote first edition criteria. It is a complicated subject, the book collecting definition of first edition being first edition, first printing. The oldest books have printings listed in front such as. If the publisher prints more copies of the identical book, those are not first editions. In collecting terms, a general definition of 1st edition book would be a works first commercially available appearance in book form, printed with the original setting. If that first group sells out then another batch of books.
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. Works publishing company, april 1939, hardcover 400pp. The publisher may actually state the words first edition or first printing on the page. Putnams sons, occasionally, you will find the word first edition for the first printing, but generally put, any edition that lacks a statement of an additional printing is a first. There were 500 copies of the first edition that were specially bound and signed by capote. When the supply of the first printing or impression. Identifying, and valuing first edition dr seuss books. Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing 1939 big book. How to tell if a book is a first edition or valuable. This is how the printers key will appear in the first print run of a book. 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.