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the_great_estate · ‎10-21-2019

Dear booksellers:

I hope that you will forgive what is probably a naive question from a casual seller who is still fairly new to the bookselling game.

I'm aware that when we say “first edition,” what we really mean is first printing, and also that the only way to be sure whether that's what we have is to see the numeral 1 or letter A in the printer's key. Otherwise we're just taking the publisher's word for it! However, I have a few books to sell that carry more ambiguous information on the copyright page.

In some of them, the page begins with a standard copyright statement:

But then, further down, is something like “First edition [or First printing], 1995”. Sometimes the month is specified as well. How should the seller, or anyone else, interpret this? It could mean, “and yes, this copy is part of that first printing,” or on the other hand it could mean “but this copy wasn't printed until the following year, sucker!”

All of these are hardbacks, and as it happens all of them were published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux or one of its subsidiaries.

Another one is an English translation of of a work originally published in another language. This time there are two standard copyright statements, covering both the original and the translation. Then we're told that the first edition of the English version dates to November 2007; and further down the page we read: “Printed in Milan, August 2007.” So that must mean that this copy is from the first printing — right?

Thanks in advance for any help that you can offer.

sigmapsidelta · ‎10-22-2019

Get the picky bit over with first: you have hardcovers. 'Hard backs', to me, were always the common (local to Lancashire) term for woodlice ('chiggypigs' or 'chickypegs' in Devon). Sorry about that. But 'hardbacks' makes me itch.

I would argue that 'first edition' is correct for hardcovers, later issues being second, third and so on 'impressions'. I tend to use 'first printing' for paperbacks and larger softcovers, later issues being simply second, third, etc., printing. But that's just my own way of thinking and not yet sworn into law.

If your book has an impression line (1234567890 or 0987654321 and/or ABCDEF 92 93 94 95 etc.) and it is of the year indicated (92), then it is a first edition, first impression. Some publishers (Wyrick spring to mind) have used 234567890 and 'FIRST EDITION' in combination. This is also a 1st/1st as the 1st/2nd will lack the 'FIRST EDITION' bit.

As each impression is issued the impression line will get shorter - a fifth impression would read 567890 or 098765.

In books that have no impression line 'First Published in 19XX' followed by no mention of other impressions or editions, in the vast majority of cases, indicates a 1st/1st. If the 'First published' line is followed by anything resembling 'reprinted in 19.....' it doesn't.

As to the first English translation printed in Italy, yes, that would be the first English edition. It doesn't really matter (unless it is a point of identification) where it was printed. Where it was published is the main point.

Have fun, and good luck.

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A preoccupation with the next world is a clear indication of an inability to cope credibly with this one.
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taylor_memorial · ‎11-10-2019

First the easy one: if it is in translation, or imported, it is the First American Edition (Printing). Or English.

My rule of thumb for the rest of it is this: if it doesn't say it isn't a first printing, it is.

Now, when a book has "First published" or something like that, and a date, and it says lower on, or somewhere, that it isn't, then it isn't.

For example: a lot of King books have the First published line, and a printer's line. If the lowest number is 1, then it is a first print. If the lowest number is 5, then it's a 5th print of the 1st edition. Most novels aren't worth the trouble of a reset or a rewrite and those that are are packaged pretty obviously.

rosehobart · ‎12-16-2019

First Editions: A Guide To Identification / Edited by Edward N. Zempel and Linda A. Verkler. This guide is a tremendous help to anyone trying to track down the printing history of a specific book. Also if the book is not popular or is "esoteric" in nature then it's likely it never seen a 2nd printing. And of note to the newbie first edition and first printing are NOT the same thing...usually.. that's why a guide is helpful. Every publisher is different.

taylor_memorial · ‎12-17-2019

Zempel is good, none of them are complete and sometimes they comtradict each other, especially when a publisher is in the midst of transitioning from one protocol to another.

One of my first projects as a bookseller was developing a database from Zempel, McBride and Ahearn regarding first edition identifiers. I've not kept it up, for the simple reason that mergers and acquisitions has made it pretty much uniform throughout the industry as far as hypermoderns (Post Viet Nam) books are concerned.

As you say, every book has a first printing. So knowing when there have been more is important in selling your first.