How do I identify a first edition book?

Question

Where do I look on a new book for this information. Also, what's the difference between a first edition and a first printing? Thank you.

Answer 1

For newer books, a first edition will be stated in the CIP (cataloging in publication) page, the one at the beginning with the publishing and cataloging information. For slightly older books, the print run is somewhat of an indicator. That is the series of numbers on the CIP page, near the bottom. It is usually printed something like 10 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01. The last number that appears in that line is the printing run number. A book can still be a first edition, second printing. A different edition implies something has changed. A later print run implies the publishers initially didn't order enough books. It makes a difference to serious collectors.

For older books without this information, you'll need a rare book collector guide. Different publishers had different ways of denoting first editions, and some are VERY subtle. Your local public library should have a few books on book collecting you can borrow.

Answer 2

The differences can be anything from covers I've found or mostly just the printing/copywrite years

Answer 3

im watching eclipse suitable now and it has all tghe copyright stuff, than it has the stuff asserting little brown and employer, than you bypass decrease and it says those products approximately hachette e book team, than unde this is had the communities adress, and under that it has their email, and under THAT it says frirst version: september 2007. so which you in basic terms could seem heavily i loked in all of my books, and on my twilight e book (I even have the ppb) it saud first ppb version 2006 or something like that. its the comparable in all books and it does not could do with the numbers