(From A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions by Bill McBride)
Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions
Edition, Printing, Impression
An edition is the number of books printed before a certain percentage of the contents is revised. A printing is the number of copies produced when the printing plates or type are on the press. An impression is the same thing as a printing.
To the book collector, a first edition means a copy from the first printing of the first edition.
To the publisher, a first edition may mean any copy of a title before it was substantially revised.
When you read on the copyright page First and second printings before publication, it means that before the book was actually released for sale, “published,” orders from booksellers exceeded the quantity of the first printing and the book had to be reprinted. Such a copy is not a book collector’s first edition.
Get your copy of A Pocket Guide to the Identification of Modern First Editions from www.vjbooks.com today!
Please help me with a question I have about one Vince Flynn book. Title is Term Limits, It says copyright 1997, it also says First Atria Books hardcover edition November 2004. It has a red dust cover and all the numbers like 10 thru 1 are present. I know the original came out in 1997 or 8, just what was the original first printing, first edition? What color dust cover did it have and what book company came out with it. What do I have with the red dust cover? Thank you, I have bought three VF books from you with complete satisfaction and now looking for Transfer of Power next. (Ted, Alabama)
John responds…. The hardcover “true first” of Term Limits by Vince Flynn was printed in August 1997 (ISBN: 0-9658510-0-1 / 978-0-9658510-0-8 (USA edition)). The publisher was Cloak & Dagger Press, Incorporated, and it was a small run/independant press. It was reprinted in June 1998 (ISBN: 0-671-02317-9 / 978-0-671-02317-1 (USA edition)) by Atria Press and this edition is technically a “first thus.” It was again reprinted by Atria in November 2004, (ISBN: 0-7432-7502-0 / 978-0-7432-7502-6 (USA edition)), again, a “first thus.”
As for Transfer of Power, we have a nice signed copy in stock.
