First edition
books can be valuable.
The first edition of a book is the first publication of that book in a particular print, without alteration (unlike subsequent editions). First editions of books can be quite valuable because collectors are interested in the original available version of the text, and the quantity of these is limited by the number of copies printed. It is easy to identify a first edition, provided you have the copy of the book in front you -- otherwise you will not be able to check the necessary information.
Instructions
1. Open the front cover of the book and flip through the pages until you find the page that outlines the copyright details of the book. It will be one of the earliest pages in the book. It contains phrases such as "All right reserved" or "Copyright 2002" and might list the book's ISBN.
2. Identify when the book was published. Books usually list this information on the copyright page. If you cannot find "First published in.." or a similar phrase, then continue to read the surrounding pages. All books should contain this information, so check on adjacent pages.
3. Check if 'NAP' appears after the year of publication. This stands for "No Additional Printing" and would indicate the book is a first, or only, edition.
4. Search for the words "First Edition", "First Impression" or "First Printing" on the page that lists the publication date. Depending on the publisher, the position of these words varies greatly. It could be at the bottom of the copyright page or on a separate page.
5. Flip through the pages to see if you can find the words "First Published in...". If there are no subsequent publications, listed then the book could be a first edition.
6. Read the publication number. This is a series of numbers that represents the number of reprints the book has had. It appears as a line of random digits on the page, listed near to the year of publication. If it is a first edition book, this number contains a '1'. If it does not, then the book is not a first edition. Be aware that not all books contain a publication number
7. Verify that the book is a first edition. Perform research to find out the year that the book was first published by checking the bibliography of the author. Match this year to the publication year, located in the book that you found this during step 2. This provides a clue as to whether or not it is a first edition.
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