Prior to 1934: Same date appears on the front and back of the title page, or
there is no mention of additional printings. Reprints are noted as such. For
example, "Published November, 1929. Third printing, February 1930."
1934 and later: States "First Edition," with no mention of later printings.
Some copies printed during the 1970s, especially children's books, have a
number line on the copyright page or last printed page.
Appleton-Century-Crofts
Prior to 1980: The number one enclosed in parentheses (1) is found on the the
last page of text. Some titles from the 1950s do not have this. In these
cases, first editions will have no mention of additional printings.
1980s and later: They switched to a year/printing number line system, for
example: 86 87 88 89 90 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. In our example, the lowest
year - (19)86 indicates the year in which the copy was printed. The lowest
number - 1 - indicates the print batch. So, this copy was a first edition,
first printing book published in 1986.
Same date appears on the front and back of the title page, or there is no
mention of additional printings.
Bobbs Merrill
Prior to 1920s: Only the month is stated on the copyright page. First printing
is stated on the title page, or there is a bow and arrow symbol on the
copyright page. Some books have no special identifiers.
1920s: Some titles state "First Edition."
1930s to 1935: Some titles have a bow and arrow colophon on the copyright
page.
Boni and Liveright
No mention of additional printings. Later printings are noted as such (e.g.:
"Second printing")
1970s and later: Number line, with the lowest number indicating to which print
batch a copy belongs.
Century Co.
Several methods have been used. (1) Same date appears on the front and back of
the title page, (2) no mention of additional printings, (3) states "First
Printing" on the back of the title page, (4) states "Printed" or "Published"
followed by the month and year.
Contemporary Books
No mention of additional printings.
Cosmopolitan Book Corporation
Same date appears on the front and back of the title page, or states 'First
Edition' on the copyright page.
Cosmopolitan Books (Hearst)
No mention of additional printings.
Covici, Friede
No mention of additional printings.
D. Appleton-Century
The number one enclosed in parentheses (1) is found on the the last page of
text of first printing copies.
David McKay Co.
Prior to 1950s: No standard procedure.
1950s - 1970s: No mention of additional printings.
Mid-1970s and later: Look for the number 1 in the number line.
Daw Books
States 'First Printing' and month/day and uses number line.
Delacorte Press
Prior to 1980s: States "First Edition" or "First Printing."
1980s and later: Look for the number 1 in the number line.
Dial Press
Prior to 1967: No mention of additional printings.
1967 and later: States "First Published" followed by a date.
Dodd, Mead
Prior to December 9, 1976: No mention of additional printings, or same date
appears on the front and back of the title page.
1976 and later: Look for the number 1 in the number line.
Dorrance
States "First Edition," "First Printing," or there is no mention of additional
printings.
Doubleday (AUS)
States "First Published" followed by the year.
Doubleday (US)
States "First edition," sometimes follwed by a number line or month and
year.
Doubleday, Doran
First edition stated on copyright page.
Dramatists Play Service
Only later printings or editions are designated as such.
Duell Sloan and Pearce
Look for "First Edition" or the roman numeral I on the copyright page. Later
printings are marked by roman numerals, for example, a second printing copy
would have II on the copyright page.
E.P. Dutton and Company, Inc.
Prior to 1929: Same date printed on the front and back of the title page.
1929-1992: States 'First Edition'alone or "First Edition" and prints the same
date on the front and back of the title page. Or, may state "First Published"
followed by the year.
1993 and later: States "First Printing" followed by the month and year, with a
number line.
Colophon ("FR") is printed on the copyright page of first editions. Rarely,
states "First Edition."
Farrar, Straus
States "First Printing" followed by the year, or prints their colophon ("FS")
on the copyright page.
Forge
States "First Edition" followed by the month, year and a number line.
Frederick A. Stokes Co.
Same date printed on the front and back of the title page or no mention of
additional printings.
Frederick Warne and Co., Ltd.
No additionally printings mentioned, or a number line, where 1 indicates a
first printing.
Funk and Wagnalls
Prior to February, 1929: No additional printings mentioned. May also state
"Published" followed by the month and year. Or, the same date is printed on
the front and back of the title page.
February, 1929 -- 1970s: States "First Published" followed by the month and
year, or a "1" is printed after the copyright date.
1970s and later: Number line.
George H. Doran
Their logo - a black oval with the letters GHD in white - is printed on the
copyright page or title page. Some books also state "First Edition."
G.P. Putnam's Sons
Generally, first editions have no printing notice. Later printings and/or
editions are always noted as such (e.g.: Second Printing).
Grosset and Dunlap
See entry for Putnam and Grosset Group.
Harcourt, Brace and Co.
Prior to 1930s: May have the number 1 beneath the copyright information, or
states "Published" followed by the date and year (e.g.: published August,
1930).
1930s and later: trade editions state "First Edition."
1983 and later: they've used a letter line, where A=1st printing.
Harper and Bros.
Prior to 1912: Same date is printed on the front and back of the title
page.
1912 - April, 1922: States "First Published" followed by the month and year,
and a two letter code. The letters indicate the publishing month-year and
should match the stated month and year exactly. For example, "B-Q" translates
to February, 1916. In the first position, A=Janurary, B=February, C=March,
D=April, E=May, F=June, G=July, H=August, I=September, K=October, L=November,
M=December. In the second position, M=1912, N=1913, O=1914, P=1915, Q=1916,
R=1917, S=1919, T=1919, U=1920, V=1921, W=1922.
Harper Collins
States "First Edition" followed by a number line.
Harper and Row
1960s: States "First Edition."
Late 1960s - 1975: States "First Edition" or states "First Edition" followed
by a number line on the last page.
1975-1990: Number line, may also state "First Edition."
Harvard University Press
No additional printings mentioned.
Henry Holt
Prior to 1945: No mention of additional printings.
1945 - 1990s: States "First Edition" with or without number line, or "First
Printing".
1990s and later: States "First Edition" followed by the year and a number
line.
Holt, Rinehart and Winston
Several methods are used. (1) States "First Printing," or (2)states "First
Edition," or (3) states "First Edition" followed by a number line, or (4)
number line only, or (5) states "Printed" followed by the month and year.
Houghton Mifflin Co.
c.1891 - c.1953: Same date is printed on the front and back of the title
page.
c.1953 and later: States "First Printing" alone or "First Printing" followed
the the month and year 1970s and later: Number system where 1 indicates first
printing.
Horace Liveright
No additional printings mentioned, although a few state "First Edition". Later
printings and/or editions are noted as such (e.g.: Second Printing).
Johns Hopkins
No additional printings mentioned.
J.B. Lippincott Co.
Generally, first editions have no printing notice, although a few state "First
Edition". Later printings and/or editions are noted as such (e.g.: Second
Printing).
1925 and later: "First edition" stated, or numbering system used (1=first
printing).
Little, Brown
Prior to 1930: If dates on title and copyright pages match, it is a first
edition.
1930 to 1940s: States "Published [month, year]," with no mention of additional
printings, or states "First Edition" with or without a number line.
1930 and later: States "First Printing" or "First Edition."
Macmillan (AUS)
States "First Edition" followed by the year.
Macmillan (UK)
Prior to 1969: No additional printings mentioned.
1969 and later: States "First Published" followed by the year.
Macmillan (US)
Prior to April 24, 1936: States "Printed" followed by the month and year.
Also, has same year listed on both the copyright page and title page.
April 24 to 1979: States "Printed" alone or followed by the year. 1971/2 and
later: Children's titles have a number line.
December, 1979 and later: Number line, where 1 indicates a first printing.
Macmillan of Canada
No additional printings mentioned.
Marshall Jones Co.
States "Printed" or "First Edition" followed by the month and year.
Macrae Smith Co.
Prior to 1930: No additional printings mentioned.
1930 and later: States "First Edition" or "First Printing."
McClelland and Stewart
Prior to 1993: No consistent method was used.
1993 and later: Number line.
McClure Phillips
Usually, if only one date (month/year of publication) is listed, the book is a
first. May or may not be preceded by "First Edition" or "First Published."
McGraw-Hill Book Co.
Prior to 1956: If a single publication date (month/year) is listed, it is a
first.
1957-1974: States "First Edition." 1975 and later: Uses a number line, where 1
indicates a first printing.
Minton, Balch and Co.
First editions have no printing notice on the back of the title page. Later
printings and/or editions are noted as such (e.g.: Second Printing).
Museum of Modern Art
First editions have no printing notice. Later printings and/or editions are
noted as such (e.g.: Second Printing).
National Geographic Society
No additional printings mentioned.
Naval Institute Press
No mention of additional printings.
New American Library
States first printing, (date) followed by a number line.
Oxford University Press
Same date listed on both the copyright page and title page, or no additional
printings mentioned, or states "First Edition."
Pantheon
No mention of additional printings.
Parent's Magazine Press
Prior to Nov., 1977: No mention of additional printings.
Nov. 1977 and later: Number line.
Penguin Publishing Co Ltd (UK)
Prior to 2001: States "First Published YEAR 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2"
2001 and later: States "First Published YEAR 1" (a "2" would indicate second
printing, etc.)
Some books use number or letter lines, where 1 or A indicates a first
printing. However, many books contain no special indications of printing or
edition.
Prager
States "Published [location, year]" on first editions.
Princeton University Press
No additional printings mentioned.
Random House
Prior to 1968: States "First Printing," or "First Published [year]."
1968 - 1969: States "First Edition" or "First Printed."
1970 and later: States "First Edition." When a number line is used, a first
printing number line will begin with 2. But, if the number line begins with 2
and there is no mention of "First Edition" or "First Printed," then it is a
second printing.
Reilly and Lee Co.
No addition printings mentioned, or states "First Printing."
Rinehart & Company, Inc.
The letter R enclosed in a circle appears above the copyright line.
Richard Marek Publishers, Inc.
No mention of additional printings.
Scholastic, Inc and Scholastic Magazines, Inc.
1975 - present: Uses number line, or states "First Edition" with a number
line.
Prior to 1975: Unique print date system. For example: 2/741 means that the
book was published in February, 1974 and is the first printing.
Scribner's
Prior to 1930: Same date is printed on the front and back of the title page,
or no mention of additional printings.
1930 - 1973: Letter "A" on the copyright page.
1974 - 1990s: Number line. 1990s and later: Number line, or states "First
Edition" followed by the year and a number line.
Signet Books
States "First Printing" followed by the month and year.
Simon and Schuster
1930s - 1950/51: Dots or asterisks beneath the copyright statement were used
to indicate additional printings.
1951: Same date appears on the title page and copyright page, with no mention
of additional printings.
1952 - c.1973: States "First Printing" or "First Printing" followed by the
year.
c.1973 and later: Number line.
Time-Life Books
Prior to 1976: Hourglass symbol, or states "Printed in the USA" and a Roman
numeral one on the last page.
1976 and later: Number line or no mention of additional printings.
Vanguard
No standard method, although sometimes a number line is used and/or later
editions are noted as such.
Viking
See entry for Penguin Publishing Co. Ltd.
Viking Penguin
States "First Published" followed by the year. May also have a number line.
Viking Portable Library
States "First Published" followed by the year.
Viking Press
Prior to 1937: No mention of additional printings.
1937-1980s: States "First Published" followed by the year, or month and year.
Alternately, may state "First Edition" with a number line.
1980s: Later printings have a number line, where the lowest number indicates
the printing, e.g.: 23456789 means it is the second printing.
1990s: States "First Published" followed by the year and a number line.
Villard Books
Most commonly, states "First Edition." Rarely, a number line is used alone.
Warner Books
Number line, may also state "First Printing" followed by the month and
year.
Walker and Company
Copyright page states: "First published in the United States of America in
(year) by Walker PUblishing Company, Inc." Also uses number line.
Wynwood Press
Copyright year with no additional printing notices. Later editions are
identified as such.
