What is a first edition?
The classic definition of a first edition book is the first run of a book in the same typeface or setting. If someone is selling true first editions of a book, they will normally state that it is a first edition, first printing. This means that it is the first printing run of the book, using the same typeface. A second print run of a book, even if it uses the same typeface, is not usually considered a first edition. Book publishers have their own versions of what they consider to be first editions. Publishers can use the term first edition for their own purposes and they show little consistency in its use. They may mark the words “first edition” on the copyright page, but this may only mean that it is the first edition by the book’s current publisher. It may also have had editorial comments or a foreword added, then considered by the publisher as a first edition in that particular format. Some first editions are very rare and can sell for very high amounts.
