How to Identify First Editions: A Publisher-by-Publisher Guide

Identifying a genuine first edition, first printing is the most fundamental skill in book collecting — and one of the most confusing, because publishers have used dozens of different methods to indicate edition and printing status over the past century, and many have changed their systems multiple times. A “first edition” statement on the copyright page does NOT always mean you hold a first printing. This guide covers the major American and British publishers and their identification methods, organized by publisher with historical notes on when systems changed.

The Basics: What “First Edition” Actually Means

Collectors care about first edition, first printing (sometimes written “first edition, first impression” in British usage). This means:

• The first time the text was set in type AND
• The first batch of copies printed from that typesetting

A “second printing” uses the same typesetting but represents a subsequent press run. It is NOT a first edition for collecting purposes, even if the copyright page still says “First Edition.”

Why this matters: A first printing of The Great Gatsby (1925) is worth $100,000-$400,000+. A second printing — textually identical — is worth $5,000-$15,000. The only difference is which batch came off the press first.

The Number Line System

The most common modern method (post-1970 for most publishers) is the “number line” — a sequence of numbers on the copyright page. The lowest number present indicates the printing.

Example: 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 This is a first printing. If reprinted, the publisher removes the “1”: 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 = third printing.

Variations:

• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (ascending) — first printing includes “1”
• 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (descending) — first printing includes “1”
• 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 (alternating) — first printing includes “1”

The universal rule: If “1” is present in the number line, it’s a first printing. If the lowest number is “2” or higher, it’s a later printing.

Publisher-by-Publisher Guide

Alfred A. Knopf

Current system (1970s-present): Number line. “First Edition” stated on copyright page. On reprints, “First Edition” is removed and the number line starts at “2” or higher.

Historical quirks:

• 1920s-1960s: “FIRST EDITION” stated on copyright page (removed on later printings)
• Some early Knopf books have no explicit first edition statement — absence of “Second Printing” is the indicator
• Knopf’s colophon (the running Borzoi dog) appears on all editions — it does NOT indicate first edition status

Important titles: Cormac McCarthy (All the Pretty Horses through The Passenger), John Updike (Knopf era), Toni Morrison (Knopf era), Kazuo Ishiguro, Donna Tartt

Scribner / Scribner’s / Charles Scribner’s Sons

Current system (1980s-present, as Scribner imprint of Simon & Schuster): Number line beginning with “1.” Also states “First Scribner edition” or “First Simon & Schuster edition.”

Historical system (classic Scribner’s, pre-1980s): The famous Scribner “A” — the letter “A” appears on the copyright page of first printings. On second printings, the “A” is removed and replaced with “B,” etc.

Critical for: Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls), F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby, Tender Is the Night), Thomas Wolfe

The Hemingway warning: Scribner reprinted Hemingway titles extensively. The “A” must be present for a first printing. Many copies in the market are later printings that LOOK old but lack the “A.”

Viking / Viking Press

System (1970s-present): Number line. “First published in [year] by Viking Press” or “First published by Viking Penguin” on copyright page.

Historical (pre-1970s): “First published in [year]” with no additional printing notices = first printing. Later printings add “Second printing” etc.

Important titles: Steinbeck (The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men — early Viking), Saul Bellow, DeLillo (White Noise, Libra, Mao II)

Random House

Current system: Number line. “First Edition” stated on copyright page (removed on reprints).

Historical variation: Before number lines, “FIRST EDITION” appeared on copyright page and was removed on subsequent printings. Some mid-century Random House books have no explicit statement — look for “First Printing” or absence of later printing notices.

Important titles: William Faulkner (Random House era), Truman Capote (In Cold Blood), James Michener, Cormac McCarthy (early novels — Outer Dark, Child of God)

The Modern Library trap: Random House’s Modern Library imprint reprints classic texts in uniform editions. These are NOT first editions regardless of what the copyright page implies about the original publication.

Harper / Harper & Row / HarperCollins

Current system: Number line. “First Edition” stated on copyright page.

Historical note: Harper used various formulations: “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or a letter code (H-Q on one line indicates Harper, first printing from 1950s-1970s).

Important titles: Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird — J.B. Lippincott, but Harper is the corporate successor), many contemporary titles

Simon & Schuster

Current system: Number line. First printings include “1.”

Historical note: Older Simon & Schuster books (1930s-1960s) often have the colophon of the “sower” on the title page. This is present on ALL editions — not a first edition indicator.

Important titles: Joseph Heller (Catch-22), various commercial fiction

Little, Brown and Company

Current system: Number line. “First Edition” stated on copyright page.

Historical: “FIRST EDITION” printed on copyright page; removed on later printings. Some mid-century Little, Brown books use month-year codes.

Critical for: J.D. Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye — Book-of-the-Month Club first printing vs. trade first printing is a common confusion), David Foster Wallace (Infinite Jest)

The Salinger trap: The Catcher in the Rye first printing has “first edition” stated on copyright page. The BOMC edition was issued simultaneously — look for the BOMC blind stamp on the rear board and the clipped dust jacket (BOMC copies were price-clipped).

Houghton Mifflin

System: “First Printing” indicated on copyright page with a date. Later printings add “Second Printing [date]” etc. Some use number lines from the 1970s onward.

Important titles: Tolkien (American first editions of The Lord of the Rings — but Tolkien firsts are primarily British, Allen & Unwin), DeLillo (Americana, End Zone, Great Jones Street)

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG)

System: Number line. “First edition, [year]” on copyright page (or “First American edition” for titles originating with foreign publishers).

Important titles: Tom Wolfe (The Bonfire of the Vanities), Jonathan Franzen (The Corrections, Freedom), Roberto Bolaño (English translations), Marilynne Robinson (Gilead, Housekeeping)

Doubleday

System: “First Edition” stated on copyright page (removed on later printings). Some use number lines from the 1980s onward.

Historical complication: Doubleday was also the parent company of several book clubs. Their book club editions are especially common and easily confused with trade first editions.

Important titles: Isaac Asimov, Ken Follett

W.W. Norton

System: “First Edition” on copyright page with number line. First printings have “1” in the line.

Putnam / G.P. Putnam’s Sons

System: Number line from the 1980s. Earlier: “First American Edition” or printing notice.

Important titles: Tom Clancy, Stephen King (some titles)

Jonathan Cape (UK)

System: “First published [year]” on copyright page. No additional printing notices = first printing. Later printings add “Reprinted [year].”

Important titles: Ian Fleming (all Bond novels are Cape firsts), Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie

Faber and Faber (UK)

System: “First published in [year] by Faber and Faber” on copyright page. Later printings add “Second impression” etc.

Important titles: T.S. Eliot, William Golding (Lord of the Flies), Kazuo Ishiguro (UK editions), Sally Rooney (UK editions), Sylvia Plath

Secker & Warburg (UK)

System: “First published [year]” with no additional printing statements = first printing.

Important titles: George Orwell (1984, Animal Farm), Salman Rushdie (some titles)

Common Mistakes and Traps

Mistake 1: “First Edition” Doesn’t Always Mean First Printing

Some publishers (notably Random House pre-1970s) left “First Edition” on the copyright page through multiple printings but changed the printing number on a separate line. Always check both the edition statement AND the number line or printing notice.

Mistake 2: Later Editions by Different Publishers

When a book moves from one publisher to another (rights sold, publisher acquired, paperback rights separate from hardcover), each publisher may issue their own “first edition.” These are “first [Publisher] editions” — NOT true first editions.

Example: The Road by Cormac McCarthy was first published by Knopf (2006). Vintage published a “First Vintage International Edition” in 2007. The Vintage is a paperback reprint, not a first edition.

Mistake 3: Reprint Publisher Editions

Franklin Library, Easton Press, Limited Editions Club, Heritage Press, and Folio Society produce special editions of previously published titles. These are NEVER first editions regardless of production quality or “first printing” notices they may carry.

Mistake 4: Print-on-Demand Copies

Modern POD technology means some older titles are now available in newly printed copies through Amazon and other channels. These are not collectible regardless of what the copyright page says.

Mistake 5: Book Club Editions vs. First Printings

Book-of-the-Month Club and Literary Guild issued simultaneous editions of many titles. See the Book Club identification section in this guide. When in doubt, check for the blind stamp on the rear board, weigh the book (BCEs are lighter), and examine paper quality.

The “Points” System

For particularly valuable first editions, collectors have identified specific points — textual errors, binding variants, or physical features that distinguish the absolute first printing from later states within the same printing.

Famous Examples

The Great Gatsby (1925):

• “sick in tired” on p. 205, line 16 (corrected to “sickantired” in later states)
• “chatter” on p. 60, line 16 (corrected to “charter”)
• “northern” on p. 119, line 22 (corrected to “southern”)

The Sun Also Rises (1926):

• “stopped” misspelled as “stoppped” on p. 181, line 26 (first state only)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997):

• “1 wand” duplicated in the equipment list on p. 53
• “Philosopher’s Stane” on rear cover
• Joanne Rowling (not J.K.) on copyright page

Points matter most for very high-value books where slight textual variants can mean five- or six-figure price differences. For most collecting, the edition statement and number line are sufficient identification.

Quick Reference Table

The universal principle: When in doubt, the ABSENCE of a later printing notice is the strongest indicator. A true first printing from any publisher should show NO evidence of being anything other than the first impression — no “Second Printing,” no missing number from the number line, no additional date added.