Before we get into the details, its important to understand what a book club edition is. This means that book published in the authors own country is considered the true first. Stephen king novels first edition identification guide use the search to the right to search for title, publication date, publisher, etc title and cover. First, some bces are in fact the first appearance sometimes the only appearance of a title in print that is, the actual first edition, first printing, first you nameit. First edition copies state first edition on the page and the number sequence will be 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3. Identifying book club edition books a guide to identify. It is considered a book club edition rather than a true limited edition or gift edition. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Book of the month club bomc books and other editions released by book clubs are not usually candidates for a first edition. The majority of booksellers and collectors want the true first edition the edition of the book that supersedes all other editions chronologically and sometimes. Since our founding in 1992, first book has distributed more than 175 million books and educational resources to programs and.
There is no such thing as a first edition book club edition. Save over 40% all preorders are available at the membership price or one member credit, and because they are shipped separately, preorders are not eligible for feature selection bundle prices. Generally speaking, if the 1 is present, the book is a first edition first edition, first printing. Only the books that do not have those words are the ones that would have value. The confusion around first editions is illustrated by 1984 by george orwell. The book club edition on the right has lighter colored boards than the first edition on the left. General guidelines for identifying a first edition identifying. Often it is a new setting and with cheaper paper and binding.
If a book wins an award or otherwise earns acclaim or popularity and the books first printing was relatively small, copies of the first edition can become very valuable, and signed. How to identify first editions or a first printing of a book. Any photographic illustrations in the original are either absent or reduced in number. A book club edition is quite often of smaller size and printed on. The collector the best site for info on limited edition stephen king available at both and. Identifying and collecting first editions shop for books. Fedpo first edition frequently asked questions book club editions. Once again, this is the first book club edition, not the first printing of the first edition. For collectors, the first edition of a book is the most desired edition, especially if it is signed. We ship one signed first edition every month for each club, with the selections noted in our monthly newsletter for easy reference.
Choose from five monthly reads, vetted by cool people with great taste. I feel like its a book that can start a great conversation at a first book club meeting. Identifying, and valuing first edition dr seuss books. A book club edition is far less valuable than the true first u. Book club editions look similar to genuine first editions, but they are not first editions, and they have. Each signed first edition club pick is a first edition and first printing, personally signed by the author, delivered to you in pristine condition with its jacket in a transparent protective wrapping to extend the life of the book. But they lack the embossed diamond pattern on the book boards. How to identify book club editions page 1 of 2 bookthink. Picture of the first edition title page for the old man and the sea. This was a book club edition, hardbound, inscribed by dick to read i hope you did not become too depressed by ubik. First edition points to identify roots by alex haley. There are book club editions that have the same full number line as the true first u. Free shipping on many items browse your favorite brands affordable. Sfbc edition of ray bradburys martian chronicles is the true first.
The books homepage helps you explore earths biggest bookstore without ever leaving the comfort of your couch. Most often a book club edition weighs less than a true first editon. Specific points of issue for the first edition of pulitzer prize winner roots by. Ive heard some, though certainly not all book club editions can be. I now see a more hopeful world around us than i depicted herein. Picture of the first edition charles scribners sons boards for the old man and the sea. First printing copies are unique because they are the first published record of a book. Few of the selections met with great critical acclaim, but a. This book is truly amazing but the true enjoyment is. Book club edition does that mean that book has no value.
Members of the club receive a thoughtfully selected book each month. First book is a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books, learning materials, and other essentials to children in need. If the publisher sells out of the first run and goes back for another printing, that second printing is not considered true first editions, even. Here is a quick rundown of how to identify bookclub editions. In the case of titles published before 1900, the key to firstedition identification is often the date on the title page. A book club edition bce or book of the month club edition bomc refers to a book printed by a book club with cheaper materials than the original publishing house, and is generally not worth much to the serious collector. The estimated values are for first edition books, with dust jackets. Just by picking the book up will give you your first clue.
Book club editions are basically facsimiles of the true first editions. Few of the selections met with great critical acclaim, but a great. The most notorious are know as book club editions, which mislead many people into believing that they have a valuable first edition book when in fact they have a very common book club edition. You can search for first editions and limited editions of a time to kill on, and. Does this make first editions of oprahs book club selections any more valuable. Watermark draws its selections from the best new fiction and nonfiction titles. The vast majority of first editions published before 1900 had the year of publication on the title page this is true for fiction and nonfiction titles. Edition and printing can be used fairly interchangeably in talking about collectible books, especially in regard to modern fiction. Though some clubs had stores but you had to be member to buy there. A time to kill a novel of retribution by john grisham identifying first edition points of issue. A monthly subscription club for readers and collectors of quality signed, first edition books the ultimate way to build a personal library, our signed firsts club will please true collectors and lovers of the written word.
The book club edition on the right features a different photo of the author on the dust jacket. The book club edition dust jacket lacks a price and states book of the month club. Here youll find current best sellers in books, new releases in books, deals in books, kindle ebooks, audible audiobooks, and so much more. Still a good amount but a far cry from the what the true. May have occasionally stated first edition, but in general, the absence of a later printing statement indicates a first edition. Of course, but i think the mail distribution method was much more common, at least, all the people who i knew were members of a record club in germany got their records this way. Yukabaceraan edition of of a record distributed through mail by a record club, not sold in shops. First edition copies state first edition on the page and the number sequence will be. The majority of booksellers and collectors want the true first edition the edition of the book that supersedes all other editions chronologically and sometimes detective work is required to identify the true first. The reasons that book club editions are less valuable. We can relate to the predicament of john rambo, a haunted young man who only wants to be left alone by society, yet society wont let him be. A popular book is sometimes reissued under the imprint of a book club. The beginners guide to identifying first editions book riot.
Except for a few exceptions, you can be fairly certain that if you have a book club edition it is not a first edition. This website is intended to help guide you and give you insight into what to look for when identifying first. The reason they arent worth more money is because the true first editions had a limited print run while book club editions have a larger print run thats why there are so many out there. Look at the tips below to help identify a 1st edition firestarter. Free searchable database of modern first edition books. First blood by david morrell, is a true classic that set the trend for most of the action hero stories of modern time. Collecting book club editions book collectors librarything. Members of the club receive a thoughtfully selected book delivered to them each month. Ioba identifying book club editions independent online.
The signed first editions club is the ultimate way to build a personal library and will please true collectors and lovers of the written word. The presence of a date on the title page alone may identify books published prior to the mid1800s as first editions. Book of the month read more, research less, save money. Identifying, and valuing first edition dr seuss books the following table is an excerpt from our book the childrens picturebook price guide. This is especially true when there are many more reprintseditions of the book in publicationcirculation. Book clubs editions bces are reproductions of first editions, and even copy over their printing history. We show you what to look for so you can determine if you have a true first edition or a book club edition.
In these cases the first edition of the first publication of the book is described as the true first edition and will always be marked or described as such. For the second printing, the 1 is removed, so the 2 is the lowest number present. However, to most booksellers and collectors, a true first edition is both the first typeset version of the book and the first printing. Thanks to the fine persons i have met so recently, and with so much pleasure philip k dick. Stephen king novels first edition identification guide.
The best site on the net for info on rare stephen king books. Trim size is given because book club editions are often smaller than trade editions. Book club editions for the most part see the end of this writeup for the exceptions are not of collectible value and cause a lot of confusion for many book collectors. These links will take you directly to search results for 1st edition and limited edition copies copies for sale on the respective sites. Gift edition released by quality book club after first edition was released. I have heard that when a book has the words book club edition on it, no matter how old the book is, that book has no value. If there are two or more books described as a first edition, then a collector will want to know which one is superior. Picture of the 1998 first edition dust jacket for harry potter and the sorcerers stone u. As weve mentioned elsewhere, first edition means the first printing of a book. They are often reprints of the 1st editions, but very rarely worth money. Book club editions are sold to members at a good discount compared with the original issue price. It is important for collectors to identify book club editions and first trade.
The book club edition on the right is smaller than the true first edition on the left. First edition criteria and points for book identification. Below is a set of some other glossary terms that booksellers use to describe different editions. We never charge extra for autographed books and selections are all jacket price except for the british imports for obvious reasons. Also, book club edition dust jackets dj are occasionally found on first editions to replace lost or damaged jackets. As with many early viking editions, this book can be hard to authenticate as a true 1st edition. How to identify first editions book collecting guide. In most cases, books released through book ofthemonth club bomc are much nicer than book club editions bce released by the doubleday book clubs. Spend more time reading and less time figuring out what to read. The term first edition refers to the first printing of the earliest edition of a book. Picture of the back dust jacket flap for the first edition of the old man and the sea.