How to Identify True First Edition Books

Look on the copyright page, which normally comes before a title page. A true first edition is often labeled as such with the words ̶0;First Edition̶1; on the copyright page.

Read all the fine print on the copyright page. A true first edition it will not include the words "Second Edition" or any later edition on the copyright page. The page will not denote any printing other than "First Printing." If the page carries the phrase ̶0;Book Club Edition̶1; or similar, the book is almost certainly not a true first edition.

Look for a number line, a sequence of numbers from 10 down to 1, on the copyright page if the book was published in the 1970s or later. Some publishers use this line to indicate which printing the book belongs to. If the number line contains the number 1, there's a good chance you have a true first printing of the book.

Compare your book to listings in antique book price guides or rare book identification guides. These often point out very specific details that only true first editions have. For example, first editions of John Grisham's "A Time to Kill" include a subtitle on the jacket cover that did not appear on the covers of subsequent printings and editions. Other first editions might include a dedication, a printing error on a certain page, and so on.