We are an online reference guide providing collectors the details
necessary to help identify modern first edition books.

The key to establishing a book's value is to first ensure that it is a first edition. A first editions is the earliest printed copy of a published book. Collectors look for first edition books because these tend to have the highest demand and the greatest potential to increase in value over time. There are standard identification criteria that first editions conform because most, but not all, first edition books follow an established identification method established by each book publisher. These first edition criteria are details about what a book looked like when it was initially printed as a first edition. These details include details such as certain codes on the copyright page, the type of the binding, and particular text on the dust jacket.

In addition to the first edition criteria, there are sometimes points of issue that describe some part of a book which changes during the first printing without the standard first edition identification of the publisher changing, thus creating some copies of the first edition that have the point, and some that do not have the point. The most common type of first edition points of issue are typographical mistakes that were changed during the first printing. In these cases, the copies with the mistake are more desirable because they represent the earliest state of a first edition.

The fedpo.com website helps a collector understand the identification criteria and any first edition points of issue by describing details such as a book's binding, a specific typographical error, or a dust jacket review that can only be found on the earliest printings. First edition criteria and points of issue are usually subtle, but they are important features that distinguish a rare first edition from a common reprint.

The most common first edition criteria can be found on a book's copyright page. The copyright page may say that a book is a first edition, or a first printing, or first impression; and it may state additional printing information, or it may provide a printing code indicating what printing a book is from. Each publisher has used various methods over the years to indicate a book's edition and printing. Another common first edition indicator is a book's cover price, which is typically printed on the dust jacket. The presence of a price on a dust jacket is also the most fundamental way to ensure that the dust jacket is not from a book club edition or other type of reprint. Book club editions look similar to genuine first editions, but they are not first editions, and they have very little collectible value.

To find first edition criteria for a specific book, simply type in the name of the book, or the name of the author in the fields above; or browse all of our available entries by clicking on the bars at the bottom of this page. We have pages for hundreds of collectible books where we describe first edition criteria, provide photographs of known first editions, and provide pre-filled eBay, AbeBooks, and Biblio search links for each book so you can quickly establish its most recent market value.

April 30, 2008

Field Guide was written by Robert Hass. The first edition was published in 1973 by Yale University Press. It was 73 pages long, and the retail price was $5.00.

Here are the first edition criteria: Both title page and copyright page state 1973, and copyright page has no references to additional printings. $5.00 U.S. price is on the top of the front flap, and £2.25 UK price is on the bottom of the same flap. One review on back of dust jacket by Stanley Kunitz. (Book photos courtesy of Dan Baranow.) Click here for more photos...

April 16, 2008

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was written by Betty Smith. The first edition was published in 1943 by Harper and Brothers. It was 443 pages long, and the retail price was $2.75.

The first edition criteria are as follows: FIRST EDITION is stated on the copyright page above "D-S" and below "8-43". Binding is green cloth with paper spine label. $2.75 price is on the upper corner of the front dust jacket flap, and "5338" is on the bottom. Click here for more photos...

April 12, 2008

The Audacity of Hope was written by Barack Obama. The first edition was published in 2006 by Crown. It was 375 pages long, and the retail price was $25.00.

Here are the first edition criteria: "First Edition" is stated on the copyright page below full number line "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1". $21.00 (CANADA: $33.00) is on the top front dust jacket flap. The first issue dust jacket has on the back panel a quote from the book. The second issue jacket has reviews. The first issue jacket has been found on books as late as the third printing. Click here for more photos...

April 11, 2008

A Lession Before Dying was written by Ernest J. Gaines. The first edition was published in 1993 by Alfred A. Knopf. It was 256 pages long, and the retail price was $21.00. A Lession Before Dying is an Oprah's Book Club selection.

The first edition criteria are as follows: FIRST EDITION is stated on the copyright page. Binding is black with white cloth spine. $21.00 price is on the upper corner of the front dust jacket flap, and there are four reviews on the back.

A special signed Advance Reading Copy (not shown) precedes the first edition. It is a soft cover and was issued in a pictorial cardboard slipcase. There was also a signed leather bound edition published by Easton Press about five years after the first edition, and obviously not a first. Click here for more photos...

April 09, 2008

Schindler's List (U.S.) was written by Thomas Keneally. The first edition was published in 1982 by Simon and Schuster. It was 400 pages long, and the retail price was $16.95.

Here are the first edition criteria: This is the first U.S. edition. Copyright page has full number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2". Boards are gray with mustard colored cloth spine with black letters. Back of dust jacket has three blurbs with "1082-1650" on the bottom left, and "0-671-44977-X" on the bottom right.

There was also a signed leather bound edition published by Easton Press about 17 years after the first edition, and obviously not a first.

Note: The true first edition of this book was published as "Schindler's Ark" earlier in 1982 by Hodder and Stoughton in the UK. "First printed 1982" is stated on the copyright page with no references to subsequent printings. Click here for more photos...

April 07, 2008

Gorky Park was written by Martin Cruz Smith. The first edition was published in 1981 by Random House. It was 365 pages long, and the retail price was $13.95.

The first edition criteria are as follows: FIRST EDITION is stated below Random House number line "2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3" on the copyright page. Boards are white with author's initials on the front cover and black cloth spine with silver lettering. Dust jacket has three reviews on the back by P.D. James, Peter Matthiessen, and Harrison Salisbury. Click here for more photos...

April 05, 2008

Rembrandt's Hat was written by Bernard Malamud. The first edition was published in 1973 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. It was 204 pages long, and the retail price was $6.95.

Here are the first edition criteria: "First printing, 1973" is stated on the copyright page with no mention of subsequent printings. Boards are maroon with white cloth spine. Dust jacket has no reviews. Back of dust jacket has photo of the author. Click here for more photos...

April 03, 2008

Angela's Ashes was written by Frank McCourt. The first edition was published in 1996 by Scribner. It was 364 pages long, and the retail price was $23.00. Angela's Ashes won the Pulitzer Prize for Autobiography.

Here are the first edition criteria: Copyright page has full number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2". Boards are plum colored with burgundy cloth spine. Dust jacket price is $23.00 on the first printing. It was changed to $24.00 on the second printing and the next few printing after that. It was then changes to $25.00. The back of the dust jacket has the number "09962250" on the bottom right corner, and "52300" over the smaller bar code on the bottom left corner.

Warning: The book club edition also has a full number line, but the boards are a cream color with burgundy spine. Click here for more photos...

April 01, 2008

Ship of Fools was written by Katherine Anne Porter. The first edition was published in 1962 by Little Brown. It was 497 pages long, and the retail price was $6.50 .

Here are the first edition criteria: FIRST EDITION is stated on the copyright page. Boards are yellow cloth. Click here for more photos...

This website is intended to help guide you and give you insight into what to look for when identifying first editions. As such, the information presented here may not always be 100% accurate. Gathering and updating information about these books is more an art than a science, so some of our first edition points may be wrong. If you spot a mistake, drop us an e-mail and we will do our best to investigate and fix it.

We are an online reference guide providing collectors the details
necessary to help identify modern first edition books.

We are an online reference guide providing collectors the details necessary to help identify modern first edition books.

We are an online reference guide providing collectors the details
necessary to help identify modern first edition books.