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.

August 29, 2008

Bloodline was written by Ernest Gaines. The first edition was published in 1968 by Dial Press. It was 249 pages long, and the retail price was $4.95.

First edition criteria: "FIRST PRINTING, 1968" is stated on the copyright page. Boards are red with black lettering. Back of dust jacket has photo of the author with no reviews nor any other writing. Click here for more photos...

August 26, 2008

Stones from the River was written by Ursula Hegi. The first edition was published in 1994 by Poseidon Press. It was 507 pages long, and the retail price was $23.00. Stones from the River is an Oprah's Book Club selection.

Here are the first edition criteria: Copyright pages has full number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" and ISBN 0-671-78075-1. Boards are cream with gold lettering on a maroon cloth spine. The true first edition was published by Poseidon Press and should not be confused with the Simon and Schuster edition which was published after the Poseidon edition and which has a different ISBN. Click here for more photos...

August 23, 2008

Song of Solomon was written by Toni Morrison. The first edition was published in 1977 by Alfred A. Knopf. It was 337 pages long, and the retail price was $8.95. Song of Solomon is an Oprah's Book Club selection.

The first edition criteria are as follows: First Edition is stated on the copyright page with no references to subsequent printings. Boards are black cloth with gold lettering on spine and blind stamped title on the front. Dust Jacket back flap has photo of author with a biography that mentions only Song of Solomon, and has "9/77" on the lower left corner. The back panel has four reviews for Sula, three reviews for The Bluest Eye, and the ISBN on the lower right corner. Click here for more photos...

August 20, 2008

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was written by Carson McCullers. The first edition was published in 1940 by Houghton Mifflin Company. It was 356 pages long, and the retail price was $2.50. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is an Oprah's Book Club selection.

Here are the first edition criteria: 1940 is stated on both the title page and the copyright page. Binding is oatmeal cloth with maroon lettering. Photo of author on back of dust jacket with three reviews. Back dust jacket flap has a review of Summer's Lease by E. Arnot Robertson. Click here for more photos...

August 17, 2008

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was written by J.K. Rowling. The first edition was published in 2003 by Bloomsbury. It was 766 pages long, and the retail price was £16.99.

The first edition criteria are as follows: "First published in Great Britain in 2003" is stated on the copyright page toward the top, and "First edition" is stated near the bottom. The boards are illustrated to match the dust jacket. Click here for more photos...

August 14, 2008

End Zone was written by Don DeLillo. The first edition was published in 1972 by Houghton Mifflin Company. It was 242 pages long, and the retail price was $5.95.

Here are the first edition criteria: First Printing is stated on the copyright page with no references to subsequent printings. Back of dust jacket has reviews of Americana by Joyce Carol Oates, Nelson Algren, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, Barbara A. Bannon, and William A. McBrien. The back flap has a photo of the author. Boards are black cloth with silver lettering on front and on spine, and with blue/green topstain. Click here for more photos...

August 11, 2008

The Stepford Wives was written by Ira Levin. The first edition was published in 1972 by Random House. It was 145 pages long, and the retail price was $4.95.

Here are the first edition criteria: First Edition is stated below the Random House number line "98765432". Boards are tan with cream cloth spine and gold lettering. Dust jacket has photo of author on the back with his name on the bottom left and ISBN on bottom right. No reviews on dust jacket. The front flaps of all copies we have seen are clipped at the corner and have round price stickers near the clip. This price change was presumably made by the publisher before the books were released. Click here for more photos...

August 10, 2008

At Paradise Gate was written by Jane Smiley. The first edition was published in 1981 by Simon and Schuster. It was 224 pages long, and the retail price was $12.95.

First edition criteria: Copyright pages has full number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2". Boards are greenish gray with orange cloth spine. Back of dust jacket has three reviews on the back panel, and a photo of the author on the back flap. Click here for more photos...

August 09, 2008

Victory Over Japan was written by Ellen Gilchrist. The first edition was published in 1984 by Little, Brown and Company. It was 277 pages long, and the retail price was $15.95. Victory Over Japan won the National Book Award.

Here are the first edition criteria: FIRST EDITION is stated on copyright page with no references to subsequent printings. Boards are light brown with dark brown spine and gold lettering. Back of dust jacket has no mention of any awards, and has three reviews - The London Times Literary Suppliment, The Washington Post, and Harper's. Click here for more photos...

August 08, 2008

World's Fair was written by E.L. Doctorow. The first edition was published in 1985 by Random House. It was 288 pages long, and the retail price was $17.95. World's Fair won the National Book Award.

The first edition criteria are as follows: First Edition is stated on the copyright page below Random House number line "24689753". Boards are blue with gold lettering on spine. Back of jacket has photo of the author with no reviews. 300 copies of the first edition were specially bound with special signed limitation pages tipped in, and were published in slipcases instead of dust jackets.

Click here for more photos...

August 07, 2008

The Hair of Harold Roux was written by Thomas Williams. The first edition was published in 1974 by Random House. It was 373 pages long, and the retail price was $7.95. The Hair of Harold Roux won the National Book Award.

Here are the first edition criteria: FIRST EDITION is stated both on the top of the copyright page, and on the bottom of the copyright page (in proper case) beneath the Random House number line "24689753". Boards are maroon with gold lettering. Back of dust jacket has photo and biography of the author, and no reviews. Click here for more photos...

August 05, 2008

Americana was written by Don DeLillo. The first edition was published in 1971 by Houghton Mifflin Company. It was 388 pages long, and the retail price was $6.95.

The first edition criteria are as follows: "First Printing" is stated on the copyright page with not references to subsequent printings. Dust jacket has photo of author on the back panel and no reviews anywhere on the jacket. Boards are red with blue metallic title on front, blue cloth spine with red lettering, and blue topstain. Click here for more photos...

August 04, 2008

Morte D'Urban was written by J.F. Powers. The first edition was published in 1962 by Doubleday. It was 336 pages long, and the retail price was $4.50. Morte D'Urban won the National Book Award.

Here are the first edition criteria: "First Edition" is stated on the bottom of the copyright page and 1962 is stated on the bottom of the title page. Boards are black 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.