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.

February 27, 2009

Three Junes was written by Julia Glass. The first edition was published in 2002 by Pantheon. It was 353 pages long, and the retail price was $25.00 . Three Junes won the National Book Award.

Here are the first edition criteria: First Edition is stated above 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 number line on the copyright page. Back of dust jacket has blurbs by Richard Russo, John Casey, and Michael Cunningham. Click here for more photos...

February 25, 2009

Tar Baby was written by Toni Morrison. The first edition was published in 1981 by Franklin Library. It was 312 pages long, and the retail price was None.

Here are the first edition criteria: The true first edition is the Franklin Library Limited First Edition (see the first four photos). It was published by a special arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf, publishers of the first trade edition (the last six photos). Click here for more photos...

February 22, 2009

Moby Dick (Illustrated by Rockwell Kent) was written by Herman Melville. The first edition was published in 1930 by Random House. It was 822 pages long.

Here are the first edition criteria: This is not the 1851 true first edition. Rather, this is the 1930 edition that was illustrated by Rockwell Kent. The first Rockwell Kent edition was a three volume set published by the Lakeside Press with acetate dust jackets in an aluminum slipcase. These range in value from $9,000 to $11,000.

Below are photos of the Rockwell Kent first trade edition which was published by Random House. These range in value from $150 to $1,500. Click here for more photos...

February 21, 2009

Dog Soldiers was written by Robert Stone. The first edition was published in 1974 by Houghton Mifflin Company. It was 342 pages long, and the retail price was $8.95 . Dog Soldiers won the National Book Award.

Here are the first edition criteria: FIRST PRINTING is stated on the copyright page. Dust jacket carries a price of $8.95 on the upper corner of the front flap. Click here for more photos...

February 17, 2009

The Pearl was written by John Steinbeck. The first edition was published in 1947 by Viking. It was 122 pages long, and the retail price was $2.00 .

The first edition criteria are as follows: PUBLISHED BY THE VIKING PRESS IN DECEMBER 1947 is stated on the copyright page with no references to later printings. The dust jacket has price of $2.00 on the upper corner of the front flap. First issue dust jacket has Steinbeck on the back panel looking toward his left (toward the book�s spine). Click here for more photos...

February 14, 2009

All the Pretty Horses was written by Cormac McCarthy. The first edition was published in 1992 by Alfred A. Knopf. It was 302 pages long, and the retail price was $21.00 . All the Pretty Horses won the National Book Award.

The first edition criteria are as follows: First Edition is stated on the copyright page. The dust jacket carries a $21.00 price on the upper corner of the front flap. There is a variant dust jacket where the text begins with a black letter "A" on the front flap rather than a green "A" which is typically found on most first editions. The variant dust jacket also has four reviews on the back panel rather than the five reviews typically found on most first editions.

There was also a special advance reading copy, that was signed by McCarthy. this advance copy is a softcover issued in a slipcase. Click here for more photos...

February 11, 2009

Invisible Man was written by Ralph Ellison. The first edition was published in 1952 by Random House. It was 439 pages long, and the retail price was $3.50 . Invisible Man won the National Book Award.

First edition criteria: FIRST PRINTING is stated on the copyright page. binding is beige and black cloth boards with illustrations and lettered on the spine, and dark blue top stain. The dust jacket has $3.50 price and the author's picture on the back. The dust jacket seems to be unchanged across at least the first four printings. Click here for more photos...

February 09, 2009

From Here to Eternity was written by James Jones. The first edition was published in 1951 by Charles Scribner's Sons. It was 861 pages long, and the retail price was $4.50 . From Here to Eternity won the National Book Award.

The first edition criteria are as follows: The first edition was a limited edition with an extra page for the signature. Below is the first trade edition with the A and Scribner colophon on the copyright page. Binding is black cloth. Dust jacket has a photo of the author with no reviews on the back. Click here for more photos...

February 07, 2009

A Separate Peace (U.S.) was written by John Knowles. The first edition was published in 1960 by Macmillan. It was 186 pages long, and the retail price was $3.50.

The first edition criteria are as follows: The true first edition was published in the UK by Secker and Warburg. Below is the first U.S. edition. First Printing is stated on the copyright page. Binding is grayish-blue cloth with dark blue lettering on spine and front. The first issue dust jacket has an illustration of Gene and Finny on the front. The second issue jacket has more reviews and no illustrations. Click here for more photos...

February 02, 2009

Sometimes You See It Coming was written by Kevin Baker. The first edition was published in 1993 by Crown Publishers. It was 326 pages long, and the retail price was $20.00.

First edition criteria: First Edition is stated below full number line "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" on copyright page. Binding is light blue with blue metalic lettering on an orange cloth spine. Dust jacket has photo of the author with no reviews on the back. Click here for more photos...

February 01, 2009

The Great Fire was written by Shirley Hazzard. The first edition was published in 2003 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. It was 278 pages long, and the retail price was $24.00. The Great Fire won the National Book Award.

Here are the first edition criteria: First edition, 2003 is stated near the top of the copyright page, and number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" is on the bottom. The dust jacket has three reviews on the back - by Michael Cunningham, Joan Didion, and Ann Patchett.

There is a Today's Book Club dust jacket that has a logo printed on the front, and a forth review by Anita Shreve on the back. The Today's Book Club dust jacket also has a different ISBN than the true first dust jacket. But oddly enough the books that come in both jackets are identical - both books have the same ISBN on the copyright page. 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.