How to identify a first printing
- First printing is identified by a complete descending number line on the copyright page ending in 1 (for example 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the lowest number present indicates the printing
- As a Penguin Publishing Group imprint, Avery titles generally do NOT carry an explicit "First edition" statement — rely on the number line, not on wording
Notable points & cautions
- Health, wellness, and cooking imprint within Penguin Publishing Group, part of Penguin Random House
- Came into Penguin Random House through Penguin's lineage
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Avery, TarcherPerigee (sister imprint within Penguin Publishing Group). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Avery book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. First printing is identified by a complete descending number line on the copyright page ending in 1 (for example 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the lowest number present indicates the printing As a Penguin Publishing Group imprint, Avery titles generally do NOT carry an explicit "First edition" statement — rely on the number line, not on wording
Does Avery use a number line?
As a Penguin Publishing Group imprint, Avery titles generally do NOT carry an explicit "First edition" statement — rely on the number line, not on wording
Is a book-club edition a Avery first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Health, wellness, and cooking imprint within Penguin Publishing Group, part of Penguin Random House
What era does this cover?
This covers Avery (1976–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Avery titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- American Slavery As It Is (Theodore Dwight Weld, with Angelina Grimke Weld and Sarah Grimke, 1839)
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (Frederick Douglass, 1845)
- Our Nig; or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black (Harriet E. Wilson, 1859)