How to Identify a Columbia University Press First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Copyright page states later printings/editions; a first printing carries the copyright line with no subsequent-printing notice. Modern titles add a number line where '1' = first printing.
• Revised and expanded editions are explicitly dated and numbered on the copyright page.
• Many translation series (e.g., Translations from the Asian Classics) are reprinted/revised — check the printing history line.

Notable points & cautions

• Standard academic convention: later printings noted rather than the first affirmatively marked (pre-number-line era).
• Wallflower Press (film studies) and other acquired imprints may show their own pre-Columbia printing history.

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Columbia Classics in Asian Literature, Wallflower Press (film), Woodrow Wilson Center Press (distributed). Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Columbia University Press book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Copyright page states later printings/editions; a first printing carries the copyright line with no subsequent-printing notice. Modern titles add a number line where '1' = first printing. Revised and expanded editions are explicitly dated and numbered on the copyright page.

Does Columbia University Press use a number line?

Revised and expanded editions are explicitly dated and numbered on the copyright page.

Is a book-club edition a Columbia University Press first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Standard academic convention: later printings noted rather than the first affirmatively marked (pre-number-line era).

What era does this cover?

This covers Columbia University Press (1893–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.