The fastest check: Stated on the copyright page
How to identify a first printing
- Stated on the copyright page
- Dust-jacket rear-panel letter code on later printings (pre-1993)
- Number line (1993–present)
Decode the printer's key: paste the number line into the number-line decoder, search any title in the First Edition Checker, or run a book through the identifier.
Notable points & cautions
- The dust-jacket rear-panel letter code is the Grove-specific tell for later printings before 1993.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Atlantic Monthly Press. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Grove Press / Grove Atlantic book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Stated on the copyright page Dust-jacket rear-panel letter code on later printings (pre-1993)
Does Grove Press / Grove Atlantic use a number line?
Dust-jacket rear-panel letter code on later printings (pre-1993)
Is a book-club edition a Grove Press / Grove Atlantic first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. The dust-jacket rear-panel letter code is the Grove-specific tell for later printings before 1993.
What era does this cover?
This covers Grove Press / Grove Atlantic. Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Grove Press / Grove Atlantic 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.
- The Pedant in the Kitchen (Julian Barnes, 2003)
- The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga, 2008)