How to identify a first printing
- Pre-c.1980 (publishing as the U.S. Naval Institute; the formal 'Naval Institute Press' imprint name dates from 1968): first printings carry NO additional-printing notation on the copyright page. Later printings add an explicit 'Second printing', 'Third printing', etc. Absence of any printing statement is the first-printing tell.
- c.1980-present: a number line appears on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a line containing '1' (e.g. '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' or '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') signals a first printing. Some titles also state 'First edition' or 'First printing' explicitly.
- All eras: when neither a number line nor an explicit statement is present and no 'Second/Third printing' line appears, treat as a first printing. NIP's house convention is to add a printing notation only on subsequent printings.
Notable points & cautions
- NIP first published Tom Clancy's 'The Hunt for Red October' in October 1984 in a first printing of only about 5,000 copies; the true first has an unpriced dust jacket, six blurbs on the back (the third by Clive Cussler), no stated printing and no 'First Edition' line on the copyright page. Later mass-market reprints were licensed to other houses.
- Bluejacket Books is a paperback reprint imprint, not a first-edition line.
- The date on the title or copyright page should match the copyright year for a first printing.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Bluejacket Books (paperback reprint line), U.S. Naval Institute (parent, founded 1873). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Naval Institute Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Pre-c.1980 (publishing as the U.S. Naval Institute; the formal 'Naval Institute Press' imprint name dates from 1968): first printings carry NO additional-printing notation on the copyright page. Later printings add an explicit 'Second printing', 'Third printing', etc. Absence of any printing statement is the first-printing tell. c.1980-present: a number line appears on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a line containing '1' (e.g. '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' or '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') signals a first printing. Some titles also state 'First edition' or 'First printing' explicitly.
Does Naval Institute Press use a number line?
c.1980-present: a number line appears on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a line containing '1' (e.g. '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' or '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') signals a first printing. Some titles also state 'First edition' or 'First printing' explicitly.
Is a book-club edition a Naval Institute Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. NIP first published Tom Clancy's 'The Hunt for Red October' in October 1984 in a first printing of only about 5,000 copies; the true first has an unpriced dust jacket, six blurbs on the back (the third by Clive Cussler), no stated printing and no 'First Edition' line on the copyright page. Later mass-market reprints were licensed to other houses.
What era does this cover?
This covers Naval Institute Press (1898-present (Naval Institute Press imprint name from 1968)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.