The fastest check: First printings show a descending number line on the copyright page ending in '1' (e.g., '5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest digit indicates the printing.
How to identify a first printing
- First printings show a descending number line on the copyright page ending in '1' (e.g., '5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest digit indicates the printing.
- Many scholarly or early titles state 'First published' or give only a copyright year.
- Translations of Latin American liberation-theology works often carry both an original-language copyright and the English copyright; the Orbis English first printing is dated by its own number line or first-printing statement.
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
- Publishing arm of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America); the leading English-language house for liberation theology and global/contextual theology.
- Among the most collectible first English editions is Gustavo Gutiérrez's 'A Theology of Liberation' (Orbis, 1973), translated by Caridad Inda and John Eagleson; verify via the complete number line or first-printing statement and the 1973 date.
- Academic list with steady reprints, so rely on the number line for post-1980 books.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Orbis Books book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. First printings show a descending number line on the copyright page ending in '1' (e.g., '5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest digit indicates the printing. Many scholarly or early titles state 'First published' or give only a copyright year.
Does Orbis Books use a number line?
Many scholarly or early titles state 'First published' or give only a copyright year.
Is a book-club edition a Orbis Books first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Publishing arm of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America); the leading English-language house for liberation theology and global/contextual theology.
What era does this cover?
This covers Orbis Books (1970–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.