How to identify a first printing
- Founded in 1964 (as Technical Author's Bureau) by Verne M. Ray and Malcolm Parks Jr., and reorganized as TAB Books Inc. in 1980, TAB published technical and hobby how-to titles in electronics, aviation, marine, and automotive subjects. Independent-era first printings carry no later-printing notation; subsequent printings note additional printings.
- After McGraw-Hill acquired TAB, titles follow McGraw-Hill's number-line convention: the copyright page shows a number line, often flanked by a two-letter printer/binder code (for example a 'DOC/DOC' Donnelley code). The presence of '1' in the number line indicates a first printing; the letter codes are printer codes, not edition indicators.
- In all eras, distinguish a first printing from a first/second/third EDITION on revised technical manuals: a stated new edition resets the number line, so the first printing of a later edition carries '1' but is not the original first edition of the work.
Notable points & cautions
- The Aero imprint reflects TAB's 1986 acquisition of Aero Publishers (Fallbrook, California), a general-aviation and aircraft-history house; later titles appeared under joint Aero/TAB imprints widely collected by pilots.
- McGraw-Hill acquired TAB in 1990; the line later became 'TAB/McGraw-Hill' and folded into McGraw-Hill's professional list, following McGraw-Hill's number-line rule.
- Heavily reprinted reference titles; judge state by the number line rather than the cover.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: TAB Books, Aero (acquired aviation imprint), TAB/Aero, TAB/McGraw-Hill (post-acquisition). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my TAB Books (Tab Books Inc.) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Founded in 1964 (as Technical Author's Bureau) by Verne M. Ray and Malcolm Parks Jr., and reorganized as TAB Books Inc. in 1980, TAB published technical and hobby how-to titles in electronics, aviation, marine, and automotive subjects. Independent-era first printings carry no later-printing notation; subsequent printings note additional printings. After McGraw-Hill acquired TAB, titles follow McGraw-Hill's number-line convention: the copyright page shows a number line, often flanked by a two-letter printer/binder code (for example a 'DOC/DOC' Donnelley code). The presence of '1' in the number line indicates a first printing; the letter codes are printer codes, not edition indicators.
Does TAB Books (Tab Books Inc.) use a number line?
After McGraw-Hill acquired TAB, titles follow McGraw-Hill's number-line convention: the copyright page shows a number line, often flanked by a two-letter printer/binder code (for example a 'DOC/DOC' Donnelley code). The presence of '1' in the number line indicates a first printing; the letter codes are printer codes, not edition indicators.
Is a book-club edition a TAB Books (Tab Books Inc.) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. The Aero imprint reflects TAB's 1986 acquisition of Aero Publishers (Fallbrook, California), a general-aviation and aircraft-history house; later titles appeared under joint Aero/TAB imprints widely collected by pilots.
What era does this cover?
This covers TAB Books (Tab Books Inc.) (1964-present (independent to 1990, then McGraw-Hill)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.