How to identify a first printing
- Modern firsts carry a copyright-page number line; a sequence terminating in 1 indicates the first printing.
- First printings show a single copyright year with no reprint history; later printings add printing-year lines or an explicit paperback-edition statement.
- Pre-number-line titles (the Press was founded in 1938) carry no first-edition statement, so use the matching-year plus no-reprint-notice test.
Notable points & cautions
- Brown Thrasher Books is the Press's imprint for reprints of Georgia and Southern classics, so a Brown Thrasher issue is not the first edition of a cloth original.
- Publishes the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction series, established in 1983, whose volumes are collectible literary firsts identified by the terminating-1 number line.
- Oldest and largest publishing house in Georgia, with a strong Southern literature and history list.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: University of Georgia Press, Brown Thrasher Books (paperback reprint line for Georgia and Southern classics). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my University of Georgia Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern firsts carry a copyright-page number line; a sequence terminating in 1 indicates the first printing. First printings show a single copyright year with no reprint history; later printings add printing-year lines or an explicit paperback-edition statement.
Does University of Georgia Press use a number line?
First printings show a single copyright year with no reprint history; later printings add printing-year lines or an explicit paperback-edition statement.
Is a book-club edition a University of Georgia Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Brown Thrasher Books is the Press's imprint for reprints of Georgia and Southern classics, so a Brown Thrasher issue is not the first edition of a cloth original.
What era does this cover?
This covers University of Georgia Press (1938-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.