How to identify a first printing
- Modern firsts use 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 a printing-year line or an explicit later-edition statement.
- Pre-number-line titles (the Press was founded in 1918) carry no first-edition statement, so use the matching-year plus no-reprint-notice test.
- Cloth and paper bindings are often issued together; each binding may carry its own number line, so a paperback line terminating in 1 only marks the first paperback printing, which is not necessarily the first edition if a cloth issue preceded it.
Notable points & cautions
- Cloth and paper editions are frequently issued simultaneously, so verify which binding came first before treating a terminating-1 line as the true first edition.
- Strong music, sport history, communications, and labor history lists.
- When a letter or code appears alongside the number line, it may denote a printing, manufacturer, or binding detail rather than the edition; do not assume it confirms a first without corroboration.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: University of Illinois Press. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my University of Illinois Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern firsts use 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 a printing-year line or an explicit later-edition statement.
Does University of Illinois Press use a number line?
First printings show a single copyright year with no reprint history; later printings add a printing-year line or an explicit later-edition statement.
Is a book-club edition a University of Illinois Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Cloth and paper editions are frequently issued simultaneously, so verify which binding came first before treating a terminating-1 line as the true first edition.
What era does this cover?
This covers University of Illinois Press (1918-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.