How to identify a first printing
- Modern firsts use a copyright-page number line; a terminating 1 indicates a first printing.
- First printings show a single copyright year with no reprint list.
- Later printings add printing-year lines or explicit reprint statements.
Notable points & cautions
- Iowa's only university press; publishes the Iowa Short Fiction Award and Iowa Poetry Prize series, whose collectible literary firsts follow the terminating-1 number-line rule.
- Bur Oak Books is the regional Great Plains natural-history sub-imprint, named for Iowa's state tree.
- Smaller list; standard academic conventions, thin points documentation.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: University of Iowa Press, Bur Oak Books (regional/natural-history imprint). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my University of Iowa Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern firsts use a copyright-page number line; a terminating 1 indicates a first printing. First printings show a single copyright year with no reprint list.
Does University of Iowa Press use a number line?
First printings show a single copyright year with no reprint list.
Is a book-club edition a University of Iowa Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Iowa's only university press; publishes the Iowa Short Fiction Award and Iowa Poetry Prize series, whose collectible literary firsts follow the terminating-1 number-line rule.
What era does this cover?
This covers University of Iowa Press (1969-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.