These four words — edition, impression, issue, state — are responsible for more arguments among book collectors than any pricing dispute. They sound similar. They are not.
Edition
An edition is every copy of a book printed from substantially the same setting of type (or, in modern terms, the same digital file). When the text is revised, corrected, or significantly reset, a new edition is created.
- "First edition" = the first time this text was typeset and printed
- "Second edition" = the text was revised, expanded, or corrected and reset
- "Revised edition," "enlarged edition," "abridged edition" — all new editions
In Shelvd, the Edition field records the edition statement as given on the title page or copyright page: "First edition," "Third revised edition," "Limited edition of 500 copies."
Impression (or Printing)
An impression (also called a "printing") is a single print run from the same typesetting. The first time the press runs, that's the first impression. If the publisher orders another run without changing anything, that's the second impression.
- First edition, first impression = the holy grail for collectors
- First edition, second impression = same text, same type, printed later
- First edition, tenth impression = the publisher liked the sales figures
The Impression field in Shelvd records this: "First impression," "2nd printing," "Third impression, 1987."
How to identify the impression? Check the copyright page. Many modern publishers use a number line: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 — the lowest number present indicates the impression.
Issue
An issue is a deliberate, planned change made during or between impressions — typically affecting the binding, title page, or preliminaries, but not the text block itself.
Example: A publisher issues the same book in cloth and in wrappers simultaneously. These are two issues of the same edition and impression. Or a title page is cancelled and replaced before some copies are bound.
Record issue points in the Issue/State field: "First issue with publisher's catalog dated March 1925."
State
A state is an unplanned change discovered during production — a typo corrected mid-run, a cancel leaf inserted, a plate replaced. States are accidents that became collectible.
The famous example: The Great Gatsby first edition has a typographical error on page 205 ("sick in tired" instead of "sick and tired") that was corrected during the print run. Copies with the error are the first state; corrected copies are the second state. The first state is worth more, because book collecting rewards mistakes.
In Shelvd
Use the fields as follows:
| Field | What to record | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Edition | Edition statement | "First edition" |
| Impression | Printing number | "First impression" |
| Issue/State | Bibliographic issue or state points | "First issue with errata slip" |
| Edition Notes | Anything else — limitation, variant, bibliographic reference | "One of 500 copies on handmade paper. Carter A12." |
When in doubt, record what you can identify and note what you can't. The honest "First edition (impression unknown)" is infinitely better than a guess.
📖 Related on the blog: First Edition, First Printing, The Colophon