Jolly Olde BookBlog

The Number Line is a fairly new method of indicating the edition status of a book. This method shows a line of numbers on the copyright page, usually between 10 and 1. The sequence of the numbers varies between publishers but the basic principal remains the same – a first issue-edition-impression requires the presence of the number 1.For example 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 indicates a first printing. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 would indicate a second printing and so forth.

Of course, some publishers LOVE to confuse people, so they use LETTERS. If the sequence of letters ends with an ‘a’, it is a first printing. A ‘b’ is a 2nd, andso forth.

Now RANDOM HOUSE really love to mess with people. Their first printings end with a 2. Instead of the 1 they state “First Edition”.

Make sure you check for a price in the dustjacket, because you may still actually have a Book Club edition.

But I’ll get into THAT one next time…

The grand prize for book collectors out there is the First Edition, SIGNED by the author. Of course, not all book sellers are trustworthy, so you need to do your research to make sure the signature is authentic.

Here is a great little site what gives samples of author signatures to help you ensure you’re getting what you pay for!

http://www.purplehousepress.com/sig.htm

It has been estimated that a whopping 80% of all signed books available online are fakes, so please do your research, and only buy from sellers you trust.

Yesterday I had an online sale for a Pauline Gedge book.

Sold to Pauline Gedge.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, but is definitely the first time for a bestselling author (6 million worldwide sales!). It was a strange feeling. I felt like I should include a note of apology for selling her something that kind of already belonged to her.

What do you think? Is it humiliating for an author to have to buy back their own book, even if they have sold millions of copies? Or do they really not care? They’re moved on to other things, and just need a copy…

Opinions?

10. Boards – The stiff front and back parts of a hardcover book.

9. Endpaper – The folded sheet of paper pasted to the inside of the front or back cover and attached to the edge of the first or last page of a hardcover book during manufacturing. Endpapers are not normally numbered.

8. Advance copy – A review copy. When a book is published, complimentary advance copies will often be sent to reviewers.

7. Fair Condition – A worn book with defects such as a torn dust jacket, foxing, or loose binding, etc.

6. Fine Condition – Nearly new, with slight signs of aging, but no defects.

5. Vanity Publisher – One who publishes a book paid for by the author.

4. Very Good Condition – A complete book, as issued, with very few blemishes or signs of wear.

3. Reading Copy – A book which has little or no value as a collectible item, but has complete text.

2. Chipped – A condition in which small pieces of the dust jacket have been chipped away at the edges

1. Foxed – Discolored, usually with reddish-brown spots, especially the leaves of a book.

Today I’m going to give a little plug to a very cool website that I use all the time, and constantly recommend to my customers. It is based out of the UK and is called Fantastic Fiction – www.fantasticfiction.co.uk .

This is a great site for looking up an authors’ bibliography, and what I really like is that it sorts the books by series. This is really great if you are looking up sci-fi, mystery or romance authors.

It lists everything in reading order, and is essential for fans of authors like Ellis Peters who have multiple series, with some having up to 20 books.

Check it out: www.fantasticfiction.co.uk

The 2008 Pulitzer Prize winners have been announced. They are:

FICTION – The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (Riverhead Books)

DRAMA – August: Osage County by Tracy Letts

HISTORY – What Hath God Wrought by Daniel Walker Howe (Oxford University Press)

BIOGRAPHY – Eden’s Outcasts by John Matteson (W.W. Norton)

POETRY – Time and Materials by Robert Hass (Ecco/HarperCollins)

POETRY – Failure by Philip Schultz (Harcourt)

GENERAL NONFICTION – The Years of Extermination by Saul Friedlander (HarperCollins)

MUSIC – The Little Match Girl Passion by David Lang (G. Schirmer)

Welcome to the Jolly Olde BookBlog. Instead of doing the standard first “test” post, I thought I’d kick start with my five favourite Author Pseudonyms:

1) Dean Koontz: David Axton, Leonard Chris, Brian Coffey, Deanna Dwyer, K.R. Dwyer, John Hill, Leigh Nichols, Anthony North, Richard Paige, Owen West & Aaron Wolfe

2) Michael Crichton: Michael Douglas, Jeffrey Hudson & John Lange

3) Mario Puzo: Mario Cleri

4) Howard Allan Frances O-Brien Rice (REAL NAME!): Anne Rampling, Anne Rice & A.N. Roquelaure

5) Edgar Rice Burroughs: Norman Bean, Craig Shaw Gardner, John Tyler McCulloch & John Tyler McCullough

Which ones do you like?