Version Control

First edition, second edition; first printing, second printing…what’s the difference? It’s about version control. Publishers use version control to manage the various changes made to a product over time. The two basic indicators of version control are edition and printing.

Editions mark major changes in the product. The first time a book is published, it is the first edition. Most fiction books do not have major changes over their life, however there still may be various editions. Usually each format, such as hardcover or softcover, is considered a new edition, even though the content has not changed. Nonfiction books, on the other hand, may have many editions representing different stages of major changes to the product. Think of the dictionary, for example. Each new edition of the dictionary contains dozens of new words. The 18th edition of a dictionary likely has vastly different content from the 1st edition.

In contrast, a printing typically does not have major changes in the product. The first time an edition of book is published, it is the first printing of that edition. Each reprint stage is a new printing, and when the book reprints is determined by stock of the book. Errors are corrected at the reprint stage, but usually no changes are made that affect the content beyond correcting errors. A given edition of a product may have many printings. A very popular book may have 20, 30, or more printings, whereas a low selling book may not have more than a couple of printings.

Tin Whiskers Publisher is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). IBPA’s mission is “to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success.” IBPA is a not-for-profit membership organization serving and leading the independent publishing community. Founded in 1983, it is the largest publishing trade organization in the United States. IBPA members pledge to uphold the organization’s code of ethics.