A Publisher’s Conversation with Authors: Edition vs. Printing—Why the Difference Matters

 


Few terms cause more confusion between authors and publishers than these two:

Edition
Printing

They sound similar.
They feel similar.
But in publishing, they mean very different things—and mixing them up leads to misunderstandings, misplaced expectations, and unnecessary anxiety.

Let’s sort them out once and for all.

What Is an Edition?

An edition is a version of the book in which the content has changed in a meaningful way.

A new edition includes:

  • New or revised material
  • Reorganized chapters
  • Updated information
  • Added content
  • Corrected or expanded text
  • A new format (hardcover, paperback, e‑book, audiobook)

An edition is a new product.
It requires a new ISBN.
It is treated as a different book in the marketplace.

What Is a Printing?

A printing is simply another batch of the same edition.

A new printing may include:

  • Minor typo corrections
  • Updated back cover copy
  • New endorsements
  • A refreshed cover
  • Small layout adjustments

But the content remains the same.

A printing:

  • Keeps the same ISBN
  • Is considered the same edition
  • Does not change the book’s identity

It is simply the publisher replenishing inventory.

Why Authors Get These Terms Mixed Up

Because both involve the book being produced again.
But the reason for the production is different.

  • Edition = new content
  • Printing = new stock

One changes the book.
The other restocks the warehouse.

Why the Difference Matters

For royalties

Editions and printings may have different royalty structures.
Authors need to know which is which.

For marketing

A new edition can be promoted.
A new printing cannot.

For expectations

Authors sometimes think a new printing means a new edition is coming.
It doesn’t.
It simply means the book is selling well enough to need more copies.

For ISBN management

Only new editions require new ISBNs.
Printings do not.

The Publisher’s Takeaway

Understanding the difference between editions and printings helps authors:

  • Communicate clearly
  • Avoid misunderstandings
  • Interpret royalty statements correctly
  • Appreciate the quiet success of steady sales

A new printing is good news—it means readers are still buying your book.
A new edition is bigger news—it means the book is evolving.

Both matter.
Both have their place.
But they are not the same.



If you want, I can prepare the next post in the series—perhaps on why authors should not design their own covers, or how metadata quietly determines a book’s fate.It stays right where it is, quietly doing its job.And sometimes, every few years, it sends you a tiny royalty just to say hello.And for many authors, that whisper is worth more than the number on the statement.These Tuesday talks reflect real discussions between the management of MSI Press LLC and our own authors or those would-be authors who come through our doors but don't make the cut--yet. If you have a topic that you would like addressed, leave the question in the comment section. Chances are, in our 22 years of publishing first-time and experiences authors, we have had a conversation with one of our authors that we can share with you.

 See more Publisher Conversations with Authors HERE.



 Learn more about publishing from an acquisitions editor -- how to get your book proposal accepted, why proposals are turned down/accepted, and how to find the right publisher for your book. On special sale for $5 while inventory lasts at MSI Press webstore. Also available as an e-book and an audiobook.



MSI Press, a veteran-owned publishing house based in California, United States
best known for turning new writers into award-winning authors,
has gained mass recognition for releasing highly acclaimed books of varying genres
that are distributed internationally.


To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount,

use code FF25 at MSI Press webstore.



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MSI Press welcomes submissions that reflect legacy and lived experience. Learn more about our publishing process on our website.


We help writers become award-winning published authors. One writer at a time. We are a family, not a factory. Do you have a future with us? Find out at www.msipress.com.






Turned away by other publishers because you are a first-time author and/or do not have a strong platform yet? If you have a strong manuscript, San Juan Books, our hybrid publishing division, may be able to help. Ask us. Check out more information at www.msipress.com.

 







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Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book in exchange for reviewing a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com.



Want an author-signed copy of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.

Julia Aziz, signing her book, Lessons of Labor, at an event at Book People in Austin, Texas.


Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our Authors' Pages.

Steven Greenebaum, author of award-winning books, An Afternoon's Discussion and One Family: Indivisible, talking to a reader at Barnes & Noble in Gilroy, California.




   
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