A “First U.S. edition” refers to the initial printing and release for sale of a book within the US market. Moreover, this signifies that this specific edition represents its debut within this region of publication and sale.
“First U.S. edition” refers to any particular edition or printing with only one initial release in America. Collectors and enthusiasts who seek first-edition books often consider them more valuable and historically significant.
Publishers and authors often release books in multiple markets simultaneously or stagger the release in different countries; when this occurs, “First US Edition” refers to the edition published first within the US market despite earlier editions published elsewhere.
Collectors and bibliophiles take great care when identifying first-edition books; doing so often involves closely scrutinizing specific details, such as copyright pages, printing histories, bibliographic information, etc.
Notably, subsequent editions or printings of books in the US may be labeled with phrases such as “Second US edition” or “Revised US edition” to distinguish them from their initial release.