In the publishing industry, a “no date” book is usually one that has not been updated for a while and is considered out-of-date. This doesn’t mean that the book is necessarily bad, but it may not be as relevant as a newer book on the same topic. For example, a book about the history of the internet would be considered out-of-date if it was published more than a few years ago and did not include any new information about the internet since then.
No date (ND) or no printing date is a designation found on some books and periodicals that indicates that the item was not given a date of publication by its publisher. The absence of a date may be for a number of reasons:
The publisher forgot to include a date.
The date was intentionally left off (as in certain sensitive government publications).
The book was published without a date (a “dateless” book).
The date was removed from a book for some reason (such as a library discarding a book and removing its front matter).
ND can also be used as an abbreviation for “nondateable”. When used in this context, it means that the book cannot be dated with any accuracy and is usually applied to very old books.
There is no standard placement for the ND designation on a book’s cover or title page. It is often found on the copyright page, but its location can vary.
No Date is an important book for many reasons. It is one of the first books to bring the importance of No Date into the public eye. It is also one of the first books to offer a detailed look at the process of No Date and how it can be used to improve the quality of books and publishing. Finally, No Date is an important book because it provides a valuable resource for those who are interested in learning more about No Date.