Edition (pronounced ih-dish-uhn)
(1) One of a series of printings of the same publication,
each issued at a different time and differing from another by alterations,
additions etc (historically sometimes referred to as impressions).
(2) The format in which a work is published (single
volume edition, abridged edition, leather-bound edition, French language edition etc).
(3) In newspaper production, a form of differentiation
between different versions of the “same” issue (late edition, city edition etc)
and used in a similar manner in radio & television broadcasting.
(4) In book collecting, as “first edition”, a copy of a
book from its first release or print run.
(5) The whole number of impressions or copies of a book,
newspaper etc, printed from one set of type at one time.
(6) A version of anything (physical and not), often
(sometimes misleadingly) in forms such as “limited edition”, “special edition”
etc).
1545–1555: From the French édition, from the Middle French, from the Latin ēditiōn- (publication), the stem of ēditiō (a bringing forth,
publishing), the construct being ēdit, the past participle of ēdere (to give out; bring forth, produce)
+ -iōn (the suffix appended
to a perfect passive participle to form a noun of action or process, or the
result of an action or process). When the word entered English in the sense of “version,
translation, a form of a literary work” (and later “act of publishing”) the
dominant linguistic influence was probably the Latin editionem (a bringing forth, producing (although in specialized use
it also carried the meaning “a statement, an account rendered”, from the past-participle
stem of ēdere, the construct being e(x)
(in the sense of “out”) + -dere, a combining
form of dare (to give), from the
primitive Indo-European root do- (to
give). Edition is a noun; the noun
plural is editions. The adjective editionism is non-standard and was coined to describe the practice in commerce in which different “editions” of essentially the same product are brought to market in an effort to induce customers to purchase multiple items even though the difference between them may be little more than the packaging. It's a cynically profitable approach (the additional production & distribution costs marginal) which works especially well for those with a dedicated (hopefully obsessional) following.
In publishing and (sometimes vaguely) related fields, the
terms “issue”, “edition” and “version” have come to be used so loosely that
they sometimes function interchangeably but within the publishing industry, there
are conventions of use: Issue
traditionally was used to refer to a specific release of a recurring
publication (magazine, journal, newspaper etc) and tended to be tied to the release
sequence (“October 2024 Issue”, “Fall 2024 Issue”, “Issue No. 215” etc). Issue can however be used also as “re-issue”
which refers usually to a “re-print” of a previous edition although it’s not
uncommon for blurbs like “re-issued with new foreword” or “re-issued in large
print” to appear, the implication being the substantive content remains the
same. Edition was used of a particular form or version of a publication
that might differ from previous ones in significant ways which might include
text corrections, foreign language translations, or updates, thus descriptions
like “German Language Edition”, “Second Edition” or “Abridged Edition. Some editions (especially those which appear
in an irregular sequence) actually give in their title some hint of the nature of
what distinguishes them from what came before such as the convention adopted by
the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic for their Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). What
the APA does is change the number if a DSM is regarded as a “new edition” but
retain the number with an appended “R” (revised) or “TR” (text revision) if it’s
an “updated edition”. Thus has appeared
the DSM-III-R (1987), the DSM-IV-TR (2000) and the DSM-5-TR (2022). There’s some overlap in use for version and this perhaps reflects the
influence of technology because it tends to be used of a specific form or
variant of a publication such as language (eg Spanish version), format (eg audio
version) or materials used in the construction (eg e-book version) rather than
an implication of a chronological or iterative update (which in publishing
tends to be called an “edition”. In that
the industry differs from IT where version numbers are almost always sequential
although the convention widely used in the 1980s in which something like “version
2.4.3” could be interpreted as 2=major release, 4=update and 3=bug fix has
long fallen into disuse.
Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version (RSV), 1952 limited edition, first printing by Thomas Nelson & Sons, brown full leather binding with inlaid gold lettering, silk end paper and green cardboard slip case, custom bound by the Chicago Bible Society. US$750 from
Abe Books.
There are also special uses which assume a life of their
own, notably the Revised Standard Version (RSV), an English translation of the
Bible published in 1952 by the Division of Christian Education of the National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the US.
The RSV was a revision of the American Standard Version (ASV, 1901) and
was published to render the text into the modern English which readily would be
understood by a contemporary reader of modest education. The object was not to change the meaning of
the text but to preserve it and paradoxically this required editing the classic
verses written by William Tyndale (circa 1494–1536) or in
the King James Version (KJV, 1611) because the over hundreds of years the language
had evolved and the much of what was in the original needed to be interpreted
for a general audience and the controversy of clerical gatekeepers between God
and his people had for centuries been a thing.
The RSV however has not been the last word and those who track novel
initializms will have been delighted by the appearance of the New Revised
Standard Version (NRSV, released in 1989 by the National Council of Churches
(NCC) and the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVue), published
in 2021. Students of such things aren’t
expecting the next update for at least a decade but finding a name might prove more
of a challenge than editing the Old Testament’s Book of Leviticus for a modern
audience although those who have worked in biblical forks have found
alpha-numeric solutions such as RSV-2CE (Revised Standard Version, Second
Catholic Edition (2006))
First Edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, "Copy No 1", held in the National Library of Ireland. It contains in Joyce's hand an inscription to the English political activist Harriet Shaw Weaver (1876–1961) who was for decades his patron.
A first edition of Ulysses
(1922) by James Joyce (1882–1941) in 2009 sold on the opening day of an antiquarian
book fair London for Stg£275,000, at the time a record for a twentieth century
first edition. Ulysses is regarded in
the industry as the most collectable modern novel and the first editions, printed
on hand-made Dutch fine-paper, are well-catalogued and this was number 45 of
the first edition print run (all signed by the author) of 100, one of four not previously
accounted for. It had been sold
originally by the Manhattan’s obviously subversive Sunwise Turn bookshop (Ulysses at the times banned in the US) and
remained in the possession of the same family, stored in its original box and
thus not exposed to light, accounting for the preservation of the construction. Proving that dealers in literary circles can
gush with the finest used car salesmen, the dealer who arranged the sale explained:
“The color is
amazing – this lovely Aegean Sea, Greek flag blue which would normally have
darkened into a more dirty blue but because it has been in a box it is a
complete thing of beauty.”
The almost pristine condition was a product also of its history of use, an
inspection suggesting it was seemingly unread except for the well-thumbed final
chapter where the most salacious passages can be found. The existence of unread copies of well-known
books is not unusual and those notorious for sitting neglected on the bookshelf
include “challenging” texts such as A
Theory of Justice (1971) by John Rawls (1921–2002), A Brief History of Time (1988) by Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) and
Joyce’s own, bafflingly difficult Finnegans
Wake (1939). Intriguingly, the antiquarian
book business also includes the category “pre-first edition” (any limited run
copy of a book printed before the “first edition” is published). The apparent oxymoron is explained by “first
edition” being an industry definition rather than a literal description;
pre-first editions thus analogous with “pre-production” or “final prototype”
cars which (if they’ve survive the crusher which claims many) can be prized by
collectors.
Among special editions there are, inter alia, “Collector's
Editions”, “Anniversary Editions” and even, in one instance, the “So Fetch Edition”.
In commerce, “special editions” have become notable
income generators for content providers and the movie business has embraced the
concept with editions such as “the making of”, “bloopers & out-takes”, “director’s
cut” and others and the idea isn’t new. Led
Zeppelin's eighth studio album (In
Through the Out Door (1979)) originally was sold with an outer sleeve of plain
brown paper, stamped with nothing more than the while the cardboard sleeve proper
within was released with six different versions of the artwork. Buyers would thus not know which sleeve they
were selecting. There’s nothing to
suggest it was anything but a gimmick and neither the band nor the record
company were expecting many to keep buying copies in the plain brown wrapped
until they’d scored all six covers but there were press reports at the time of “Led Heads”, doing exactly that. The industry took note.
Taylor Swift's The Anthology, one of 34 available editions of The Tortured Poets Department.
The attraction of releasing multiple versions of
essentially the same product with variations restricted to some added content
or detail differences in the packaging is that the additional costs in
production and distribution are marginal yet there’s sometimes it’s possible to
charge a premium for the “non-standard editions”. The practice had for decades been quite a thing
with car manufacturers but the music business came also to like the idea because,
unlike with the cars where customers tended to buy one at a time, obsessive
fans of musicians might be persuaded they needed several copies of what was
essentially the same thing. Leftist UK
student site The Tab noted few music fans were as obsessive as Taylor Swift’s
(b 1989) Swifties and, more significantly, they were also impressively numerous
and thus an irresistible catchment of disposable income. What The TAB noted was the almost simultaneous
release of a remarkable (and apparently unprecedented) 34 versions of Ms
Swift’s eleventh album, The Tortured Poets Department (2024), something which
as well as generating revenue has the statistical benefit of afforcing her
presence on the charts, every sale counting as a 1.0. Some were technologically deterministic in
than four were released as audio cassettes and nine were exclusively digital
but most were essentially the same product except for the inclusion of a bonus
track and some were available only through the retailer Target. The most obsessive Swifties obviously could
buy all 34 editions but for those which want just an exhaustive collection of
the music, it appeared all was included on the accurately named The Anthology so there was that. One day, all 34, still (where appropriate) unopened
in their original packaging, will begin to appear on auction sites. The approach attracted some adverse comment (which
the Swifties doubtless ignored) and probably confirmed in the mind of J.D. Vance (b 1984; US vice president since 2025) that childless cat ladies are
evil.
All editions: The Tab’s The Tortured Poets Department discography:
1. Collector’s Edition Deluxe with The Manuscript
2. Collector’s Edition Deluxe with The Albatross
3. Collector’s Edition Deluxe with The Bolter
4. Collector’s Edition Deluxe with The Black Dog
5. Standard album and The Manuscript
6. Standard and The Manuscript (signed)
7. Standard and But Daddy I Love Him (Acoustic)
8. Standard and Guilty As Sin? (Acoustic)
9. Standard and Down Bad (Acoustic)
10. Standard and Fortnight (Acoustic)
11. Standard and Fresh Out The Slammer (Acoustic)
12. Target exclusive with The Albatross
13. Target exclusive with The Bolter
14. Target exclusive with The Black Dog
15. Target exclusive vinyl
16. The Manuscript vinyl (pressing one)
17. The Manuscript vinyl (pressing two)
18. The Albatross vinyl
19. The Bolter vinyl
20. The Black Dog vinyl
21. The Manuscript vinyl
22. The Anthology
23. Standard and The Black Dog ‘voice memo’
24. Standard album and Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me
voice memo
25. Standard album and Cassandra voice memo
26. Standard album (digital)
27. Standard album and Daddy I Love Him (Acoustic)
28. Standard album and loml (live from Paris)
29. Standard album and My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite
Toys (live from Paris)
30. Standard album and The Alchemy / Treacherous mashup
(live from Paris)
31. The Manuscript cassette
32. The Bolter cassette
33. The Albatross cassette
34. The Black Dog cassette
1976 Lincoln Continental Mark IV, Lipstick edition. The shade of red appears to be close to Dior's lipstick #744 (Party Red).
The car manufacturers have produced at least hundreds of “special
editions” and while many of them really weren't “especially special”, they kept returning to the concept because it was lucrative,
the things usually profitable to an extent exceeding greatly the nominal sum of their
parts. Quite how many have existed over the years is difficult to estimate because, in addition to the well-documented examples from manufacturers which were sold nationally or even globally, some were offered only briefly or regionally and barely advertised. Additionally, dealers or sometimes an agglomeration of them would also conjure up their own "special editions" so the total of such things is probably in the thousands. Sometimes, fashion houses were paid to lend
their name, AMC teaming with Pierre Cardin, Levi Strauss (Volkswagen also had a denim-trimmed Beetle though without a specific brand attribution) & Oleg Cassini
while the Lincoln Continental at times was offered with themes by Emilio Pucci,
Cartier, Bill Blass and de Givenchy although the most memorable were the
reputed 500 “Lipstick editions”, a study in red & white, quite a sight given the expanse of sheet metal and leather.
1969 Dodge Charger R/T SE (left), 1972 Chrysler VH
Valiant Charger 770SE E55 (centre left), 1976 Holden HX LE (centre right)
and 2002 Mazda Miata Special Edition (MX-5 in some markets) (right).
In most of the “special” editions, offered over the decades,
it was only in the advertising or press kits that terms like “special edition”
or “limited edition” appeared. Sometimes
though, such physical badges did appear on the vehicles. In the US, on the 1969
Dodge Chargers with the SE option, the badge included both “SE” & “Special Edition” while in Australia, only “SE” appeared on the 1972 Chrysler VH Valiant Charger 770SE
E55 (one of the industry’s longer model names) although the marketing material
called it a “Special Edition”, a usage borrowed from the parent corporation in
the US and even the badge used was the same part as that which had been stuck on the 1970 Dodge Challenger SE. Holden’s frankly
cynical (but most profitable) 1976 LE spelled out “Limited Edition” under a “LE” (in a larger font) while Mazda used only the full term for the Miata (MX-5) Special
Edition models.
Last Call: 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 (with two-piece “
underwire”).
Dodge in 2023 embarked on a run of “special editions” on a grand scale, their “Last Call” programme a series of Dodge Challengers & Chargers packaged in a variety of ways but all distinguished by the inclusion of some flavor of Chrysler's third generation HEMI V8 (2003-), the significance of last call being the engine was being withdrawn from use in passenger-cars, a victim of government regulations intended to reduce vehicle emissions. The programme yielded an array of Chargers & Challengers with specifications (ie horsepower and such) varying from “impressive” to “bonkers” and they were produced in batches of between 100 and 3,300. The customers responded well with most editions soon “sold out” and, judging from the number with minimal mileage and still in “as delivered” condition which appeared rapidly on auction sites, many had been bought by those expected to “flip” them for profit. Some did realise gains from the transactions but the market soon cooled, especially for the editions produced in the thousands but how many have been “stashed away” in the hope that years from now there will be those who will pay much, isn't known.
Last Call: 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Black Ghost Special Edition (with one-piece “underwire”). As well as the impressive engineering, the Last Call programme yielded some unusually long model names.
That strategy may play out well for those speculating on a surge in value in the years to come when, for a certain class of customer, the specifications of a Last Call Dodge will seem intoxicating in a world in which such things have long been extinct. That was for many the plan but the future has been clouded by Donald Trump (b 1946; US president 2017-2021 and since 2025), his second administration releasing plans to “roll-back” vehicle emission standards and Chrysler, thus encouraged, announced in 2025 the HEMI V8 would re-appear in passenger vehicles, a decision which wouldn't have much troubled the board because the market has greeted the replacement straight-six engines with restrained enthusiasm. Doubtless there will be those who noted Chrysler's announcement and, contemplating the thought of their carefully stored Challenger(s) becoming a depreciating asset, will have consulted lawyers to find if grounds for redress exist, the argument being they were “induced” to purchase on the promise of a “last call” being exactly that. Unfortunately, there is a precedent and it's not encouraging.
Another “last call”: The “last American convertible” ceremony, Cadillac Clark Street Assembly Plant, Detroit, Michigan, 21 April 1976.
In the US, by the late 1960s, sale of convertibles had for years been declining and with the growing volume of government regulations about vehicle safety (which included “roll-over standards”, the industry was working on the assumption the body-style would soon be banned. Given the declining demand for such things the manufacturers were sanguine about this and even pleased to have something to have to use to “trade off” against regulations they definitely did not want imposed. By 1975 the Cadillac Eldorado was the only one of the few big US convertibles still available selling in reasonable numbers but the platform was in its final years and with no guarantee a version based on the new, smaller Eldorado (to debut in 1978) would enjoy similar success, General Motors (GM) decided it wasn’t worth the trouble but, sensing a “market opportunity”, promoted the 1976 model as the “Last American convertible”. Sales spiked, some to buyers who purchased the things as investments, assuming in years to come they’d have a collectable and book a tidy profit on-selling to those who wanted a (no longer available) big drop-top. Not only did GM use the phrase as a marketing hook; when the last of the 1976 run rolled off the Detroit production line on 21 April, the PR department, having recognized a photo opportunity, conducted a ceremony, complete with a “THE END OF AN ERA 1916-1976”) banner and a “LAST” Michigan license plate. The final 200 Fleetwood Eldorado convertibles were “white on white on white”, identically finished in white with white soft-tops, white leather seat trim with red piping, white wheel covers, red carpeting & a red instrument panel; red and blue hood (bonnet) accent stripes marked the nation’s bicentennial year.
The “last American convertible” ceremony, Cadillac Clark Street Assembly Plant, Detroit, Michigan, 21 April 1976.
Of course in 1984 a convertible returned to the Cadillac catalogue so some of those who had stashed away their 1976 models under wraps in climate controlled garages weren’t best pleased and litigation ensued, a class action filed against GM alleging the use of the (now clearly incorrect) phrase “Last American Convertible” had been “deceptive or misleading” in that it induced the plaintiffs to enter a contract which they’d not otherwise have undertaken. The suit was dismissed on the basis of there being insufficient legal grounds to support the claim, the court ruling the phrase was a “non-actionable opinion” rather than a “factual claim”, supporting GM's contention it had been a creative expression rather than a strict statement of fact and thus did not fulfil the criteria for a “deceptive advertising” violation. Additionally, the court found there was no actual harm caused to the class of plaintiffs as they failed to show they had suffered economic loss or that the advertisement had led them to make a purchase they would not otherwise have made. That aspect of the judgment has since been criticized with dark hints it was one of those “what’s good for General Motors is good for the country” moments but the documentary evidence did suggest GM at the time genuinely believed the statement to be true and no action was possible against the government on several grounds, including the doctrines of remoteness and unforeseeability. If HEMI V8 powered coupés and sedans soon re-appear in Dodge's showrooms, it may not be only Greta Thunberg (b 2003) who will be upset.
Limited Edition, less limited profit: The Holden LE
1976 HX Holden LE
By the mid 1970s, the market had come to prefer the cheaper, smaller and easier to use cassette tapes which meant warehouses were soon full of the once desirable 8-track players and buyers were scarce. In Australia, GMH (General Motor Holden) by 1975 had nearly a thousand in the inventory which also bulged with 600-odd Monaro body-shells, neither of which were attracting customers; fashions change and both had become unfashionable. Fortunately, GMH was well-acquainted with the concept of the "parts-bin special edition" whereby old, unsaleable items are bundled together and sold at what appears a discount, based for advertising purposes on a book-value retail price there’s no longer any chance of realizing. Thus created was the high-priced, limited edition LE (which stood for "Limited Edition", the Monaro name appearing nowhere although all seem still to use the name), in metallic crimson with gold pin striping, golf "honeycomb" aluminium wheels, fake (plastic) burl walnut trim and crushed velour (polyester) upholstery; in the 1970s, this was tasteful. Not designed for the purpose, the eight-track cartridge player crudely was bolted to the console but five-hundred and eighty LEs were made, GMH pleasantly surprised at how quickly they sold with no need to resort to discounting. When new, they listed at Aus$11,500, a pleasingly profitable premium of some 35% above the unwanted vehicle on which it was based; these days, examples are advertised for sale for (Aus$) six-figure sums and anyone who now buys a LE does so for reasons other than specific-performance. Although of compact size (in US terms) and fitted with a 308 cubic inch (5.0 litre) V8, it could achieve barely 110 mph (175 km/h), acceleration was lethargic by earlier and (much) later standards yet fuel consumption was high; slow and thirsty the price to be paid for the early implementations of the emission control plumbing bolted to engines designed during more toxic times.
1971 Holden HQ Monaro LS 350
The overwrought and bling-laden Holden HX typified the tendency during the 1970s and of US manufacturers and their colonial off-shoots to take a fundamentally elegant design and, with a heavy-handed re-style, distort it into something ugly. A preview of the later “malaise era” , it was rare for a facelift to improve the original. The 1971 HQ Holden was admired for an austerity of line and fine detailing; what followed over three subsequent generations lacked that restraint. The HX LE was one of a number of "special" and "limited" editions offered during the era and it remains one of the few remembered.
In English, malaise was an unadapted loanword from the French malaise (ill ease), the construct being mal- (bad, badly) + aise (ease). It was used to describe (1) a feeling of general bodily discomfort, fatigue or unpleasantness (sometimes associated with the onset of illness), (2) an ambiguous feeling of mental or moral depression (the sense tending more to “melancholy” than “angst”) and (3) ill will or hurtful feelings for others. The US cars of the years between 1974-1984 (some say it went on a bit longer) came to be called “malaise era” cars, the name from the thoughtful but perhaps unfortunate “Crisis of Confidence” address Jimmy Carter (1924-2024; US president 1977-1981) delivered in July 1979. Carter’s years of malaise remains emblematic the America of the late 1970s (a time of stagflation, oil-shock induced energy price-rises & shortages, high interest rates and general gloom) but the details have become blurred. The use of the word “malaise” emerged from a retreat the president had convened at the Camp David retreat after concluding neither he, his advisors or the entire machinery of government could come up with solution to the nation’s many problems. Attended by notables from the clergy, academia and other realms including the governor of Arkansas, BillClinton (b 1946; US president 1993-2001), the curious event prompted one historian to describe it as “…the most remarkable exercise in presidential navel-gazing in American history…” but what did lodge in Carter’s memory was an observation by the pollster Patrick Caddell (1950–2019) that after some fifteen years of trauma including assassinations, race riots, the war in Vietnam and Watergate, the nation was experiencing a “malaise” and the president decided this notion would be the centrepiece of his address to the people.
Malaise: 1978 Ford Mustang II King Cobra.
An emblematic malaise era machine, twenty-first century viewers would be surprised to learn it was possible for a relatively small, light car with a 302 cubic inch (4.9 litre) V8 to deliver such anaemic performance. However, the Mustang II (1973-1978) was the the right car for the right car (debuting some weeks before the first oil shock) and was a great success.
The word “malaise” wasn’t included in the text of Carter’s speech but, replete with phrases like “…strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will…” & “…crisis of confidence…”, the tone was clear and almost universally the press called it the “malaise speech”. Despite what has long been the popular perception, at the time the speech was not a political disaster and was well-received, Carter’s approval ratings surging; it was only as the year unfolded he came to be damned by his own words and if any single term is now associated with his unhappy single term, it's “malaise”. As was customary for presidential addresses of this nature, the speech was nationally televised live by the three major commercial networks (ABC (American Broadcasting Company), CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) & NBC (National Broadcasting Company)) and simultaneously broadcast by many radio stations, the total audience estimated at some 65 million (there was then no FoxNews but it's not difficult to predict what the nature of that commentary would have been). Given the coverage, it’s certain the address contributed greatly to the eventual public disillusionment with the president and may thus have been an example of videomalaise (a term from late 1990s political science which linked voters’ decreasing trust in politicians with depictions of the latter on televised news).
Honorable exception: 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am SD-455.
Available only on the Firebird (Formula or Trans-AM) in 1973 & 1974, the SD-455 was one of the few bright spots of the malaise era although it did need slightly to be detuned for commercial release, its original 310 (HP) horsepower configuration able to pass the EPA's (Environmental Protection Authority) emission tests only if a devious "cheater" device was installed (shades of Volkswagen's later "dieselgate" although Pontiac got off with nothing more than a "slap on the wrist" rather than the billions it cost the equally guilty Germans). The production version was rated at 290 HP which was still enough to make it the powerful US car of its time.
The "malaise era" cars were so named because compared with the previous generations, they were heavier, slower, thirstier and less pleasant to drive, a collection of characteristics which weren't the fault of President Carter but he had the misfortune to be in the White House at the same time. They were of course safer and less polluting but those advantages were hidden while the ugliness of the battering-ram bumper-bars, reduced power and sometimes tiresome driving characteristics were obvious. When speaking of these mostly unlamented machines, the phrase “Malaise Era” is believed to have been coined by writer Murilee Martin (the pen name of Phil Greden) who used it first in 2007 on the website Jalopnik.
