10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
![10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 [Detail]](/assets/10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.png)
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys reading the publishing information at the start of a book – there are, I’m sure, others who do? – this might interest you.
The numbers you see on the copyright page – 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 – are there for a reason. They’re called a printer’s key.
This chain of numerals allows you to know which printing of a book you’re reading. If the numbers you see are – 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 – you know you’re reading a first printing. If, however, you see – 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 – you’re reading a fourth printing.
Between printings (or, increasingly, in this digital day and age, re-exportings) authors have the opportunity to make minor corrections, addressing issues that may have arisen since publication.
By identifying different publication versions, the publisher – and, perhaps more importantly, the reader – are alerted to which version of a book they are reading.