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Unlike first editions, proofs and advanced review copies of books were not printed to be consumed publicly. Proofs and advance review copies are printed for publishers, reviewers, and select magazines and bookstores as sneak previews of soon to be available books. Proofs and advance review copies may be different than the finished product, and the level of difference varies greatly. Some differences are minor and grammatical, while other proofs and advance reading copies have entire paragraphs or pages included that are edited out before the first official printing.
Even though book galleys are also early printed versions of books before they are widely released, galleys sometimes serve a slightly different purpose than proofs and advance reading copies. The typeset is determined and it has usually been proofed by an editor, but galleys are often used as the final proofreading copy for the author.
By their nature, proofs, advance review copies, and galleys are quite scarce, so if they are copies of successful titles, they are often considered to be highly collectible and valuable. They are great additions to personal rare book collections, and they can tremendous diversity and insight to the collection.
n.p. (NY), n.p. (The Viking Press), n.d. (1944), first edition, wrappers. Softcover.. Advance copy, an uncorrected galley proof, bound in plain, unprinted tannish wrappers, printed on rectos only, a very scarce advanced state of this minor, or not so min…
Hartford, Conn: The American Publishing Co, 1876. First American Edition. Octavo. The first issue with the publisher's ads dated December 1, 1876. Illustrated, triple leaves in front on laid paper, one with a portrait illustration of Mark Twain mounted t…
NY, Viking, 1939, first edition, first printing, dust jacket. Hardcover.. No book is more identified with John Steinbeck than this masterpiece which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and which was the source for the film version directed by John Ford t…
London: Henry Colburn, 1845. Three volumes. Original forest green cloth, decorated in blind, spines lettered in gilt, edges untrimmed. Bindings faintly spotted and edgeworn, toe of first spine badly snagged (2 cm, with no loss), some marginal smudges and…
New York: Dial Press, 1967. Softcover. Near Fine. Uncorrected galley proofs. Bradbound sheets printed rectos only on proofing paper. A little wear on the first and last pages, else near fine. A combination utopia/dystopia where the inhabitants live live…
Hard Cover. Good. De 25x39. Oblongo. Com 14 págs., 1 fólio branco e 90 pranchas gravadas, 83 numeradas de I a LXXXIII 5 das quais desdobráveis, 1 desdobrável não numerado entre as pranchas LXXII e LXXIII, 5 pranchas não numeradas após a LXXXIII, …
Heinemann, 1950. Proof Copy. Softcover. VG++. Ultra rare proof copy. 124 x 185cm, 230pp. Publisher's original buff paper wraps with titles and "PROOF COPY" to the front cover and titles and publisher's windmill device to the spine, 230pp. The wraps h…
London: The Aquilla Press, 1930 Original typed Manuscript, Signed by Nancy Cunard, with 5 corrections. First appeared in print under the title, "Poems (Two) 1925"; published 1930 by The Aquilla Press. Three loose 8vo sheets, previously sta…
From Idler Fine Books
Maclehose Press/Quercus, 2008. 1st Edition. F/F. The Millennium Trilogy – all first edition, first printing hardcovers with publisher's number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, all in at least near fine condition. Uncorrected Proof Copies of The Girl with th…
London: Faber and Faber, 1975. Uncorrected Proof. Very Good. Advance uncorrected proof of the first British edition. Bound in publisher's blue wraps printed in black with review slip laid in. From the library of Irish writer Francis Stuart, with present…
New York: George Braziller, 1991. Signed by the Nobel laureate author. First U.S. edition / First printing. Uncorrected proof. White printed wrappers. Very fine. A beautiful copy and rare signed. Note: This is the uncorrected proof and should not be c…
From Orpheus Books
New York: Horace Liveright, Inc., 1931. Three volumes. Small quarto. Plain brown wrappers, titled in manuscript. Slight tanning and use at edges, one corner slightly chipped, small nicks at spine crowns, else very nice. Uncorrected original page proofs …
McClelland & Stewart. 1st Edition. Soft cover. As New. Advance Uncorrected Proof of the story ""Giving Birth,"" from Dancing Girls. Given out at publisher party pre-publication (1977).…
From Jake's Place Books
New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1947. Drab wrappers, printed in black. Some use, creases and short tears at wrapper fore- edges, tiny corner chip, short split at toe of one joint, just a good copy. Advance reading copy of the first edition, denoted a "Proo…
Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine +. Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket (as issued). 1st Edition. J K Rowling's first crime novel. An uncorrected bound proof (advanced reader's copy). This is a bright, clean copy without previous ownership inscriptions. The …
From Midnight Bell Books
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