ubuntu-manual team mailing list archive

[Kevin Godby <godbyk@xxxxxxxxx>]

Here's some background on how the publishing history information
typically works in books.  The publishing history is included on the
copyright page of the book. The following information is taken from
the Chicago Manual of Style:

``Publishing History. The publishing history of a book, which usually
follows the copyright notice, begins with the date (year) of original
publication. If a book is reprinted, the number and date of the
current impression are usually indicated. Corrections are sometimes
made in new impressions, but if significant revisions are made, the
result may be a new edition. The number and date of the new edition
become part of the publishing history. The copyright dates of all
editions may be accumulated in the copyright notice, but usually only
the original edition and latest editions are reflected in the
publishing history.

``Edition versus impression.  `Edition,' as opposed to 'impression,'
is used in at least two senses. (1) A new edition may be defined as
one in which a substantial change has been made in one or more of the
essential elements of the work (e.g., text, notes, appendixes, or
illustrations). As a rule of thumb, at least 20 percent of a new
edition should consist of new or revised material. A work that is
republished with a new preface or afterward but is otherwise unchanged
except for corrections of typographical errors is better described as
a new impression or a reissue; the title page may include such words
as `With a New Preface.' (2) `Edition' may be used to designate a
reissue in a new format---for example, a paperback, deluxe, or
illustrated version---or under the imprint of a different publisher.

``Edition number. A new edition is best designated on the title page
by its number: Second Edition, Third Edition, and so forth. Such
phrases as `revised and expanded' are redundant on the title page,
since the nature and extent of the revision are normally described in
the prefatory material or on the cover.

``Impression.  The impression is usually identified by a line of
numerals running below the publishing history.  For example:

     07 06 05 040 03 02 01 99    1 2 3 4 5

The first group of numerals, reading from right to left, represents
the last two digits of succeeding years starting with the date of
original publication. The second set, following a space of an em or
more and reading from left to right, represents the numbers of
possible new impressions. The lowest number in each group indicates
the present impression and date.  In the above example, therefore, the
impression is identified as the first, and the year of printing as
1999.  The following example indicates a sixth printing in 1998.

     04 03 02 01 00 99 98     6 7 8 9

This method involves minimal resetting in each new impression, since
the typesetter merely deletes the lowest number. Indicating a new
impression not only reflects the sales record of a book but also
signals that corrections may have been made.''

---

Whew!  Okay, so the basic concept are that there are two levels of
revisions of a book: editions and impressions.  An impression is just
for fixing minor typos while a new edition indicates more substantial
changes.

I would say that Getting Started with Ubuntu 10.04 is the first book
in a series of books.  The series would contain the following books:

  Getting Started with Ubuntu 10.04
  Getting Started with Ubuntu 10.10
  Getting Started with Ubuntu 11.04
  Getting Started with Ubuntu 11.10
  etc.

When we release Getting Started with Ubuntu 10.04 in April, that will
be the first edition (and first impression/printing) of the book.  We
don't need to indicate this on the title page.

Ideally, we won't need multiple editions or impressions.  However,
since we'll probably find typos after April or programs have changed a
bit, we'll want to keep the manual up to date, and that will require
new impressions.  I think that information about new impressions can
be safely relegated to the copyright page -- a notice shouldn't be
placed on the front cover.

If we make major revisions to the manual -- add a new chapter, for
instance -- then that may qualify as a new edition.  If this occurs,
then we should place a 'Second Edition' notice on the cover of the
manual.

Now as to how this information should be presented on the copyright
page:  The reason they used the line of numbers (explained above) is
because they used to generate metal plates for printing the books.
When a new impression was created, it was easy to scratch off the year
and impression from the existing copyright page plate and reuse it
without making an entirely new plate.  Since we're all electronic
here, we don't have that problem.  Further, very few people know what
that line of numbers means anyway.  Therefore, I would recommend that
we use a versioning system similar to what's used for software, e.g.,
Version 1.1 for the first impression of the first edition.  (The year
is less important, given the timeliness of our manual.)

So here's what I would recommend:  We will (hopefully) have rare need
to generate a new edition of the manual.  If we do, though, we'll
place the edition number on the front cover.  On the copyright page,
we should include the manual's version.  The major version number (the
number to the left of the decimal) shall refer to the edition and the
minor version number (to the right of the decimal) shall refer to the
impression.  We can also include the date the impression was generated
(in YYYY-MM-DD format).

Are there any objections to this?

--Kevin