Here are some entries you might want to look at as examples of successfully completed second assignments:
From the Library Resources link of the course website, you will access a list of sources that you will use in researching this assignment. Additional sources are listed below as appropriate, but note that this is the minimum that you will need to research. An itemized list of all the sources consulted, with indication of their usefulness for your assignment, needs to be submitted here no later than midnight on the day the assignment is due. Keeping such a log will also be useful as you proceed with your research, ensuring that you have checked the appropriate items.
Note that sources are limited in scope (timeframe, coverage, etc.) and that you will need to be aware of these limitations as you use the source. Some of the sources will need to be consulted for more than one research problem, and findings compared, collated, etc.
1. Did the original publisher issue the book in more than one edition? If so, briefly describe distinguishing features of each (illustrations, cover art, typography, etc.); if not, enter N/A:
Depending on the publication date of your book, you may need to consult the National Union Catalog pre-1956 Imprints, and all the subsequent National Union Catalogs for information, where a number of consecutive editions will be listed. Check also The British Library General Catalogue of Printed Books to 1975, and online catalogs: WorldCat (OCLC's First Search) and Eureka (RLIN catalog).
Edition is distinguished from impression by the fact of being issued from a different setting of type (or plates). Because you cannot inspect all the copies that you will trace bibliographically, you will have to figure this information out from the information given in the bibliographic description. E.g. school edition, limited editions of different types, in addition to the edition aimed at the general public. Note that binding does not count as distinguishing feature, nor the minor difference in illustrations, cover art. But, if you have a significant difference in the number of pages, size of the book, or type of illustrations (e.g. a theatre edition with pictures from the play, and the line drawing illustrations), you have a different edition. You will need to supplement the information uncovered in the bibliographical sources, with book announcements in Publishers' Weekly. And, if possible, have your book with you to compare the edition aimed at the general public to some of these special editions (or their descriptions).
2. JPEG image of cover art from one subsequent edition, if available:
The inclusion of images in your entry is optional, but it does increase the usefulness of your entry. To provide an image of cover art, you will either need the cooperation of Special Collections or you will have to scan the cover art yourself: the same goes for sample illustration, sample chapter page, and title page of your novel (cf. Question 7,9, and 13). Once you (or Special Collections) have created the digital image, save (or download) to a diskette, for use when you are online completing the assignment form. The image should be saved as JPEG file, at 300 dpi, millions of colors, and saved at 75% quality.
Please Note: If you are working with Special Collections, the image you receive from them will be in TIFF format: you need to transform this into a JPEG image before uploading. If you don't know how to do this, or need help, you can see John Unsworth in office hours or take your image to the Digital Media Center in Clemons or the Etext Center in Alderman and ask for help.
The method of inclusion of the image into the database follows:
You can add additional illustrations with legends and commentaries in Add Supplementary Materials section, which allows you to add up to 5 additional images, with descriptions. Note that you need not limit yourself to illustrations, but can include documents (such as correspondence with Special Collections curator that aided you to find the original manuscript, etc.)
3. JPEG image of sample illustration from one subsequent edition, if available:
See instructions for section 2, above.
4. How many printings or impressions of the first edition?
This information may be deduced from the searches in the Publishers' Weekly, combined with the National Union Catalog pre-1956 Imprints. Publishers' Weekly will announce several printings and the number of issues in each printing, as the book was continuously in demand. You will need to find out how many impressions are issued by the same publisher.
5. Editions from other publishers? If so, list their dates and publishers; if not, enter N/A:
As under Question 4, you will need to make a census of as many editions that you can identify (by different publishers).
6. Last date in print?
Consult the following sources to find out whether the book is still in print:
Whitaker's Books in Print (Alderman reference room: Z2001 .B65 1994), Books in Print and International Books in Print (under "other databases" in Virgo: web-accessible)
Note also if other books of this author are in print now, and use this information either in the Reception History (assignment 4), or the Critical Essay. The life of a bestseller is determined by the public concerns and literary taste of the period. Only some of these sources survive as steady-sellers.
7. Total copies sold? (source and date of information?)
This information will be identified through your search in the Publishers' Weekly. For some of the books, this will not be available. Hackett's 80 Years of Best Sellers is useful for the prices. Search also the previous editions of Hackett, because the listing of novels changes. Other sources for sales are Tebbel's A History of American publishing (Alderman Reference: Z473 .T42), and Mott's Golden Multitudes (Clemons Reserve: Z1033.B3 M6 1947).
8. Sales figures by year? (source and date of information?)
Same general advice here as for question 7, but don't panic if you can't find anything -- it is quite possible that you won't be able to find a definitive answer to this question. However, any partial information, if it is found (e.g., sales figures for a particular year or range of years) should be included here.
9. Advertising copy (transcribe significant excerpts, briefly identify where ads were placed):
To research advertising, you will need to consult the contemporary press; Publishers' Weekly is publishers' advertising publication and can be used for that purpose.
10. JPEG image of sample advertisement, if available:
See instructions for section 2, above (you can use the advertisements published in the Publishers' Weekly where you will often find several consecutive ones -- announcing the book before its publication, when it is published, and for each subsequent printing).
11. Other promotion:
deduce from your search of the Publishers' Weekly. Sometimes, the advertisements will direct you to other sources or allow you to extrapolate about the advertising practices. Tebbel gives some note of the advertising practices for some of the publishers.
12. Performances in other media? If so, list media, date, title, production information; if not, enter N/A::
From the searches of the bibliographies and catalogs, you will note that there were theatre productions, and film productions of this work. The sources specifically dealing with the performances in other media are:
13. Translations? If translated, give standard bibliographic information for each translation. If none, enter N/A:
Search WorldCat and Eureka for translations; indicate the language of the translation in brackets, and give the standard bibliographic information for each translation. You may also search in the catalogs of various national libraries for translations (i.e., Bibliotheque Nationale, etc.).
14. Serialization? If serialized, give standard bibliographic information for serial publication. If none, enter N/A:
The information about serialization would be indicated in the Publishers' Weekly, or Cumulative Periodicals Index (In Virgo, under "Other Databases").
15. Sequels/Prequels? Give standard bibliographic information for each. If none, enter N/A:
Same general advice as for Question 1, above.