At Special Editions, we love the premium feel of a carefully designed book. But a reader who's new to the world of these editions might wonder what value the higher price point brings, and why they should buy them compared to a trade hardback.
We've put together all the benefits of these editions so that you can be informed when you next buy a copy of your favourite novel, a glossy photobook, or exciting new memoir, and consider purchasing a special edition instead.
The key reasons to buy a special edition are:
- They are more durable than standard editions
- They have value as a work of artistic design
- They are rare and highly collectible
- They are often signed, and may have been created in close personal collaboration with the author
- They may come with bonus material and exclusive extras
Join us as we explore each of these benefits in more detail.
A book to last a lifetime
Special editions are often printed with more durable materials, which means they'll be in pristine condition for decades. They might even become a family heirloom. Many use acid- or woodfree paper - unlike paperbacks, whose pages turn yellow and brittle after several years.
Often special editions will list the type of paper they've been printed on, so you can check the quality and purchase a book which you can enjoy far into the future. Our special edition of The Cuckoo's Calling is an example of this, printed on Chinese Baijin Woodfree paper.
An art object, designed with care
If you love physical books, the chances are you have a bookshelf pride of place in your home. With bespoke covers, slipcases, and foiled or sprayed edges, special editions are artworks in themselves and look beautiful upon the shelf or resting on a coffee table.
This means not only is the edition pleasing to handle and read, but it's something to show off in the home as well. Our edition of John Grant's The Illustrated Lyrics is one such beautiful item, arriving in a special clamshell display case, with exclusive alternate cover art, cloth quarter binding, and filled with stunning illustrations and photography.
Limited and collectible
Most special editions are sold in exclusive or highly limited print runs. This means you may be holding one of only a few hundred copies that will ever be made! You may consider the edition an investment to be re-sold in the future, or simply as a very special, unique item to enjoy in your home. The lettered Artist's Edition of Scarfe: Sixty Years of Being Rude is limited to only 26 copies, each with a unique original piece of artwork by Gerald Scarfe.
A connection to the author
Often special editions are designed in close collaboration with authors, and many are also hand-signed by them. When you purchase a special edition, you therefore have a close connection to the person who has written it. One example is the signed Joe Lycett's Art Hole, designed in close creative collaboration with Joe.
Added extras
Sometimes a special edition comes with a rare or exclusive bonus. This could be entirely new chapters or photographs, an added print, or another item of memorabilia. Our signed edition of Angela Harding's Still Waters & Wild Waves even comes with a beautiful tea-towel featuring one of her prints!