Book Collecting - Genres, Themes, and Interests

Genres, Themes, and Interests

There are millions of books, so collectors necessarily specialize in one or more genres or sub-genres of literature. A reader of fiction, who enjoys Westerns, might decide to collect first editions of Zane Grey's novels. A lover of modern English poetry might collect the works of Dylan Thomas. A Californian who prefers non-fiction might look for books about the history of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Individual interests may include:

• A particular author or genre or field of study (science, medicine, history, etc.)
• A particular illustrator
• Award winning books
• Books as Art
• Bindings and/or Book design. The Grolier Club has since 1884 been interested in the "... study of the arts pertaining to the production of books...".
• Comic books and Graphic novels
• Cover or dust jacket art
• First editions
• Fore-edge paintings
• Illustrated books
• Incunabula: books printed before 1501
• Limited editions
• Local/Regional interests
• Marginalia
• Miniature books
• The publisher and/or printer
  • Fine press books
  • Private press books
  • Small presses
• Paper, parchment, or vellum
• Series
• Photoplay editions
• Signed books: inscribed/signed by an author or illustrator
• Special editions, similar but not always the same as limited editions.
• Stages of publication: advance review copies, galley proofs

Related collecting interests include collecting bookplates, autographs, and ephemera.