Are the ISBN #'s different for the 1st edition of a book from the 2nd (or any other) edition of the same book?

Question

For example:

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS - JAMES PATTERSON - 1998 - 1ST ED.

has ISBN #'s:

ISBN-10: 0316693324

ISBN-13: 9780316693325

Would a 2nd edition have different numbers?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Yeah, I agree they typically are different.  But not necessarily from a first printing, to a second printing.  That's where a lot of collectors make their differentiation.  A second edition generally means the book has been changed in some way, updated, new format, revised, or re-edited.  A first printing to a second printing may not have any changes at all, it just means the first printing sold out.

Here's a great link of FAQs about ISBN numbers from the International ISBN Agency.  It should clear a lot of stuff up, very interesting.

http://isbn-international.org/en/faq.htm...

Answer 2

ISBN numbers are unique to each edition, so yes, the 1st and 2nd editions would each have their own unique ISBNs (that's how you can tell them apart easily when ordering).  Starting in 2007, all new ISBNs begin with the prefix 13.