For the first time, the publishers of J.K. Rowling (Robert Galbraith in this case) decided to publish a different edition for the signed copies of a new book. They even got rid of the holograms that authenticate signed copies – they were used in The Silkworm last year, for example, but not this time.
Confirmed to us by Foyles, J.K. Rowling signed only 250 copies of the UK edition of Career of Evil. The signature appears in the title page – but there are two main differences with the trade edition. The first one is on the dust jacket: the signed edition has the author’s name below the quote, while the trade edition has not:
While the dust jacket with the author’s name below the quotes is a must, is not enough – there are a few unsigned copies with this dust jacket, so be careful. The second difference is in the interior of the book, more specifically in the copyright page. The paragraph credits has all the information there – while the trade edition refers to page 491. Besides, the copyright line reads J.K. Rowling on the signed copy, and Robert Galbraith Limited on the unsigned one.
The number of American signed books is unknown, although it could be the same number due to how many of them appeared on websites like eBay.
Mulholland Books, the imprint behind the Robert Galbraith books in the United States, published two different editions in their territory: one edition for the signed copies and one for the unsigned. They even gave two ISBN, one of each one.
The signature in the American edition is not in the title page, but in a blank appended page to the book. Why is that? If you remember, when The Silkworm was published, J.K. Rowling signed some bookplates which later were added to copies of the American edition. This time, J.K. Rowling signed some blank pages, and these pages were added to the book directly in the printing process. This is the only difference between a signed and a unsigned book in the american edition: the extra page, which makes it difficult to fake, because they would have to add an extra page to an already printed book (something possible but not easy, and recognizable).
That is all you need to know about the signed copies of Career of Evil. As always, these points will be helpful but they are not a guarantee: do your research before purchasing and do it always from reputable sellers.
Happy collecting!