diff --git a/doc/emacs/emacs.texi b/doc/emacs/emacs.texi
index a7967ecaee5..d23e682cc80 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/emacs.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/emacs.texi
@@ -3,28 +3,21 @@
 @setfilename ../../info/emacs.info
 @settitle GNU Emacs Manual
 @include docstyle.texi
-
-@c The edition number appears in more than one place in this file
-@c I don't really know what it means...
-@c For example, it has said "Sixteenth" since sometime in the Emacs 22
-@c series, all through 23, and into 24.  So it is not very useful IMO,
-@c and offers nothing that EMACSVER does not.  I guess it relates
-@c mainly to the published book sold by the FSF.  Hence no longer
-@c bother including it except iftex.  Really, I think it should not be
-@c here at all (since anyone can make a pdf version), but should just
-@c be something added by the FSF during the publishing process.
-@c Also, the lispref uses a float (3.0), whereas this uses an ordinal,
-@c so the format is not even consistent.
-@set EDITION   Seventeenth
 @include emacsver.texi
 
+@c When printing, define EDITION to be the printed edition number, in
+@c the preferred style for ordinal edition numbers.  E.g., run the
+@c shell command "texi2any -D 'EDITION Nineteenth'" for the 19th
+@c printed edition where the edition number is spelled out in English.
+@c This relates mainly to the published book sold by the FSF.
+
 @copying
-@iftex
+@ifset EDITION
 This is the @value{EDITION} edition of the @cite{GNU Emacs Manual},@*
-@end iftex
-@ifnottex
+@end ifset
+@ifclear EDITION
 This is the @cite{GNU Emacs Manual},
-@end ifnottex
+@end ifclear
 updated for Emacs version @value{EMACSVER}.
 
 Copyright @copyright{} 1985--1987, 1993--2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@@ -82,7 +75,12 @@ developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
 @sp 6
 @center @titlefont{GNU Emacs Manual}
 @sp 4
+@ifset EDITION
 @center @value{EDITION} Edition, Updated for Emacs Version @value{EMACSVER}.
+@end ifset
+@ifclear EDITION
+@center Updated for Emacs Version @value{EMACSVER}
+@end ifclear
 @sp 5
 @center Richard Stallman et al.
 @page
diff --git a/doc/lispintro/emacs-lisp-intro.texi b/doc/lispintro/emacs-lisp-intro.texi
index 489ba8d6ef8..710e64f4570 100644
--- a/doc/lispintro/emacs-lisp-intro.texi
+++ b/doc/lispintro/emacs-lisp-intro.texi
@@ -63,10 +63,6 @@
 \global\hbadness=6666 % don't worry about not-too-underfull boxes
 @end tex
 
-@c These refer to the printed book sold by the FSF.
-@set edition-number 3.10
-@set update-date 28 October 2009
-
 @c For next or subsequent edition:
 @c   create function using with-output-to-temp-buffer
 @c   create a major mode, with keymaps
@@ -102,16 +98,24 @@
 * Emacs Lisp Intro: (eintr).    A simple introduction to Emacs Lisp programming.
 @end direntry
 
+@c When printing, define edition-number to be the printed edition
+@c number, titlepage-edition-number to be the spelled out edition
+@c number suitable for the title page, and update-date to be the date,
+@c in the preferred style for these.  E.g., run the shell command:
+@c   texi2any -D 'edition-number 3.11' \
+@c            -D 'titlepage-edition-number Revised Third Edtion' \
+@c            -D 'update-date 31 March 2020'
+@c This relates mainly to the published book sold by the FSF.
+
 @copying
 This is @cite{An Introduction to Programming in Emacs Lisp}, for
 people who are not programmers.
 @sp 1
-@iftex
+@ifset edition-number
 Edition @value{edition-number}, @value{update-date}
-@end iftex
-@ifnottex
+@end ifset
+@sp 1
 Distributed with Emacs version @value{EMACSVER}.
-@end ifnottex
 @sp 1
 Copyright @copyright{} 1990--1995, 1997, 2001--2019 Free Software
 Foundation, Inc.
@@ -173,7 +177,9 @@ supports it in developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
 @sp 2
 @center @titlefont{Programming in Emacs Lisp}
 @sp 2
-@center Revised Third Edition
+@ifset titlepage-edition-number
+@center @value{titlepage-edition-number}
+@end ifset
 @sp 4
 @center by Robert J. Chassell
 
diff --git a/doc/lispref/elisp.texi b/doc/lispref/elisp.texi
index d667c51d788..72ad8a751d0 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/elisp.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/elisp.texi
@@ -52,12 +52,7 @@
 @end ifset
 @end tex
 
-
-@c Version of the manual and of Emacs.
-@c (See comments for EDITION in emacs.texi)
-@set VERSION  3.1
 @include emacsver.texi
-@set DATE October 2014
 
 @c in general, keep the following line commented out, unless doing a
 @c copy of this manual that will be published.  The manual should go
@@ -90,13 +85,18 @@
 @c We use the "type index" to index new functions and variables.
 @c @syncodeindex tp fn
 
+@c When printing, define VERSION to be the printed edition number and
+@c DATE to be the printed edition's date.  E.g., run the shell command
+@c "texi2any -D 'VERSION 3.2' -D 'DATE 31 March 2020'".  This relates
+@c mainly to the published book sold by the FSF.
+
 @copying
-@iftex
+@ifset VERSION
 This is edition @value{VERSION} of the @cite{GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual},@*
-@end iftex
-@ifnottex
+@end ifset
+@ifclear VERSION
 This is the @cite{GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}
-@end ifnottex
+@end ifclear
 corresponding to Emacs version @value{EMACSVER}.
 
 Copyright @copyright{} 1990--1996, 1998--2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@@ -127,7 +127,9 @@ developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
 @subtitle @value{voltitle}
 @end ifset
 @subtitle For Emacs Version @value{EMACSVER}
+@ifset VERSION
 @subtitle Revision @value{VERSION}, @value{DATE}
+@end ifset
 
 @author by Bil Lewis, Dan LaLiberte, Richard Stallman,
 @author the GNU Manual Group, et al.