You may actually find yourself in a very good position regarding which edition's requirements to follow. You may be able to use the 2008 version for articles where it is particularly helpful for a given situation, and be able to get a variance from the AHJ to allow it, before it has actually been adopted.
Don't use it before you know it very well though.
As far as the "NEC" (National Exception Catalog) goes, newer is seldom better. Newer will help you to reduce the high costs of true safety factors and "overbuilding" though. But rather than listen to a grumpy guy like me, go study the editions since the mid 1970s. No, the electrical work performed these days is not better, let alone anywhere near the page-count multiple since then.