Destiny Books — first-edition identification

Destiny Books (USA (imprint of Inner Traditions, Rochester VT); 1980s-present). First-edition identification: 1980s-present (imprint of Inner Traditions): follows the same standard modern-trade practice as the Inner Traditions parent, a descending number line such as '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' in which the lowest number indicates the printing (a line ending in 1 marks a first printing), typically alongside a 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page. The Destiny Books imprint name signals the occult, pagan, and divination subject line within the Inner Traditions family rather than a separate dating system. General: revised editions are restated with a fresh number line and 'Second Edition' (or similar) wording, so verify both the edition statement and the line. Imprints and series: Destiny Books. Background: An Inner Traditions imprint, not an independent house, focused on New Age and metaphysical titles, divination, tantra and sacred sexuality, and pagan and occult traditions, and it often publishes English translations of French and German works. Identification follows the Inner Traditions parent's practice (descending number line plus 'First Edition' statement), which is standard modern-trade convention rather than a documented house-specific point. The imprint name is a subject tell, not a separate identification system.


Detective Book Club (Walter J. Black) — first-edition identification

Detective Book Club (Walter J. Black) (US; 1942-1990s). First-edition identification: These are BOOK-CLUB editions by design — they are NOT first editions. Identification is the inverse skill: recognizing a DBC volume so it is not mistaken for a first. Tells: three novels bound in one omnibus volume; uniform binding/jacket styling across the series; no original publisher's price; cheaper paper; often 'Detective Book Club' on spine/jacket and a club-selection note. Blind-stamped dimple or absence of a true first-edition statement; jacket lacks an original publisher price. Imprints and series: Walter J. Black, Inc.; Detective Book Club (3-in-1 omnibus volumes). Background: Crucial as a confusion-avoider: a DBC 3-in-1 reprints novels that first appeared from houses like Doubleday Crime Club, Morrow, Dodd Mead — the original publisher's separate hardcover is the first, not the club volume. Often mistaken online for firsts because they reproduce the original jacket art on the omnibus. No collectible 'first printing' status; value is nominal.

New Mexico Literacy Project (newmexicoliteracyproject.org)


Dewi Lewis Publishing — first-edition identification

Dewi Lewis Publishing (UK (Stockport/Manchester); 1994–present (Cornerhouse Publications lineage 1987–1994)). First-edition identification: Colophon states 'First published in [year] by Dewi Lewis Publishing'; for a first there is no added reprint line, and this first-published statement is the primary identifier. Reprints are stated ('Reprinted [year]' or 'Second edition'); UK convention adds reprint lines rather than deleting from a descending number line. Most titles are single-printing photobooks, so the absence of a reprint line together with the original ISBN supports a first. Occasional special or signed editions carry a numbered limitation statement. Imprints and series: Dewi Lewis Publishing; Dewi Lewis Media (related imprint); Cornerhouse Publications (Dewi Lewis's earlier publishing operation, 1987–1994). Background: Founded 1994 by Dewi Lewis and Caroline Warhurst. Before that Lewis established and ran Cornerhouse Publications in Manchester from 1987 until 1994 — a Cornerhouse-imprint photobook belongs to that earlier, separate lineage. Award-recognized house (Paris Photo–Aperture Photobook of the Year 2018; Rencontres d'Arles Author Book Prize 2018; PHotoEspaña 2014) with titles by Martin Parr, William Klein, Sergio Larrain and others; prize-winning firsts may carry stated reprints. US distribution has been handled through a US distribution arrangement; a US-distributed copy is the same UK edition, not a separate first.


Dey Street Books — first-edition identification

Dey Street Books (US (New York); 2014–present (as It Books 2009–2014)). First-edition identification: True first printings follow the standard HarperCollins convention: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1. On later printings the lowest digit rises above 1 and the "First Edition" statement is typically removed. Imprints and series: Dey Street; Harper Pop (related, 2025). Background: Pop-culture / nonfiction imprint within HarperCollins, launched in 2009 as It Books and renamed Dey Street Books with its first list in fall 2014. Harper Pop is a newer licensed / pop-culture imprint launched in winter 2025; Dey Street's publisher Carrie Thornton is among those overseeing it. Known for celebrity memoirs and irreverent pop-culture nonfiction.


Dial Books for Young Readers — first-edition identification

Dial Press (historical adult parent)
Dial Easy-to-Read

Dial Books for Young Readers (US; 1924–present (children's imprint formalized 1961)). First-edition identification: Modern (Penguin/Dial era): full descending number line on copyright page; first printing reaches '1' (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) Often paired with 'First Edition' or 'First American Edition' statement Mid-20th century Dial Press parent: pre-mid-1960s matched title-page and copyright-page dates; late 1960s stated 'First Printing (Year)' Imprints and series: Dial Press (historical adult parent); Dial Easy-to-Read. Background: Dial BFYR is now a Penguin Young Readers (Penguin Random House) imprint; inherits Penguin number-line house style Famous titles: Lois Lowry, the 'Brian's Saga' Gary Paulsen, Eric Carle reissues, Bill Peet. Caldecott/Newbery contenders frequent Watch for Reading Rainbow / book-club tie-in editions of Dial picture books lacking price


Dial Press — first-edition identification

Dial Press (US; 1924–present). First-edition identification: Pre-mid-1960s (classic Dial, incl. early Baldwin/Mailer firsts): first edition identified by the SAME DATE appearing on both the title page and the copyright page, with no later-printing statement. Early imprints may read 'Lincoln MacVeagh / The Dial Press.' Mid/late-1960s to ~1980: first printings stated 'First Printing (Year)' on the copyright page, with subsequent printings explicitly noted. Circa 1980s onward: a descending number line/number row; presence of '1' indicates first printing. This convention began under Doubleday-era ownership, BEFORE the Random House revival — it is not exclusively a modern Random House practice. Modern Random House-era Dial: follows standard Random House practice — typically 'First Edition' stated with a number line descending to 1; but verify against the era the copyright page reflects rather than assuming. Imprints and series: Dial Books for Young Readers (children's, now separate under Penguin). Background: Founded 1923 by Lincoln MacVeagh (first book imprint issued 1924) — the claim's 'Founded 1924' is off by a year; 1924 is the first publication, not the founding. Published James Baldwin, Norman Mailer, Thomas Berger, Elizabeth Bowen, Frank Yerby. Ownership churn: Dell (60% 1963, wholly owned 1969) -> Doubleday (1976) -> adult imprint dissolved 1985 -> revived (under Bantam/Doubleday/Dell, carried into Random House when BDD was sold) -> now Random House Publishing Group imprint within PRH. The claim's 'revived under Random House 2001' is imprecise: the revival lineage began under BDD, not Random House, and the specific 2001 date is not well-supported. Dial Books for Young Readers split off (children's division sold to E.P. Dutton in 1976) and is now a Penguin Random House children's imprint — a DIFFERENT line; do not conflate with the adult Dial Press. (Confirmed correct.) Because of the ownership churn the controlling convention depends on the printing's era — check the copyright page. (Confirmed correct.) The single most useful early-era test is the matching date on title page and copyright page, which the claimed methods omit entirely.


Disney-Hyperion / Disney Publishing Worldwide (children's) — first-edition identification

Disney-Hyperion
Hyperion Books for Children (legacy)
Disney Press
Freeform Books (former YA)
Rick Riordan Presents
Disney Books
Marvel Press (children's)
Disney Lucasfilm Press

Disney-Hyperion / Disney Publishing Worldwide (children's) (US; 1991–present (Hyperion children's); Disney-Hyperion brand from 2008). First-edition identification: First printing: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a number line that includes 1 Lowest digit present in the number row = the printing; 1 indicates first edition, first printing Imprints and series: Disney-Hyperion; Hyperion Books for Children (legacy); Disney Press; Freeform Books (former YA); Rick Riordan Presents; Disney Books; Marvel Press (children's); Disney Lucasfilm Press. Background: Formerly Hyperion Books for Children; the children's list rebranded as Disney-Hyperion in 2008 Rick Riordan Presents launched in 2018 (first title Aru Shah and the End of Time, 2018) and follows the same 'First Edition' + number-line rule Caution on Disney novelty and licensed movie tie-in titles: number lines can be absent or unreliable on mass-market tie-ins, so trust the stated 'First Edition' plus number line only on trade titles Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Miramax/Hyperion, 2005) firsts carry title-specific jacket and number-line points


DK Eyewitness (Dorling Kindersley) — first-edition identification

DK Eyewitness (Dorling Kindersley) (United Kingdom (London); Penguin Random House; 1993-present). First-edition identification: Identify by the copyright-page number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (lowest digit present = printing) combined with a 'First published in [year]' statement and any 'Reprinted with revisions' year list. 1993-2000s: series launched 1993, copyright held by 'Dorling Kindersley Limited, London'. A true first printing shows the original publication year and carries NO 'Reprinted with revisions' year list. Revised editions: the copyright page accumulates a 'Reprinted with revisions' year list, and the number line on a revised reprint will have lost the '1' — both mark a non-first printing. 2010s-present: under Penguin Random House; the same number-line plus revision-year-list convention continues. Imprints and series: DK Eyewitness Travel Guides; DK Eyewitness Top 10 Guides; DK Eyewitness Back Roads; DK Eyewitness (Eyewitness Books reference). Background: Number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' with the lowest digit indicating the printing, confirmed from physical copies. Key tell: the 'Reprinted with revisions' YEAR LIST on the copyright page — a first printing has none. Series founded 1993; 'Dorling Kindersley Limited, London' copyright line, later 'DK, a division of Penguin Random House'. The photo and cutaway 3D-illustration format is the brand signature.


Dodd, Mead & Company — first-edition identification

Dodd, Mead
Red Badge Mystery
Apollo Editions

Dodd, Mead & Company (US; 1870s-1980s). First-edition identification: Prior to 1976: firsts have NO additional printings listed on the copyright page (no number line, no later-printing notice). Late 1976 onward: a sequence of numbers on the copyright page with '1' present indicates the first printing. Imprints and series: Dodd, Mead; Red Badge Mystery; Apollo Editions. Background: For pre-1976 titles the only reliable signal is the absence of any later-printing notice — there is no positive 'First Edition' statement to rely on. Long-running house (Agatha Christie's US publisher) — title-level points often matter more than the house rule.


Dodd, Mead & Company (Red Badge Detective) — first-edition identification

Dodd, Mead & Co.
Red Badge Detective (crime imprint)

Dodd, Mead & Company (Red Badge Detective) (US; 1930s-1980s). First-edition identification: Dodd, Mead generally stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page for firsts; the statement is removed on later printings (standard mid-century practice). Red Badge Detective books carry the Red Badge device/colophon; first printing = 'First Edition' stated with no later-printing notice and a price-present jacket. Match jacket price and rear-panel ads to first-state points for collected authors. Imprints and series: Dodd, Mead & Co.; Red Badge Detective (crime imprint). Background: Agatha Christie's primary US hardcover publisher for much of her career — Dodd, Mead firsts are the US firsts (distinct from UK Collins Crime Club firsts). Book-club reprints (Detective Book Club, Dollar Mystery Guild) of Dodd, Mead titles are common look-alikes; the BCE lacks 'First Edition' and has club tells. For Christie and similar, the US Dodd, Mead first usually post-dates the UK Collins first — note 'first US edition,' not world first.


Donald M. Grant, Publisher — first-edition identification

Grant/Hampton Falls
co-publications with Underwood-Miller

Donald M. Grant, Publisher (USA (West Kingston, Rhode Island); 1964-present). First-edition identification: Limitation/colophon page states the print run; many titles issued in signed limited and trade states — the limitation leaf and signature identify the limited first Trade firsts: confirm 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page where present, with no later-printing notice; verify the illustrator plates and binding/slipcase match the issued state Stephen King 'The Gunslinger' (1982) first Grant edition: 'First Edition' stated on copyright page, brown/maroon cloth boards gilt-lettered, Michael Whelan plates, unclipped jacket; no later-printing statement Imprints and series: Grant/Hampton Falls; co-publications with Underwood-Miller. Background: Founded 1964; specialist in lavishly illustrated SF/fantasy/Western, notably Robert E. Howard Conan volumes and Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' originals 'The Gunslinger' (1982) and 'The Drawing of the Three' (1987) Grant editions are the true firsts long before the mass-market reprints — high-value points titles Grant did several co-imprint/limited runs; check the title page for a co-publisher (e.g. Underwood-Miller), which changes the issue state


Dorothy, a Publishing Project — first-edition identification

Dorothy, a Publishing Project (St. Louis, Missouri, USA; 2010-present). First-edition identification: 2010-present: First printings are identified by a complete descending number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on the copyright page, the lowest digit indicating the printing. The house publishes paperback originals, so the first state is the trade paperback; 'First edition' wording appears on some titles, but the number line is the consistent tell. Imprints and series: Dorothy, a Publishing Project. Background: Founded by Danielle Dutton (with Martin Riker); the press's first two titles appeared in 2010, and it is distributed in partnership with Coffee House Press. Publishes exactly two books per year, both released together each fall — a small, easily tracked list. Drew wide attention for Nell Zink and Renee Gladman titles; firsts are scarce because of small print runs.


Doubleday — first-edition identification

Nan A. Talese
Anchor (paper sister)
Image (religious)
Doubleday Religion
Currency (business)
Galilee
Crime Club (historic)
Zenith/Dolphin (historic paper)

Doubleday (US; 1897–present). First-edition identification: 1897–c.1920s (Doubleday & McClure / Doubleday, Page): first editions have the SAME date on title page and copyright page with no other printings mentioned. Early 1920s–1927: began stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page (not always on books first published outside the US); by 1927 (Doubleday, Doran) used 'First Edition' consistently. Mid-1958–early 1959: numerical gutter code (1–52) on the last page of text indicating the WEEK of printing. Early 1959–1987: added a LETTER code before the week code indicating the YEAR. c.1990s–present: uses a descending number row; presence of 1 indicates first printing. Throughout: any mention of later printings means it is NOT a first. Imprints and series: Nan A. Talese; Anchor (paper sister); Image (religious); Doubleday Religion; Currency (business); Galilee; Crime Club (historic); Zenith/Dolphin (historic paper). Background: Name evolution: Doubleday & McClure (1897) → Doubleday, Page (c.1900) → Doubleday, Doran (1927) → Doubleday & Co. (1947) → part of Bantam Doubleday Dell → Random House/PRH (1998). The 1958–1987 gutter/colophon code (letter+number) is a famous, decodable Doubleday point — the letter gives the year, the number the week. Doubleday is notorious for book-club editions (it ran large book clubs): BCEs typically lack a price on the jacket, have a blind-stamp 'dot' or square on the lower-right rear board, and are smaller/lighter — a classic confusion with trade firsts. Nan A. Talese is the prestige literary imprint (Atwood, McEwan, Ondaatje) — follows modern Doubleday number-line convention.


Doubleday (trade). First-edition identification: Stated "First Edition" on the copyright page (no statement on later printings) Gutter codes (mid-1958 to mid-1987) as a dating cross-reference Background: The Literary Guild, Mystery Guild, and Doubleday Book Club run through this house; their club editions carry a five-digit code block on the jacket and a rear-board blind stamp — not the same as the trade first.


Douglas & McIntyre — first-edition identification

Douglas & McIntyre (Canada (Vancouver/Madeira Park, British Columbia); 1971-2012 (original D&M Publishers); 2013-present (Douglas & McIntyre 2013 Ltd.)). First-edition identification: Modern D&M trade titles state 'First edition' and/or carry a number line ('1' present = first printing) on the copyright page. Co-publications (D&M frequently co-published with US/UK houses) require establishing the Canadian first by date and the D&M imprint on the title page. For older titles, absence of any later-printing/reprint statement plus the first-appearance year is the working rule. Imprints and series: Douglas & McIntyre; Greystone Books; New Society Publishers (historic; returned to prior owners 2013); Groundwood (historic, before moving to House of Anansi); D&M Publishers (corporate parent). Background: Founded 1971 by James Douglas and Scott McIntyre, Vancouver; leading western-Canadian trade and art-book publisher (Bill Reid, Robert Bringhurst, Haida/Northwest Coast titles, David Suzuki). Greystone Books imprint launched 1993 (under Rob Sanders) for nature and popular-science titles. Critical era/ownership change: parent D&M Publishers filed a Notice of Intention under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act in October 2012; in February 2013 the Douglas & McIntyre list was bought by Howard and Mary White (Harbour Publishing) and continued as 'Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd.', Greystone Books was sold to a Heritage House-led group and became the independent Greystone Books Ltd., and New Society Publishers returned to prior owners. Post-2013 D&M and Greystone are SEPARATE companies; attribute imprint and era carefully. Groundwood originated under D&M before becoming part of House of Anansi; older Groundwood titles may bear D&M-era imprint data.


Dover Publications — first-edition identification

Dover Publications
Dover Thrift Editions
Calla Editions
Ixia Press
Echo Point (distribution-adjacent)

Dover Publications (Mineola (formerly New York), New York, USA; 1941-present). First-edition identification: 1941-present (general rule): Dover is overwhelmingly a reprint/republication house; most of its books are NOT first editions of their texts. The copyright page states the original publication and reads, in substance, 'This Dover edition, first published in [year], is an unabridged [and/or unaltered] republication of the work originally published by [X] in [year].' For collectors, the relevant 'first' is the FIRST DOVER EDITION, dated by that republication statement. 1941-c.1970: On early Dover editions the first Dover printing is identified by the republication statement's year together with the absence of any later-printing line; the price was often printed on the rear cover, and many early titles carry no number line. c.1970-present: Many Dover titles carry a number line; the first Dover printing shows the full sequence ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' or a letter line) with the lowest value present indicating the printing. The 'This Dover edition, first published in [year]' statement remains the primary tell. Dover ORIGINALS (a minority of the list) are true first editions, identified by the absence of any prior-publication statement plus the number line. 2000s-present: Under later corporate ownership (Courier, then INscribe Digital/Ingram-adjacent) the republication-statement convention continues; Thrift Editions and Pictorial Archive lines are clearly labeled. Imprints and series: Dover Publications; Dover Thrift Editions; Calla Editions; Ixia Press; Echo Point (distribution-adjacent). Background: Founded 1941 by Hayward and Blanche Cirker, named for their apartment building; built on inexpensive unabridged reprints of public-domain and out-of-print works. Critical for identification: Dover's craft, needlework, clip-art, stencil, pattern, and 'Dover Pictorial Archive' originals ARE true first editions, identified by the LACK of a prior-publication statement. The 'This Dover edition, first published in [year], is an unabridged republication...' wording dates the first Dover edition precisely. Permission-free clip-art and needlework compilations are a Dover signature; some are originals and some are republications, so the copyright statement must be read in each case.


Dover Publications (Music & Performing Arts) — first-edition identification

Dover
Dover Music Scores
Dover Books on Music

Dover Publications (Music & Performing Arts) (USA (New York; Mineola, NY); 1941-present). First-edition identification: 1941-present (general rule): Dover is overwhelmingly a REPRINT publisher; most music scores and music/film/theatre books are unabridged republications of earlier editions, so the relevant 'first' is the first Dover edition. Identify it by the copyright/credits page statement: 'This Dover edition, first published in YYYY, is an unabridged [/ slightly corrected / new] republication of the work originally published by [publisher], [year].' All eras — first Dover printing tell: A true first Dover printing carries no later-printing notation; later Dover printings are commonly re-run silently, so collectors rely on the 'first published in YYYY' Dover statement together with any printing/manufacturing code (often on the last text page or inside back cover). Music scores: Dover full-size and miniature scores reproduce older engraved plates (frequently Breitkopf & Hartel, Peters, etc.); the 'Dover edition first published YYYY' line dates the Dover issue, while the reproduced plates retain the ORIGINAL publisher's plate numbers — do not mistake those for Dover firsts. ISBN era (c.1968-present): Dover added ISBNs and standardized self-cover paperbacks; the edition statement remains the 'This Dover edition, first published in YYYY...' formula. Imprints and series: Dover; Dover Music Scores; Dover Books on Music. Background: Almost never an original-publication first edition; value lies in the affordable reprint rather than in collectible firsts. Reproduced scores carry the ORIGINAL engraver's plate numbers — a frequent point of confusion. Identify the first Dover edition by the explicit 'This Dover edition, first published in YYYY...' republication statement. Headquartered in New York, later Mineola, NY; the printing operation passed to Courier/LSC.


Doves Press — first-edition identification

Doves Press (UK; 1900–1916). First-edition identification: Hand-press limited editions in the single proprietary 'Doves' type; austere typography with no illustration, occasional calligraphic initials by Edward Johnston (often hand-painted in red) Printed colophon with stated limitation; copies on paper plus a small number on VELLUM (distinct sub-state) The Doves bindery dove device / the press colophon authenticates; handmade paper No number line — colophon limitation and the Doves type identify Imprints and series: T. J. Cobden-Sanderson & Emery Walker (founders). Background: Founded 1900 by T. J. Cobden-Sanderson and Emery Walker (Hammersmith); celebrated for the Doves Bible (1903–05) — a monument of pure typography Cobden-Sanderson famously threw the Doves type punches and matrices into the Thames (1916–17) to keep it from Walker — so the type was never reused; this story underlies the press's mystique Vellum copies and the Doves Bible are the apex; paper copies are the standard state Distinguish from later Doves-type revivals (digital facsimiles) — not the original press


Down East Books — first-edition identification

Down East Books (New England (Camden / Rockport, Maine); 1967-present). First-edition identification: 1967-1980s (Down East Magazine/Enterprise era): No reliable 'First Edition' slug on early titles. Treat a first printing as a single copyright-page date matching the publication year with no later-printing notation; later printings add an explicit statement. Early titles often credit 'Down East Magazine' or 'Down East Enterprise, Camden, Maine.' 1980s-2000s: Mixed practice. Some titles state 'First Edition' or 'First printing'; a number line (lowest number present indicates the printing) appears on later titles. Where no printing statement is present, the matching copyright date plus the absence of any later-printing notation is the practical first-printing tell. c. 2015-present (Globe Pequot / Rowman & Littlefield ownership): Follows the Globe Pequot/Rowman & Littlefield house convention - a copyright-page printing line and/or number line in which the lowest digit present indicates the printing; the imprint line reads 'Down East Books, an imprint of ...' Imprints and series: Down East Books; Down East Enterprise (parent, formerly); Globe Pequot / Rowman & Littlefield (current owner-distributor). Background: Began publishing in 1967 (first title 'Leroy the Lobster and Crabby Crab') and has issued well over 1,000 Maine and New England titles. Originated as the book division of Down East magazine (the magazine itself passed to the Fernald family in 1976); the book line later separated and was acquired into the Globe Pequot / Rowman & Littlefield group. Post-acquisition copyright pages carry the corporate 'an imprint of ...' language, a quick era tell. Regional nautical, nature, cookbook, history, and children's titles dominate the list.


Dramatists Play Service — first-edition identification

Dramatists Play Service Acting Edition
DPS

Dramatists Play Service (USA (New York, NY); 1936–present). First-edition identification: 1936–present (acting-edition model): founded in 1936 by members of the Dramatists Guild. Publishes inexpensive paperbound acting editions intended for licensing, not collectible trade firsts. These are typically reset and reprinted continuously without edition statements, and printings are generally not distinguished bibliographically. Identify by the copyright year or years on the verso and by the standard DPS acting-edition format (plain card cover, cast and scenery requirements, royalty notice). All eras — first-issue tell: the earliest issue carries only the original copyright year, with no added later copyright dates and no revised-edition note. Later states accrue additional copyright years (revisions) and updated royalty and contact information. The DPS address and royalty-fee text on the back cover can roughly date a copy. Ownership for dating later copies: DPS was acquired by Broadway Licensing in 2021 (as part of Broadway Licensing Global, alongside Playscripts and Stage Rights). Broadway Licensing Global was then acquired by Concord Theatricals in 2025. The acting-edition format and identification conventions are unchanged, but newer copies may carry Broadway Licensing or, later, Concord Theatricals imprint or contact updates. Imprints and series: Dramatists Play Service Acting Edition; DPS. Background: Acting editions are licensing tools, not designed as collectible firsts, so printings are usually indistinguishable; use copyright-year accretion and back-cover royalty text to date a copy. Often publishes the first printed appearance of a contemporary play, so the DPS acting edition can be the true first edition of the text even though it is humble in format. Ownership chain for dating: independent until 2021, then Broadway Licensing (2021), then part of Concord Theatricals (2025).


Drawn & Quarterly — first-edition identification

Drawn & Quarterly (Canada (Montreal, QC); 1990-present). First-edition identification: Book-trade publisher: the copyright page states 'First edition' and/or 'First printing' with a month and year; many titles also carry a descending number line (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') where the lowest digit equals the printing. First printing = the lowest number in the line is '1' and/or explicit 'First edition' wording with no later-printing statement. Distributed in the US by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (a Macmillan imprint), so many D+Q copyright pages follow Macmillan-style number-line formatting; confirm the '1' is present in the line. Imprints and series: Petits Livres (children's); D+Q (manga/reprint line incl. Tatsumi, Moomin). Background: Founded 1990 by Chris Oliveros; the anthology magazine 'Drawn & Quarterly' debuted in April 1990 and predates the book program, and is identified by issue indicia. High-demand titles (Chester Brown, Seth, Adrian Tomine, Lynda Barry, Moomin hardcovers) frequently went to multiple printings, so the number line / printing statement is the decisive point. Some Tomine and Seth titles were co-published or distributed differently across editions — verify the stated edition wording per title.


Duell, Sloan & Pearce — first-edition identification

Duell, Sloan & Pearce (New York, USA; 1939–1961 (independent imprint; became a Meredith affiliate March 1961)). First-edition identification: 1939–1961: First printings are marked either with the words 'First Edition' OR with a Roman numeral 'I' on the copyright page. Later printings are denoted similarly — e.g., 'Second Printing' or 'II.' The presence of 'First Edition' or 'I' (with no later-printing designation) indicates a first printing. (Confirmed by qbbooks and IOBA lists derived from Zempel & Verkler.) From 1951: Little, Brown handled manufacturing, warehousing, promotion, and selling; the two firms stayed independent but books carried both imprints. The joint 'Duell, Sloan and Pearce – Little, Brown' imprint dates a title to 1951 or later. From March 1961: the firm became an affiliate of Meredith Publishing Company; later imprints are a Meredith property — apply successor rules. Imprints and series: Duell, Sloan & Pearce; Duell, Sloan and Pearce – Little, Brown (joint distribution imprint, from 1951). Background: Founded 1939 by Charles Halliwell Duell, Samuel Sloan, and Charles A. Pearce (former Harcourt editors). Published Archibald MacLeish, John O'Hara, Erskine Caldwell, Anaïs Nin, Conrad Aiken, Wallace Stegner, E. E. Cummings, Howard Fast, and Benjamin Spock; entered a Little, Brown distribution agreement in 1951 (the joint imprint is a dating tell). The explicit 'First Edition'/Roman-numeral-'I' convention makes identification more reliable than its no-statement contemporaries — but verify, as some titles use only the numeral.


Duke University Press — first-edition identification

Console-ing Passions series
Latin America Otherwise series

Duke University Press (US; 1921–present). First-edition identification: Modern titles carry a number line on the copyright page; lowest number present = printing ('1' = first). First printings otherwise show only the copyright line; later printings/editions noted. Revised editions explicitly dated and numbered. Imprints and series: Console-ing Passions series; Latin America Otherwise series. Background: Strong cultural-studies, queer-theory, and Latin American studies list; heavily reprinted theory titles keep the same copyright year — rely on the number line. Standard academic convention.


Dutton — first-edition identification

Dutton (US; 1852–present). First-edition identification: Historic E.P. Dutton (founded 1852): first printings often identified by the absence of later-printing statements; many mid-century titles state 'First Edition' or 'First Printing'. Number line / 'W' codes and date codes appear on some 20th-century Dutton books. Modern Dutton (Penguin): states 'First Edition' with a descending number line ending in 1. Presence of 1 in the line plus the stated First Edition = first in the modern era. Imprints and series: E.P. Dutton (historic); Dutton Children's Books; Plume (trade paper, sister); New American Library/NAL (sister under Penguin). Background: One of the oldest US houses (E.P. Dutton, est. 1852); diverse list including Winnie-the-Pooh US editions. Acquired by Penguin (Dutton/NAL) in the 1980s–90s; now a Penguin Publishing Group imprint within PRH. Pre-modern Dutton requires absence-of-reprint logic; the famous Pooh/Milne titles have specific bibliographic points beyond house convention. Plume (trade paperback) is largely a reprint line — usually NOT a first.


E. P. Dutton & Company — first-edition identification

Dutton
Everyman's Library (US distribution)
Obelisk

E. P. Dutton & Company (US; 1880s-1990s). First-edition identification: Pre-1929: same date on title page and copyright page, no additional printings listed. 1929 onward: state 'First Published (year)' or 'First Edition' on the copyright page. 1993 onward: 'First Printing (month, year)' plus a number sequence with '1' present. Imprints and series: Dutton; Everyman's Library (US distribution); Obelisk. Background: The matching-date rule covers the earliest period; the explicit statement covers the bulk of the 20th century. US publisher of A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh titles — those have famous title-specific points beyond the house rule.


Earthling Publications — first-edition identification

Earthling Halloween Series
Earthling Modern Classics

Earthling Publications (Northborough, Massachusetts, USA; c.1998-present). First-edition identification: c.2000-present: signed limited hardcovers; the numbered/lettered limitation page identifies the first - generally single-printing limited editions. Halloween Series (2004-present): standard volumes limited to 300 signed and numbered copies (plus a small lettered/deluxe state for some); the '#/300' limitation identifies the standard limited first. Series numbering tell: Mr. Dark's Carnival by Glen Hirshberg (2004) was an ultra-limited run of only 15 signed copies and is counted as #0; Blood Red is #1 - so the canonical series number on early titles is itself an identification point. Lettered/traycased deluxe states (often 26 copies, A-Z) exist for many Halloween titles; identify by the lettered colophon. Imprints and series: Earthling Halloween Series; Earthling Modern Classics. Background: Run by Paul Miller; specializes in limited-edition horror/dark fantasy. Annual Halloween Series (one horror novel/novella each October) is the press's signature line and reliably sells out. Reputation built on consistent 300-copy signed/numbered limiteds with high production values.


Easton Press — first-edition identification

Easton Press (US; 1975–present). First-edition identification: Most Easton Press volumes are leather-bound REPRINTS (not firsts) — full leather, gilt edges, moiré endpapers, satin ribbon marker, raised spine bands, and a hubbed gilt-stamped spine Their genuine first editions come via the 'Signed First Edition' / 'Signed First Edition Society' programs: a bound-in signature leaf signed by the author, plus statements identifying it as a first edition, typically on the title page and the signature page A Collector's Notes pamphlet often accompanies the volume; a numbered 'edition' COA or limitation may appear for special signed/limited runs No publisher number-line; identify state by the signature leaf and the series/limitation statement, not a copyright-page key Imprints and series: MBI / Easton Press (a division of MBI, Inc.); 100 Greatest Books Ever Written; Books That Changed the World; Masterpieces of Science Fiction; Signed First Edition Society. Background: Easton Press reprints are NOT collectible firsts of the text — many sellers misrepresent them; only the Signed First Edition Society volumes (author-signed at point of publication) carry first-edition significance Distinguish from Franklin Library (its main historical competitor): Easton continues to operate; Franklin ceased Deluxe Limited Editions (smaller numbered runs) exist for some titles and carry a stated limitation Sealed-in-shrinkwrap, with the COA/Collector's Notes intact, is the desirable state


Ecco — first-edition identification

Ecco (US; 1971–present). First-edition identification: Independent Ecco Press era (1971–1999): typically stated 'First Edition' / 'First printing' and/or first printings identified by absence of later printings; many were trade paperbacks and poetry. HarperCollins-era Ecco (1999–present): states 'First Edition' on the copyright page WITH a descending number line ending in 1. Reliable modern test: 'First Edition' + line-to-1. Some literary reprints carry 'First Ecco edition' wording — distinguish first edition of the work from first Ecco printing. Background: Founded 1971 by Daniel Halpern as an independent literary house (poetry, fiction, the famous Antaeus magazine and Neglected Books series). Acquired by HarperCollins in 1999; now a HarperCollins literary imprint (Cormac McCarthy paperbacks, Joyce Carol Oates, etc.). Era split is important: independent-era Ecco lacks the HC number line; modern Ecco follows HC convention. Distinct from the 'Ecco' children's or other unrelated lines — verify imprint on the title page.


Ecco Press — first-edition identification

Ecco (HarperCollins imprint from 1999)
The Ecco Companions
Art of the Poetic Line / poetry series

Ecco Press (US; 1971–present (HarperCollins from 1999)). First-edition identification: Independent era (1971–1999): copyright page typically states 'First Edition' or 'First Printing'; number line may appear on later titles (descending, 1 = first). HarperCollins era (1999 onward): follows Harper convention — 'FIRST EDITION' stated AND a number line; on Harper imprints the presence of the '1' in the number line is the decisive point. First lacks later-printing notice in both eras. Imprints and series: Ecco (HarperCollins imprint from 1999); The Ecco Companions; Art of the Poetic Line / poetry series. Background: Founded 1971 by Daniel Halpern in New York; significant poetry list and the influential Ecco/Antaeus connection; acquired by HarperCollins in 1999 and now operates as a Harper imprint. Era caveat is crucial: a pre-1999 Ecco first is an independent-press book; post-1999 Ecco firsts follow HarperCollins identification rules (see harpercollins entry). Strong reprint/'Neglected Books of the Twentieth Century' series — those are 'first thus' editions, not first-ever printings.


ECW Press — first-edition identification

ECW Press
Misfit (YA/genre)
a misFit book

ECW Press (Canada (Toronto, Ontario); 1974 (journal founded); 1979-present (book publishing)). First-edition identification: Modern ECW titles state 'first edition' and carry a number line on the copyright page; '1' present = first printing. For pop-culture/nonfiction titles that reprint, verify that the number line drops digits on later printings. Earlier ECW (Essays on Canadian Writing era) scholarly/literary titles: rely on the copyright year and the absence of reprint statements. Imprints and series: ECW Press; Misfit (YA/genre); a misFit book. Background: Originated from the critical journal 'Essays on Canadian Writing' (hence ECW), founded 1974 by Jack David; David launched the book-publishing imprint ECW Press in 1979 with Robert Lecker, who left the company in 2003. Evolved into a broad independent trade house (literary fiction, poetry, music and pop-culture nonfiction, sports, true crime). Eclectic list; recent titles follow standardized modern practice (stated first edition plus number line). Pre-1990 scholarly-imprint conventions are less standardized and should be checked individually.


Edinburgh University Press — first-edition identification

Edinburgh University Press
Edinburgh Classic Editions

Edinburgh University Press (Edinburgh, Scotland; 1949-present). First-edition identification: 1949-c.1990: British-convention copyright page. First printing typically states 'First published [year]' with '© [year] Edinburgh University Press' and carries NO reprint note; matching title-page and copyright dates with no reprint or new-edition line indicate a first printing. Later printings add 'Reprinted [year]' or 'Second edition [year]'. c.1990-present: 'First published [year]' on the verso, frequently accompanied by a number line indicating impression (lowest digit = impression). A full line running to 1 with no reprint statement indicates a first printing. Note this is a British-convention impression line, not a US edition statement. Imprints and series: Edinburgh University Press; Edinburgh Classic Editions. Background: Founded 1949 (marked its 75th anniversary in 2024); became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh in 1992 and gained charitable status in 2004. One of the larger UK academic presses, strong in philosophy, law, Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, and Scottish studies. Follows standard British 'First published / Reprinted' practice rather than the US descending-number-line edition convention throughout most of its history.


Epicenter Press — first-edition identification

Epicenter Press
Coffeetown Press (sister)
Camel Press (sister)

Epicenter Press (Fairbanks, Alaska then Kenmore, Washington (Alaska / Pacific NW); 1988-present). First-edition identification: 1988-c.2000 (Fairbanks era): First printings often carry no number line; identify by a copyright/publication year that matches first appearance and by a 'First printing' or 'First edition' statement where present. The imprint address (Fairbanks, then the Seattle area) on the copyright page is a useful era tell. c.2000-present: Descending number line on the copyright page, with the lowest digit indicating the printing. Many titles are trade-paperback originals, so a stated 'first edition' may mean the first paperback printing rather than a hardcover. Velma Wallis's 'Two Old Women' (1993): the Epicenter edition precedes the later HarperCollins/HarperPerennial trade-paperback license, so the true first is the Epicenter printing. Verify the Epicenter imprint and Alaska origin rather than mistaking a HarperCollins reprint for the first. Imprints and series: Epicenter Press; Coffeetown Press (sister); Camel Press (sister). Background: Founded 1988 in Fairbanks, Alaska, by Kent Sturgis and Lael Morgan; became a leading trade publisher of Alaska nonfiction. Later moved its editorial/business office to the Seattle area (Kenmore, Washington). Signature title: 'Two Old Women' by Velma Wallis (1993), a Western States Book Award winner translated into many languages with well over a million copies sold; the scarcer Epicenter first is the collectible. Affiliated with the Seattle-area Coffeetown Press and Camel Press as sister imprints under common management.


Eremite Press — first-edition identification

Eremite Press (Leeds (Northampton area), Massachusetts, USA; 1983-1989). First-edition identification: Eremite Press was the imprint name Leonard Baskin used for his Gehenna Press output from 1983 (beginning with Unknown Dutch Artists) through 1989 (ending with Fancies, Bizarries & Ornamented Grotesques), with the 1988 title Icones Librorum Artifices an exception. The name was adopted to avoid a publishing-rights dispute after rights had been sold to a Belgian publisher, Jacques de la Cave; it is not a 1950s imprint. After 1989 Baskin reverted to the Gehenna Press name. Identify by the Eremite Press imprint on the title page or colophon, dated within the 1983-1989 window, paired with Baskin-circle fine-press production (wood engravings, hand-press work). As fine-press limited editions, copies are typically identified and authenticated by a printed colophon stating the total limitation and, where applicable, the copy number; treat the colophon as the primary point. Cross-check any attribution against published Gehenna Press bibliographies, since the imprint was short-lived and obscure. Background: Eremite Press is not a separate 1950s house but the imprint Baskin's Gehenna Press operated under from 1983 to 1989, mostly after the Baskins returned from England to Leeds, Massachusetts (Northampton area) in 1984. The imprint was used to sidestep a title/ownership dispute over the Gehenna Press name following a sale of publishing rights to Jacques de la Cave in the early 1980s. Very small, fine-press output; verify attributions and limitation details against Gehenna Press bibliographies and the colophon rather than relying on the imprint alone.


Estes & Lauriat / Dana Estes & Company — first-edition identification

Estes & Lauriat / Dana Estes & Company (Boston, Massachusetts, USA; 1872-1914; antiquarian). First-edition identification: No house first-edition statement; for 19th-century books match the title-page date to the copyright date and look for the absence of any later-printing or later-edition notice. The imprint name dates the book: 'Estes & Lauriat' = 1872-1898; 'Dana Estes & Company' = 1898 onward — the 1898 partnership split is a clean cutoff. Caution: this firm was a heavy reprinter and price-cutter of standard authors and illustrated gift books (and ran the Aldine cheap editions), so many Estes books are reprints or later editions rather than firsts — verify a true first by title-level points. Imprints and series: Estes & Lauriat (1872-1898); Dana Estes & Company (1898-1914); Aldine Publishing Co. (cheap-reprint imprint formed by Estes). Background: Dana Estes and Charles E. Lauriat founded Estes & Lauriat in August 1872; Lauriat left the publishing firm in 1898 and Estes continued as Dana Estes & Co. Estes formed the Aldine Publishing Co. to issue inexpensive royalty editions of standard authors — a flag that many of its lines are reprints rather than firsts. Dana Estes & Co. ran until about 1914; treat 'first edition' claims skeptically given the reprint-heavy output. Best known for illustrated children's and gift books.


Europa Editions — first-edition identification

Europa Editions
Europa World Noir
Europa Compass (nonfiction)
Tonga Books

Europa Editions (US; 2005–present). First-edition identification: Copyright page states 'First publication [year] by Europa Editions' / 'First Edition'; English-translation first printings note the translation copyright and first English-language publication Descending number line ending in 1 where present (modern standard) US-based (New York) English-language arm of Italy's Edizioni E/O, founded 2005; identification is conventional Distinguish 'first English-language edition' (the Europa printing) from the original-language first edition published abroad Imprints and series: Europa Editions; Europa World Noir; Europa Compass (nonfiction); Tonga Books. Background: For translated works (e.g., Elena Ferrante), the Europa Editions printing is the first English-language edition, NOT the world first — a key distinction for collectors who must decide which 'first' they want Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels first English printings are the notable collectible firsts in this catalog; verify via copyright-page first-publication statement and number line Uniform paperback-original format is standard; many titles have no hardcover first


F+W (F+W Media / F+W Publications / Writer's Digest Books) — first-edition identification

Writer's Digest Books
North Light Books
Krause Publications
Interweave
Adams Media
Popular Woodworking Books
HOW Books
Fons & Porter / The Quilting Company
David & Charles (UK, owned)
Betterway Books
Memory Makers

F+W (F+W Media / F+W Publications / Writer's Digest Books) (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; 1913-2019 (as F+W; book assets continue under successors)). First-edition identification: 1913-2002 (F&W Publishing / F&W Publications; founded 1913 in Cincinnati, the name drawn from its early magazines Farm Quarterly and Writer's Digest): practical how-to, craft, and art-instruction publisher (North Light art instruction, Writer's Digest, Popular Woodworking, Betterway). First printing: earliest copyright year with a descending number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on book titles, lowest digit present = printing. 2002-2019 (F+W Media; aggressive acquisition era): acquired Krause (2002), David & Charles, Interweave, Adams Media and many craft and hobby brands. The number-line convention continues across imprints; copyright pages read 'F+W Media, Inc.' First printing = full number line ending in 1. 2019 (Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed March 2019; assets sold June 2019): Penguin Random House acquired F+W's book lists at the June 2019 auction; the magazine and e-commerce brands went to other buyers. Post-2019 reprints of former F+W titles carry Penguin Random House or successor imprints, marking a clear provenance break. Imprints and series: Writer's Digest Books; North Light Books; Krause Publications; Interweave; Adams Media; Popular Woodworking Books; HOW Books; Fons & Porter / The Quilting Company; David & Charles (UK, owned); Betterway Books; Memory Makers. Background: Roots in 1913 in Cincinnati; the company name derives from its early magazines Farm Quarterly and Writer's Digest, and it grew into a craft, hobby, and how-to conglomerate as F+W Media. Owned North Light (art and craft instruction), Popular Woodworking, Interweave, Krause, David & Charles, Adams Media, and Fons & Porter. Filed Chapter 11 in March 2019; Penguin Random House bought the book assets at the June 2019 auction. For first-edition purposes, treat each imprint's number-line convention as consistent; the 2019 sale is the key dating break.


F. A. Davis Company — first-edition identification

F. A. Davis
Davis
Davis's (nursing/medical references)

F. A. Davis Company (United States (Philadelphia, PA); 1879-present). First-edition identification: 1879-c.1960: Founded 1879 by Frank Allston Davis; a medical, nursing, and allied-health house. On continuously revised references the EDITION statement on the title page is the identification unit, and a first printing is indicated by the absence of any later-printing or impression notice on the copyright page. c.1960-present: A number line, where present, indicates the printing (lowest digit shown = that printing). For flagship references that are reissued by edition (Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, Davis's Drug Guide), the edition number rather than a 'First Edition' slug is what collectors and users key on. Imprints and series: F. A. Davis; Davis; Davis's (nursing/medical references). Background: Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, first published by the firm in 1940, is the flagship and is collected and used by edition. One of the oldest independent, family-managed medical publishers in America, still independent and based in Philadelphia. Nursing- and allied-health-market focus; identification turns on edition currency rather than printing slugs.


F. Tennyson Neely — first-edition identification

F. Tennyson Neely (Chicago & New York, with a London branch (US subscription/mail-order and cheap-library publisher); 1888–c.1903). First-edition identification: 1888–c.1903: cheap-library and mail-order publisher; issues carry the 'F. Tennyson Neely' imprint (Chicago and New York, with London added in 1897) — no first-edition statement, so identify by imprint form, dated title page, and advertisement/bound-in-ad state. Series titles (Neely's Library/Booklet Library): the series number and the bound-in ad list date the issue; reused plates make catalog/ad state the practical first-issue tell. Priority between cloth and paper-wrapper issues is judged by advertisements and price, not by any printed statement. Imprints and series: F. Tennyson Neely; Neely's Library / Neely's Booklet Library (series); F. Tennyson Neely Co.. Background: Firm founded in Chicago in 1888; New York branch and, in 1897, a London branch followed. Neely claimed to publish roughly a book a day at peak. Issued genuine first editions of notable titles, including Robert W. Chambers' 'The King in Yellow' (1895); also published Oppenheim, Anthony Hope, and others. Typical late-19c cheap-series identification: rely on advertisement/series state, not edition statements. Firm went bankrupt in 1899 amid accounting irregularities; Neely reestablished it in 1901 and it failed again by 1903.


Faber & Faber — first-edition identification

Faber & Gwyer (predecessor, 1925-1929)
Faber Finds
Faber Children's
Faber & Faber Poetry

Faber & Faber (UK; 1929-present (Faber & Gwyer from 1925)). First-edition identification: First printings state "First published in [Year]" (often "First published in mcmxxxx") on the copyright/verso page, with no list of later impressions Prior to 1968 the year was set in ROMAN NUMERALS (e.g. 'First published in mcmliv'); from 1968 onward Arabic numerals were used — a key dating tell Since WWII the month was generally dropped from the statement (pre-war statements sometimes named the month) Later impressions add a 'Second impression / Reprinted [year]' line beneath the original statement; presence of such a line rules out a first printing In the modern era (later 20th c. onward) Faber adopted a descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); lowest digit = printing Imprints and series: Faber & Gwyer (predecessor, 1925-1929); Faber Finds; Faber Children's; Faber & Faber Poetry. Background: Roman-to-Arabic numeral switch at 1968 is the single most useful Faber dating shortcut T.S. Eliot was a director; Faber poetry firsts (Eliot, Auden, Hughes, Larkin, Heaney, Plath) are heavily collected and dust jackets/price-clipping matter greatly Golding 'Lord of the Flies' (1954) firsts have specific points; the statement is in Roman numerals Book-club reprints and US co-editions are common confusions


Faber Music — first-edition identification

Faber Music (UK (London); 1965-present). First-edition identification: A printed-music publisher (scores, songbooks, contemporary classical): most product is sheet music identified by a plate/catalog number and edition designation, not by a trade-book printer's number line. First issues of a given score are identified by the original plate number and the absence of later-impression notices; reprints often carry a 'Reprinted' notice with a year. Where Faber Music issues bound trade-style books, a number line may appear; otherwise rely on plate/catalog numbers. Background: Founded 1965 as a sister company to Faber and Faber, created largely to publish the music of Benjamin Britten, who was involved as a director until his death in 1976; it is a separate company from the literary Faber and Faber. Collectible chiefly for first printings of scores by major modern composers (Britten, Malcolm Arnold, Imogen Holst and others) and for licensed pop/rock songbook folios. Do not apply trade-book first-edition rules to engraved scores; sheet-music bibliography relies on plate numbers and impression notices.


Faber-style note: book-club & confusions (cross-publisher) — first-edition identification

The Reprint Society / World Books
Book Society
Companion Book Club
Readers Union
BCA (Book Club Associates)

Faber-style note: book-club & confusions (cross-publisher) (UK; 1930s-1990s (peak UK book-club era)). First-edition identification: UK book-club editions typically OMIT the price from the dust-jacket flap and/or carry a small blind-stamped dot/dimple on the rear board (BCA, World Books) — these are NOT trade firsts even if the copyright page copies the first-edition statement Book-club copies often have cheaper paper, no price, a printed jacket credit line ('This edition... by arrangement with...'), and sometimes a stated 'Book Club edition' True UK trade first = priced dust jacket (un-clipped), 'First published [year]' statement, no club arrangement line, no blind dimple Imprints and series: The Reprint Society / World Books; Book Society; Companion Book Club; Readers Union; BCA (Book Club Associates). Background: The single most common UK first-edition error: a book-club reprint that copies the original 'First published' line verbatim. The dust-jacket price (or its absence) and the blind dot are the decisive tells Price-clipped jackets create ambiguity — examine paper, boards and the arrangement credit This applies across Cape, Heinemann, Collins, Hodder, Michael Joseph etc.


Falcon Publishing (FalconGuides) — first-edition identification

Falcon Press
Falcon Publishing, Inc.
FalconGuides
Falcon (under Globe Pequot)

Falcon Publishing (FalconGuides) (USA (Helena, Montana; later Guilford, Connecticut); 1979-present). First-edition identification: 1979-2000 (independent Falcon Press/Publishing, Helena, MT): Trade firsts state 'First Edition'/'First Printing' and/or use a descending number line ('1' present = first printing). Guidebooks are frequently revised, so a new edition is restated ('Second Edition') and re-dated. 2000-present (Falcon as a Globe Pequot Press, later Rowman & Littlefield, imprint): Globe Pequot house style — descending number line where the lowest surviving digit gives the printing; a year line may accompany. Imprint reads 'FalconGuides' / 'Falcon, an imprint of Globe Pequot'. All eras: For the 'Hiking [State]'/'[State] Hiking Guide' and 'Best Easy Day Hikes' series, confirm EDITION currency (trail data, maps) in addition to the printing statement — many titles cycle through numerous editions, so a first printing of a later edition is not the original first. Imprints and series: Falcon Press; Falcon Publishing, Inc.; FalconGuides; Falcon (under Globe Pequot). Background: Founded 1979 in Helena, Montana, launching with a single title, 'Hiking Montana' by co-founder Bill Schneider; grew to more than 700 outdoor-recreation titles and became North America's leading outdoor-guide publisher before joining the Globe Pequot family in fall 2000. A leading guidebook publisher competing in the outdoor-recreation guide market through the 1990s-2000s. Now an outdoor imprint under Globe Pequot / Rowman & Littlefield (FalconGuides), following that house's number-line conventions.


Fantagraphics Books — first-edition identification

Eros Comix
Fantagraphics Underground (FU)
Coffee Table Books
Graphics
Boundaries

Fantagraphics Books (USA (Seattle, WA); 1976-present). First-edition identification: Book-format collections follow standard book-trade conventions: the copyright page carries a 'First printing' or 'First edition' statement with month and year (e.g. 'First printing: September 2019'). Subsequent printings update the statement to 'Second printing,' etc.; the absence of any higher-printing statement, together with the original stated month, is the first-printing tell. Most modern Fantagraphics hardcovers and trade paperbacks use an explicit printing-month line rather than a descending number line; check the line immediately under the copyright/ISBN block. For newsprint comic-magazine and floppy series (the original Love and Rockets run, Eightball, Hate), use the comic indicia: a later printing is explicitly stated ('Second printing') while a first printing carries no printing statement. Imprints and series: Eros Comix; Fantagraphics Underground (FU); Coffee Table Books; Graphics; Boundaries. Background: Founded 1976 by Gary Groth and Michael Catron. Pre-ISBN-era underground and magazine material is identified by issue indicia, not number lines. Love and Rockets exists in multiple formats (original magazine, later floppies, and collected books) — each format has its own first-printing point, so collectors distinguish the original 1980s magazine-size first issues from later collected reprints. Eros Comix (adult imprint, est. 1990) and the small-run Fantagraphics Underground (FU) line are separately branded but use the same first-printing-statement convention.


Fantasy Press — first-edition identification

Fantasy Press
Polaris Press (sister imprint)

Fantasy Press (US; 1946–1961). First-edition identification: Trade first edition: copyright page typically without later-printing notation; check against the known single print run (~3,000 copies) Signed/limited state is identified by a tipped-in or bound-in 'limitation leaf' after the title page, stating the limitation number and signed by the author (anywhere from ~250 to 500 numbered/signed copies per title) Trade copies lack the limitation leaf; presence of the numbered, author-signed leaf marks the limited issue Imprints and series: Fantasy Press; Polaris Press (sister imprint). Background: Founded 1946 by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach in Reading, PA; published E. E. 'Doc' Smith's Lensman/Skylark, Heinlein, Williamson, van Vogt in hardcover Quality bindings, good paper, and interior illustrations are house hallmarks Signed limited issues (esp. Heinlein) command multiples of the trade price Polaris Press was a short-lived associated imprint


Farrar & Rinehart — first-edition identification

Farrar & Rinehart
Farrar and Rinehart
Farrar & Rinehart, Inc.
Farrar and Rinehart, Inc.
Farrar, Rinehart

Farrar & Rinehart (USA (New York); 1929–1946). First-edition identification: Look for the Farrar & Rinehart oval colophon (the publisher's device/logo) printed on the copyright page. Its presence is the primary point of a first printing; per the Zempel & Verkler standard, F&R relied on the device rather than a printed 'First Edition' statement. Confirm the copyright page carries NO later-printing statement. On subsequent printings the oval colophon was removed and no first-edition wording was substituted, so device present + no printing statement = first printing; device absent = a later printing. Secondary/less-consistent tell: on occasion F&R printed the words 'First Edition' on the copyright page in place of the colophon. Treat its presence as a first-printing point, but its absence does NOT disqualify a book — the colophon is the more reliable and better-documented tell for this house. Do NOT expect a number line. As a firm that ended in 1946, Farrar & Rinehart predates the descending-number-line convention (which spread in later decades); there is no '1' at the end of a line to look for. Rely on the colophon-present / no-later-printing-statement rule instead. Match the copyright-page year to the stated first-publication year for the title (e.g., The Man Who Killed the Deer, Frank Waters, 1942; Thimble Summer, Elizabeth Enright, 1938). A device removed or a later-printing note indicates a reprint rather than the true first; do not rely on the year alone. Distinguish the imprint from its 1946 successors before calling a first: the Farrar & Rinehart oval F&R device is NOT the Rinehart & Company mark (a script/circled 'R', used 1946 onward and removed on later printings) nor the stylized 'FS' initials of Farrar, Straus. Verify the device and publisher string actually read Farrar & Rinehart. Imprints and series: Farrar & Rinehart; Farrar and Rinehart; Farrar & Rinehart, Inc.; Farrar and Rinehart, Inc.; Farrar, Rinehart. Background: The firm existed only 1929–1946. In 1946 John Farrar left to co-found a separate new firm with Roger Straus (which became Farrar, Straus & Giroux), and the original company was renamed Rinehart & Company. A Rinehart & Co. or Farrar, Straus copy is NOT a Farrar & Rinehart first — confirm the publisher string and device read Farrar & Rinehart. Because identification depends on the colophon being present and no printing statement, later printings are easy to mistake for firsts if a cataloger only reads the date. Always verify the oval device is physically on the copyright page, not just that the year matches. Book-club and reprint issues (e.g., Sun Dial, Grosset & Dunlap, or club reprints of popular F&R titles such as Anthony Adverse) carry the reprinter's imprint/device and lack the F&R oval colophon — the missing device is the giveaway. F&R's house practice for noting later printings was not uniformly documented, especially on earlier titles; some later states simply lack the colophon rather than adding a 'second printing' line, so rely on device-presence as the positive point.


Farrar, Straus and Giroux — first-edition identification

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (USA (New York); 1945/46–present (as Farrar, Straus and Giroux since 1964)). First-edition identification: ERA 1 - Farrar, Straus and Company (founding, c.1945/46-1950): No number line and no consistent 'First Edition' statement. Identify a first printing by the stylized interlocked 'FS' publisher's device on the copyright page, which is present on the first printing and dropped on subsequent printings (confirmed by qbbooks/FEdPo: 'Publisher's stylized initials (FS) appear on the copyright page of first editions; no statement on subsequent printings'). Some titles instead carry a 'First Printing (year)' or 'First Published (year)' line. Absence of the device AND of any printing statement signals a later state. ERA 2 - Farrar, Straus & Young (1950-1953): Imprint line reads 'Farrar, Straus & Young' (for stockholder/board member Stanley Young). First printings are shown by either a first-printing/first-published statement OR the FS device on the copyright page; the imprint-line name is itself the primary dating anchor for this window. No number line this early. ERA 3 - Farrar, Straus and Cudahy (1953-1963): Imprint line reads 'Farrar, Straus and Cudahy' after the 1953 Pellegrini & Cudahy merger. First printings state 'First Printing (year)' or 'First Published (year)' on the copyright page, or carry the FS device. Still no number line. The 1960 Noonday Press acquisition brought in the three-fish colophon, but it appears on ALL printings from then on and is NOT by itself a first-edition point. ERA 4 - Farrar, Straus and Company, second use (1963-1964): After Cudahy departed, the imprint briefly reverted to 'Farrar, Straus and Company.' First printings continue to state 'First Printing (year)' or carry the FS device. This is a one-to-two-year window, so the imprint line ('...and Company,' not '...and Cudahy,' not yet '...and Giroux') dates the book tightly. Note the qbbooks cutoff line: 'until 1964, first editions either state First Printing (year) or have the FS symbol.' ERA 5 - Farrar, Straus and Giroux, statement era (1964-c.2001): Imprint line reads 'Farrar, Straus and Giroux'; Robert Lowell's 'For the Union Dead' (1964) is the first FSG-imprint title. Generally NO number line through this long stretch. Identify a first printing by a copyright-page statement - qbbooks/FEdPo list 'First published (year),' 'First printing (year),' 'First printed (year),' 'First published (month, year),' or 'First edition (year)' - with no reference to a later printing. If the copyright page names a later printing or omits the statement, it is not a first. ERA 6 - Farrar, Straus and Giroux, number-line era (roughly early-2000s onward): FSG adopted a descending Arabic number line on the copyright page. On a first printing the line includes the digit '1'; the LOWEST number present indicates the printing regardless of the line's left-to-right ordering, so a line whose lowest digit is '2' is a second printing. FSG does NOT truncate its line at 2 in the manner of the Random House 'line-ends-in-2' convention, so a genuine FSG first printing shows a '1.' In this era the number line alone is usually sufficient; a stated 'First edition' typically accompanies it. CROSS-ERA RULE: Bracket the era from the imprint line first (Company -> Young -> Cudahy -> Company -> Giroux), THEN apply that era's test - FS device for the earliest years, a copyright-page printing statement for c.1953-2001, and the number-line-including-1 (lowest number wins) for the 2000s onward. A stated 'First edition/First printing' with no later-printing reference is the constant thread across every era. IMPRINT NOTE: Titles under FSG-owned imprints (Hill and Wang, North Point Press, Noonday, Sarah Crichton Books, MCD) follow the same house conventions of their period - statement then number line - but carry the imprint's own name on the title/imprint line rather than 'Farrar, Straus and Giroux.' Apply the era rules against the printing date, not the imprint brand. Imprints and series: Farrar, Straus and Company (founding imprint, c.1945/46–1950; briefly again 1963–1964); Farrar, Straus & Young (1950–1953, for board member/stockholder Stanley Young); Farrar, Straus and Cudahy (1953–1963, after the Pellegrini & Cudahy merger); Farrar, Straus and Giroux (1964–present, when Robert Giroux became a partner); Noonday Press (acquired 1960; source of the three-fish colophon); Hill and Wang (history/academic/drama imprint); Octagon Books (acquired 1968); North Point Press (literary nonfiction imprint); Sarah Crichton Books (imprint, from 2004); MCD / MCD x FSG Originals (later imprint). Background: The three-fish colophon is NOT a first-edition point. It entered the house with the 1960 Noonday Press acquisition (Noonday had used it on its 1958-59 literary magazine, borrowed in turn from Germany's S. Fischer Verlag device, designed by Wolf Zimmermann in the early 1950s) and thereafter appears on ALL printings. Only the earliest interlocked 'FS' initials device functioned as a first-printing marker, and only in the 1940s-early 1950s. Do not treat the presence of the fish as evidence of a first. Do not confuse the house 'FS' device with a book-club stamp (this is the classic error made with Knopf's Borzoi device, but the same logic applies here). FSG book-club editions (e.g., Book-of-the-Month) typically LACK the copyright-page printing statement and any number line, often show a blind-stamped dot/square on the rear board, and are frequently on cheaper bulked paper. The tell is the MISSING 'First edition/First printing' line - not the presence or absence of a colophon. Era-boundary ambiguity: the 'Farrar, Straus and Company' imprint line is used in TWO separate windows (founding c.1945/46-1950, and again 1963-1964). Cross-check the copyright year against the imprint line - a 'Farrar, Straus and Company' book dated 1963-64 is the late reversion, not the founding-era house. The 1964 hinge: 'For the Union Dead' by Robert Lowell (1964) is the first title issued under the 'Farrar, Straus and Giroux' imprint. Books predating the Giroux partnership will NOT carry the Giroux name, so a 'Giroux' imprint on a pre-1964 copyright year is a red flag (a later printing, a facsimile, or a misread). The number line is a LATE arrival at FSG (roughly the early 2000s). For the large body of FSG titles published 1964-c.2001, the ABSENCE of a number line is normal and expected - identification rests entirely on the copyright-page statement. Do not reject a genuine first from that period simply because it has no number row. (Founding year itself is cited as both 1945 and 1946 across sources, including within Wikipedia; treat 'mid-1940s' as the safe anchor.)


Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers (FSG BYR) — first-edition identification

Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers (FSG BYR) (US; 1946–present). First-edition identification: FSG house convention applies: descending number line on copyright page; first printing ends in 1 (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) FSG historically did NOT state 'First Edition' — relied on the number line; a first printing is identified by the line reaching 1 with no later-printing date added Some titles add 'First edition, (Year)' on copyright page in modern era; number line still controls Imprints and series: Margaret Ferguson Books (historical at FSG); Frances Foster Books; Mirasol / libros juveniles; R. Gobbato. Background: FSG BYR is prestige literary children's/YA: Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time (FSG, 1962 — Newbery), William Steig (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble — Caldecott; Shrek!), Roald Dahl US, Uri Shulevitz Because FSG often omitted the words 'First Edition', collectors MUST read the number line — absence of 'First Edition' wording is normal and not disqualifying Now part of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group


Fawcett Gold Medal — first-edition identification

Fawcett Publications (parent)
Gold Medal Books
Fawcett Crest (reprints)
Fawcett Premier

Fawcett Gold Medal (US; 1950-1970s). First-edition identification: Gold Medal pioneered the PAPERBACK ORIGINAL — so the Gold Medal paperback is itself the first edition (no prior hardcover) for most of its crime/noir list. Identification centers on first-PRINTING points, not first-edition statements. First printing is identified by the Gold Medal serial number and the copyright-page printing notice: a true first usually has NO 'Second printing'/'Third printing' line; later printings explicitly state the printing and often a later printing date. Gold Medal numbering began at 101 (e.g., 'The Persian Cat' = 103). The serial number and cover price help fix the printing/era; reissues were given new numbers and/or new cover prices. Watch the copyright page for 'First printing, [month year]' on early titles; a printing-history block listing multiple printings means it is a later issue. Imprints and series: Fawcett Publications (parent); Gold Medal Books; Fawcett Crest (reprints); Fawcett Premier. Background: Founded 1950 by Fawcett; defined mid-century noir (John D. MacDonald, Charles Williams, Day Keene, Gil Brewer). The paperback original = the first edition is the single most important concept here. Fawcett Crest is the REPRINT imprint (hardcover reprints in paperback) — a Crest edition is not a Gold Medal first. Reissues reused titles with new serial numbers and cover art; only the first printing with the original number/price and no printing-history block is the first. Cover-price changes (25c → 35c → 50c) are a quick era/printing tell.


Fedogan & Bremer — first-edition identification

Fedogan & Bremer (Minneapolis, Minnesota / Nampa, Idaho, USA; 1985-present). First-edition identification: 1985-present: first printings typically state '1st Edition, First Printing' (or 'First Edition') on the copyright page, echoing Arkham House practice (e.g., The Sand Dwellers, 1998, so stated). Many titles were issued in both a trade hardcover and a signed/numbered limited state (commonly 100 numbered, sometimes larger, frequently slipcased and signed at the limitation/colophon page); the numbered limitation page identifies the limited first, its absence the trade first. Early titles were distributed via Arkham House; Arkham distribution markings on some stock do not change the Fedogan & Bremer first-edition status. Lettered/deluxe slipcased states exist for some titles; identify by the lettered limitation and signatures. Background: Weird-fiction specialty press founded 1985 in Minneapolis by Philip Rahman and Dennis Weiler; the name derives from the founders' college nicknames. Notable for collecting/expanding former Arkham House authors and projects - e.g., publishing a Colossus collection under the title Arkham House had long announced for Donald Wandrei. Continued the Arkham aesthetic (cloth, dust jackets, weird-fiction canon) into the modern small-press era; later relocated to Idaho.


Felony & Mayhem Press — first-edition identification

Felony & Mayhem Press (US (New York, NY); 2005–present). First-edition identification: Reprint house: the controlling point is the FIRST-THUS statement — copyright pages typically read 'First Felony & Mayhem edition' (often with a year) marking the first Felony & Mayhem printing. Many titles carry no number line and no printing statement; where the dated 'First Felony & Mayhem edition' wording is present it is the identifier, and absence of a number line does not by itself prove a later printing for this house. Color-coded spine/category banners (Vintage, British, Hard-Boiled, etc.) signal editorial category only and do not change the copyright-page identification rule. Imprints and series: Felony & Mayhem Press; Editorial categories (cover/spine-coded series, NOT separate imprints): Vintage, British, Foreign, Hard-Boiled, Espionage, Historical, Traditional. Background: Founded June 2005 by Maggie Topkis, co-owner of New York's Partners & Crime mystery bookstore (Greenwich Village); reissues out-of-print mysteries, issues first US paperback editions of previously hardcover titles, and US editions of overseas books. Because most titles are reprints, these are 'first thus' / first-US-paperback collectibles rather than original first editions. The colored category bands are a marketing/editorial taxonomy across a single imprint — they are not distinct publishing imprints with separate identification rules.


Fence Books — first-edition identification

Fence Books (USA (Albany, New York); 2001-present). First-edition identification: Number line on the copyright page; lowest number = the printing. Many titles state 'First Edition' with the year. Single-printing titles are common; rely on the stated edition plus the absence of any reprint notice. Imprints and series: Motherwell Prize (formerly the Alberta Prize); Ottoline Prize; Fence Modern Poets Series. Background: Book imprint of Fence magazine; the magazine was founded by Rebecca Wolff in 1998 and Fence Books followed around 2001, now headquartered at the University at Albany. Prize-series labeling (Motherwell, formerly Alberta; Ottoline; Fence Modern Poets Series) dates or categorizes a title only and does not indicate the printing.


Fielding (Fielding's Travel Guides) — first-edition identification

Fielding (Fielding's Travel Guides) (United States (New York; later Redondo Beach, CA); 1948-1990s). First-edition identification: Most titles are dated annuals: identify by the YEAR/edition in the title plus the copyright-page number line, where the lowest digit present indicates the printing. 1948-1980s: founded by Temple Fielding, whose landmark 'Fielding's Travel Guide to Europe' appeared in 1948 as the upscale counterpart to budget series such as Frommer's. The 1948 first edition was published by William Sloane Associates, not William Morrow; identify it by the 1948 date and the Sloane imprint. (Fielding sold rights to William Morrow only later in his career, so a Morrow imprint marks a later phase, not the original first.) 1990s: Fielding Worldwide of Redondo Beach, California revived the brand using standard US number-line copyright pages; 'Fielding's the World's Most Dangerous Places' (first published 1998) is the notable cult title. Later printings add reprint years; a first printing of a given annual shows that year's debut date and the full number line ending in 1. Imprints and series: Fielding's Travel Guide to Europe; Fielding Worldwide; Fielding's 'The World's Most Dangerous Places'. Background: Temple Fielding's 1948 Europe guide is the foundational 'upscale' travel guide; the year in the title is the practical identifier. The 1948 first edition was issued by William Sloane Associates; William Morrow is a later-era imprint for the series. 'Fielding's the World's Most Dangerous Places' (Robert Young Pelton, Fielding Worldwide, 1998) is a cult collectible that spawned a Discovery/Travel Channel series. Modern editions follow standard US number-line conventions.


Fields, Osgood & Co. — first-edition identification

Fields, Osgood & Co. (Boston, Massachusetts, USA; 1868-1871; antiquarian). First-edition identification: No stated-edition convention; use date agreement between title page and copyright date, with no reprint or later-printing notice present. Rear publisher's catalogue/advertisement sections are often dated and can aid printing priority, as with Ticknor and Fields. Imprints and series: Fields, Osgood & Co. (1868-1871). Background: Direct successor to Ticknor and Fields after James T. Fields and James R. Osgood reorganized the firm in 1868 (Benjamin H. Ticknor admitted as a partner in 1870). Transitional imprint; superseded by James R. Osgood & Co. when Fields retired and his share was bought out on 1-2 January 1871. Listed separately because the imprint name on the title page distinguishes the 1868-1871 printing window.


First Second Books (:01 First Second) — first-edition identification

First Second Books (:01 First Second) (USA (New York, NY); 2006-present). First-edition identification: Imprint of Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan Children's Publishing Group (Holtzbrinck): the copyright page of a first printing states 'First edition' with the year and almost always carries a descending number line. First printing is identified by the Macmillan-style number line: the lowest number present (a '1' anywhere in the line, e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' or the split two-row Macmillan arrangement) indicates the printing; later printings drop the lowest digit(s). Look for 'First edition, [year]' wording directly above or below the number line and confirm the lowest digit is '1.' Background: Founded 2006 by Mark Siegel and launched in U.S. stores in May 2006; because it is a Macmillan/Roaring Brook imprint it follows full traditional book-trade first-edition conventions, unlike most floppy-comic publishers. Best-sellers such as 'American Born Chinese' (Gene Luen Yang) went to many printings, so the dated 'First edition' line plus the number line is the authoritative point. Distinguish the First Second edition from any earlier serialized, web, or foreign edition of the same work.


Fitzcarraldo Editions — first-edition identification

Fitzcarraldo Editions
Fitzcarraldo Editions Poetry
First Decade Collection (limited)

Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK (London), literary fiction and essays in translation; 2014-present). First-edition identification: 2014-present (standard trade): a first printing is shown by a full descending number line on the copyright page ending in 1; the copyright page also reads 'First published in <year> by Fitzcarraldo Editions'. For a translated work, the English-language Fitzcarraldo edition is the relevant first, separate from the original-language first publication. House design is branding, not an edition point: fiction appears in solid International Klein Blue flapped-card covers with white text, non-fiction in white covers with blue text, and the blind-stamped bell-in-circle colophon is constant across printings. None of these distinguish a first from a later printing. First Decade Collection (2024, limited): ten linen-cased hardbacks in runs of 1,000 per title with a signed and numbered bookplate, belly band, and marbled endpapers. This is a separate later limited issue, not the original trade first; identify it by the numbered bookplate and do not conflate it with the first trade printing. Imprints and series: Fitzcarraldo Editions; Fitzcarraldo Editions Poetry; First Decade Collection (limited). Background: Two early authors on the list later won the Nobel Prize (Svetlana Alexievich, Olga Tokarczuk), which drives demand for early first printings. The blue (fiction) versus white (non-fiction) cover scheme is the press's signature but is not an edition state; every printing shares it. Early scarce titles such as the first English printing of Tokarczuk's Flights are sought after when the number line ends in 1. Uncoated flapped card covers were chosen to avoid plastic lamination, so flap and spine condition is a real factor in grading.


Five Star — first-edition identification

Five Star First Edition Mystery
Five Star Westerns
Five Star Science Fiction/Fantasy
Five Star Expressions (romance)

Five Star (US (Waterville, ME — Thorndike Press / Gale, Cengage Learning); Imprint 1995–present; Mystery line from 1998, exclusively first-edition publications from 2000). First-edition identification: Library-oriented hardcovers: first printings are commonly identified by a full number line ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') on the copyright page and/or a stated 'First Edition' line. Some Five Star first printings carry no number line, with the edition indicated only on the copyright/title page — absence of a number line does not by itself prove a later printing for this house. The series wording 'Five Star First Edition' indicates an original publication rather than a reprint, which is the key collector distinction since Five Star also reissued earlier work before the line became exclusively first-edition. Distinguish clean trade-state firsts from large-print library rebinds and ex-library copies. Imprints and series: Five Star First Edition Mystery; Five Star Westerns; Five Star Science Fiction/Fantasy; Five Star Expressions (romance). Background: Imprint of Thorndike Press / Gale (Cengage Learning); the Five Star imprint debuted in 1995, the Mystery line began in November 1998, and from August 2000 the Mystery line became exclusively first-edition publications. The 'First Edition' lines carry genuine original first editions — including short-story collections and novels by major authors that exist as a true first only in the small Five Star library printing. Small library runs make some Five Star firsts scarce; ex-library and large-print rebinds should be distinguished from clean trade-state firsts.


Flatiron Books — first-edition identification

Flatiron Books (US (New York); 2014–present). First-edition identification: Stated "First Edition" plus number line ending in 1 for first printing First printing: full line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and no later-printing notice Imprints and series: Flatiron; Pine & Cedar Books (2025). Background: Commercial fiction and nonfiction imprint, a division of Macmillan, founded in 2014 on a deliberately small list with heavy editorial and marketing support Pine & Cedar Books is a new imprint launching under Flatiron in summer 2025, overseen by Christine Kopprasch, debuting with S. A. Cosby's King of Ashes The number line, following standard Macmillan practice, is the reliable tell


Fodor's Travel — first-edition identification

Fodor's Travel (Founded in Europe (1936 London debut; Fodor's Modern Guides founded Paris 1949); US-based since the David McKay era and under US ownership today (New York); 1936-present (Modern Guides line from 1949; US publishing from c.1950)). First-edition identification: Identified mainly by the EDITION and year printed on the cover and title page; the guides were revised on a regular (often annual) cycle, so the year is the principal identifier. Early and mid-century volumes are dated annual editions; the copyright/title-page year identifies that printing. Random-House-era Fodor's typically carries a standard descending number line alongside the edition statement, where the lowest digit indicates the printing of that edition. Imprints and series: Aldor Publications (original 1936 London publisher); Fodor's Modern Guides, Inc. (from 1949); David McKay Company (US publisher from c.1950); Random House / Penguin Random House (owner from 1986). Background: Eugene Fodor helped pioneer the personality-driven, annually updated guidebook; the historic debut '1936... On the Continent' was published in London by Aldor Publications, not in the United States. Fodor's Modern Guides was founded in Paris in 1949, with David McKay Company becoming the US publisher about a year later; Random House acquired Fodor's (with McKay) in 1986 and it now sits under Penguin Random House. The annual-revision model means each year is effectively a new edition, so collector interest concentrates in the earliest and landmark volumes rather than routine updates.


Folio Society — first-edition identification

Folio Society (UK; 1947–present). First-edition identification: Most Folio Society books are illustrated REPRINTS (not first editions of the text) issued in a slipcase, NOT individually numbered — they are trade fine editions, not limited Identify the FIRST Folio printing by the dated 'Printed in...' / 'First published... by The Folio Society' statement and absence of a 'reprinted' line; later Folio reprints add reprint dates and may change the binding cloth The genuinely collectible Folio items are the explicitly NUMBERED LIMITED EDITIONS (e.g., the Letter Press Shakespeare, deluxe facsimiles) — these have a printed limitation leaf and number, often with a certificate Original slipcase (and any tissue/extra) is part of the desirable state; no commercial number line Imprints and series: Folio Society; Letter Press Shakespeare (deluxe series); Folio Society Limited Editions (numbered). Background: Founded 1947 by Charles Ede (London); a subscription society issuing handsomely illustrated editions of established texts — generally NOT rare-book 'firsts' DO NOT treat an ordinary Folio Society volume as a first edition of the work — it is a later illustrated reprint; only the stated numbered Limited Editions carry limitation value Early Folio Society titles (late 1940s–50s) and out-of-print sold-out limited editions command premiums Slipcase presence and edition (first Folio printing vs. later reprint, and standard vs. numbered limited) are the key distinctions


Foolscap Press — first-edition identification

Foolscap Press (Santa Cruz, California, USA; 1990-present). First-edition identification: 1990-present: a first/only edition is identified by the COLOPHON limitation statement; the press of Peggy Gotthold and Lawrence G. Van Velzer. The colophon records the limitation (editions typically run about 90-200 copies), the types (handset metal type and/or photopolymer plates), the paper, the illustrators, and the date; the copy number is hand-inscribed. There is no number line or 'First Edition' wording. Many titles feature inventive structures or bindings (accordion, tunnel, or custom enclosures) described in the colophon; the structure is an identification feature. Identify by the Foolscap Press imprint and the colophon limitation; everything is designed, printed letterpress, and bound in-house, then distributed directly. Background: Run by Gotthold and Van Velzer, both of whom trained and worked in the Bay Area book-arts world (Arion Press, with bindery experience at Schuberth, and letterpress training at Cowell Press/UCSC and Yolla Bolly Press). Known for playful structural bindings and custom clamshell or enclosure work, all done in-house. All books are limited firsts; the colophon is definitive.


Footprint (Footprint Handbooks) — first-edition identification

Footprint (Footprint Handbooks) (United Kingdom (Bath); acquired by Bradt Guides in 2019; 1921/1924-present (Footprint brand from August 1996)). First-edition identification: Identify by edition number plus copyright-page printing line; the 'South American Handbook' is an ANNUAL whose year and edition number on the title page are the identifier. 1921/1924-1990s: the lineage began as the 'Anglo-South American Handbook' in 1921 under the Federation of British Industry; it became the 'South American Handbook' published by Trade & Travel Publications Ltd in 1924, and is one of the longest-running annual guidebooks. Early editions are identified by the annual edition number and year on the title page. 1996-2000s: Trade & Travel Publications was renamed 'Footprint Handbooks' in August 1996; standard copyright page with an edition number and number line, first printing the lowest digit and debut year. 2010s-present: Footprint, under Bradt Guides since 2019; conventional edition and number-line identification. Imprints and series: Footprint Handbooks; Footprint Focus; Footprint (the 'South American Handbook' lineage). Background: Descends from a handbook first issued in 1921 as the 'Anglo-South American Handbook', becoming the annual 'South American Handbook' under Trade & Travel Publications in 1924 — among the oldest English-language travel annuals. Rebrand from Trade & Travel Publications to Footprint Handbooks in August 1996 brackets the era. The annual flagship is identified by edition year and number; other titles use number-line conventions. Strong on Latin America (Andean coverage in particular) and Asia depth.


Fordham University Press — first-edition identification

Fordham University Press (US (Bronx, New York); 1907-present). First-edition identification: Modern firsts carry a copyright-page number line; a sequence terminating in 1 indicates the first printing. First printings show a single copyright/first-published year with no list of later printings. Later printings add an explicit reprint or impression statement; the absence of such a statement is the first-printing signal. Imprints and series: Fordham University Press; Empire State Editions (regional New York imprint, launched 2010). Background: Empire State Editions is Fordham's regional imprint for New York City and Hudson Valley trade titles, established in 2010 to brand and market popular regional books; it is a sub-imprint, not a separate house. Smaller scholarly list with a Catholic and Jesuit focus; sparsely documented in collector references, so generic academic number-line conventions apply. Few high-value collectible firsts, so point-of-issue data is thin; rely on the standard single-year plus no-reprint-notice test.


Fords, Howard & Hulbert — first-edition identification

J.B. Ford & Co. (predecessor)
Ford, Howard & Hulbert (style variant)

Fords, Howard & Hulbert (New York City (Northeast USA); c.1871-c.1899). First-edition identification: c.1867-1871 (J.B. Ford & Co., predecessor): no edition statement; first printing by title-page/copyright date concordance and the earliest-dated bound-in catalogue. 1871-c.1890s (Fords, Howard & Hulbert): no printed 'First Edition' statement; identify firsts by date concordance (title-page year equal to copyright year, with no later printings noted), priority binding, and the earliest-state terminal advertising list. No number line. For heavily reprinted titles (e.g. Henry Ward Beecher's works), use the rear advertising catalogue: it should not list titles published after the book in hand. Imprints and series: J.B. Ford & Co. (predecessor); Ford, Howard & Hulbert (style variant). Background: New York house closely associated with Henry Ward Beecher and the Plymouth Church circle; published Beecher and related reform and religious authors. Evolved from J.B. Ford & Co., the earlier publisher of Beecher's Plymouth Church sermons. A small, now-defunct house with little formal bibliography, so catalogue-ad dating and date concordance are the practical identification tools.


Forever — first-edition identification

Forever (US (New York); 2009–present). First-edition identification: Mass-market and trade printings: a 'First Edition: [month year]' statement on the copyright page together with a descending number line ending in 1 indicates the first printing. Imprints and series: Forever; Forever Yours. Background: Romance and commercial women's fiction imprint within Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Book Group; follows standard Hachette/GCP number-line conventions. Forever Yours is its digital-first/short-form romance line. Many titles are paperback or e-book originals, so the printing line is the primary tell.


Forge Books — first-edition identification

Forge Books (US (New York); 1993-present). First-edition identification: First printing carries a number line whose lowest digit is 1; many titles also state "First Edition" with month and year on the copyright page, following Tor house style Imprints and series: Forge. Background: Thriller, historical, and general-fiction sister imprint to Tor within Tor Publishing Group (the renamed Tom Doherty Associates), a Macmillan division Identification follows Tor conventions: confirm the number line against the edition statement rather than relying on either alone


Four Seasons Foundation — first-edition identification

Four Seasons Foundation (USA (San Francisco / Bolinas, California); 1964–1985 (Writing series launched 1964)). First-edition identification: Do NOT expect a stated 'First Edition' / 'First Published' line or a number line: Four Seasons Foundation, Donald Allen's small poetry press, used no uniform printing-statement or number-line convention. Identification is title-by-title from physical points, not from a printer's key. Primary first-issue tell (unpriced wrappers): the true first printing of a Writing-series booklet was issued in stapled or perfect-bound wrappers with NO printed price on the rear cover. A price printed or stamped on the rear cover generally signals a later printing. No-date-on-title-page tell: on the flagship title Riprap & Cold Mountain Poems (Writing 7, 1965) the documented first issue has BOTH no price on the rear cover AND no date on the title page. A printed year on the title page (e.g. a '1966' copy) indicates a LATER printing, not the first issue — the absence of a title-page date is the first-state point, so treat any printed date as a later-printing signal. Corroborate the two points together: because the first issue is defined by what is absent (no rear-cover price, no title-page date), confirm both rather than relying on either alone, and do not read a missing 'First Edition' statement as evidence against a first — that statement never appears for this press. Series-number context: titles are numbered in the 'Writing' series (Writing 1 = Charles Olson bibliography, 1964, running through the 40s; e.g. Writing 42 = Philip Whalen, Heavy Breathing, 1983). The Writing number is a title identifier only — the same number covers first and later printings, so it does not by itself establish a first. Limited/signed states: some titles were issued in a small numbered-or-lettered signed state (e.g. 26 lettered and signed, or 50 numbered and signed copies) alongside the ordinary trade wrappers/hardcover; the signed-limited is a distinct issue and should be identified by its stated limitation, not conflated with the ordinary first. Imprints and series: Four Seasons Foundation; The Four Seasons Foundation; Writing (series designation; e.g. 'Writing 7'); Grey Fox Press (later related imprint of Donald Allen — separate, later publications). Background: No sitewide edition statement: the absence of any 'First Edition' wording is normal for this press and is NOT evidence against a first — identify by the physical points (unpriced rear cover, no title-page date on the flagship title) rather than by a missing statement. Beware the printed date trap: for the best-documented title (Riprap & Cold Mountain Poems, Writing 7), a title-page year signals a LATER printing — the first issue carries no date. Do not assume the earliest-looking printed year is the first; the undated copy is. Formats vary by title (saddle-stapled printed wrappers on early releases, later perfect-bound photo-illustrated wrappers, some titles in both paperback and hardcover), so the physical first-issue points must be checked per title rather than assumed across the series. Donald Allen's related imprint Grey Fox Press (Allen became its president c.1971) reissued some of the same authors; a Grey Fox imprint is a separate, later publication, not a Four Seasons Foundation first — match the imprint line exactly.