Hammond (C.S. Hammond & Co. / Hammond Inc.) — first-edition identification

Hammond (C.S. Hammond & Co. / Hammond Inc.) (United States (founded Brooklyn, New York; later Maplewood, NJ); 1900-2000s). First-edition identification: Atlases are identified by the named edition plus the copyright year on the title/copyright page; a first printing shows the copyright year with no list of later revision printings. c.1900-1950s: 'C.S. Hammond & Company' imprint; tiered named editions (Ambassador, Medallion, Citation, Superior) indicate market level and era — the named tier plus the copyright year brackets the printing. c.1966-1990s: the imprint becomes 'Hammond Incorporated, Maplewood, N.J.'; the copyright-page year remains the dating anchor, and later printings add a revision-year list. Road maps (oil-company and state maps printed by Hammond): date them via printer codes and the copyright year in the map margin, as with other commercial map houses. Imprints and series: Hammond's World Atlas; Hammond Ambassador / Medallion / Citation World Atlas; Hammond Comparative World Atlas; Hammond road maps. Background: The imprint shift from 'C.S. Hammond & Company' to 'Hammond Incorporated' (around the mid-1960s) brackets earlier vs. later atlases. The named tiers (Ambassador / Medallion / Citation / Superior) are content and quality grades, useful for era and identification. A long-running family map house (founded 1900 by Caleb Stillson Hammond, incorporated 1901; second only to Rand McNally at its mid-century peak); later folded into the Langenscheidt group, with modern atlases under Hammond World Atlas Corporation.


Hampton Roads Publishing Company — first-edition identification

Hampton Roads Publishing Company (USA (Charlottesville VA; now under Red Wheel/Weiser, Newburyport MA); 1989-present). First-edition identification: 1989-2009 (independent, Virginia; founders Robert S. Friedman and Frank DeMarco): copyright page states 'First Edition'/'First Printing' alongside a number line, with the lowest number present indicating the printing. The flagship Conversations with God (Neale Donald Walsch, Book 1, 1995) was originally a Hampton Roads hardcover; the true first is that 1995 Hampton Roads edition, distinct from the G.P. Putnam's Sons trade hardcover that followed in 1996. 2009-present (acquired by Red Wheel/Weiser): Hampton Roads continues as a Red Wheel/Weiser imprint using a standard number line (lowest number present = printing) plus a 'First Edition' statement; a Newburyport, MA address on the copyright page signals a post-acquisition printing rather than an original Virginia first. Imprints and series: Hampton Roads; Walsch Books (Conversations with God line); New Leaf. Background: Founded 1989 in Charlottesville, Virginia, by Robert S. Friedman and Frank DeMarco; Friedman had earlier founded The Donning Company/Publishers. Best known for publishing the original 1995 edition of Conversations with God, Book 1 before the trade edition moved to G.P. Putnam's Sons in 1996. Acquisition tell: an independent Virginia imprint (pre-2009) versus a Red Wheel/Weiser, Newburyport MA, printing (post-2009). The true first of Conversations with God, Book 1 is the 1995 Hampton Roads edition, not the later Putnam trade edition.

New Mexico Literacy Project (newmexicoliteracyproject.org)


Handi-Books (Quinn Publishing) — first-edition identification

Handi-Book
Handi-Book Editions
Handi-Books Mysteries

Handi-Books (Quinn Publishing) (USA (Kingston, NY — Quinn Publishing Co., Inc.); 1941-1951). First-edition identification: 1941-1951 (entire run): Quinn's Handi-Book line was numbered sequentially (from #1 into the #150s); the Handi-Book number on the cover and spine identifies the title. A first printing is shown by the absence of a second-printing statement on the copyright page together with the original 25-cent price. The line mixed reprints with some paperback originals. For an original — for example Harry Whittington's The Brass Monkey, Handi-Book #133 (1951), a paperback original confirmed by multiple antiquarian dealers — the Handi-Book IS the first edition of the text. For a reprint, 'first' means the first Handi-Book printing. Wartime issues (1942-1945) often carry paper-conservation notices that help date them, and the number range brackets the year. Map number to title and date against a Handi-Books checklist such as the BookScans database. Imprints and series: Handi-Book; Handi-Book Editions; Handi-Books Mysteries. Background: Published by Quinn Publishing Co. of Kingston, NY (also a digest-pulp magazine publisher). An early home for a Harry Whittington paperback original, The Brass Monkey (#133, 1951). Active roughly 1941-1951; later titles overlap with the early Gold Medal / Lion paperback-original boom. Reprints versus originals must be distinguished to know whether a given Handi-Book is the text's true first edition.


Hanging Loose Press — first-edition identification

Hanging Loose Press
Hanging Loose (magazine)

Hanging Loose Press (USA (Brooklyn, NY); 1966-present). First-edition identification: Early books (late 1960s-1970s): first/only printing identified by colophon or copyright statement; small runs, often single printings. First printing identified by 'First edition'/'First printing' wording and/or a number line whose lowest digit is 1. Absence of a later-printing notice indicates a first printing. Many poetry titles are single-printing; reprints are explicitly stated on the copyright page when they occur. The loose-sheet format applies to the magazine, not the conventionally bound books. Imprints and series: Hanging Loose Press; Hanging Loose (magazine). Background: Founded 1966 in Brooklyn by Robert Hershon, Dick Lourie, Emmett Jarrett, and Ron Schreiber; began as the magazine Hanging Loose, whose earliest issues were loose sheets of paper in a 6x9-inch envelope (no binding). The magazine grew out of the earlier short-lived journal 'Things' (early 1960s, Jarrett and Schreiber). Long-running collective-edited independent; published early Sherman Alexie and many New York-school-adjacent poets. Robert Hershon edited until his death in 2021; the press continues. Its archive is held at Columbia's Rare Book & Manuscript Library.


Harcourt, Brace & Co. — first-edition identification

Harcourt, Brace & Howe (1919-1921)
Harcourt, Brace & World (1960-1970)
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (1970+)
Harvest Books
Voyager Books

Harcourt, Brace & Co. (US; 1919-1990s). First-edition identification: 1919-1921 (Harcourt, Brace & Howe): number '1' on copyright page = first printing, '2' = second, etc. 1921-1931: no statement on first printings; the first-edition notice (when later adopted) was simply absent, so rely on no later-printing notice. c.1931 onward: stated 'First Edition' or 'First American Edition' on copyright page; the statement was removed on subsequent printings. Occasionally through the 1940s used a '1' to denote first printing. 1960-1970 (Harcourt, Brace & World): continued 'First Edition' / 'First American Edition'. 1973-1983 (HBJ): used a letter code 'BCDE...' (no leading A) plus 'First Edition'. From ~1983: letter row 'ABCDE' — presence of leading 'A' = first printing; 'BCDE' = second, etc. Imprints and series: Harcourt, Brace & Howe (1919-1921); Harcourt, Brace & World (1960-1970); Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (1970+); Harvest Books; Voyager Books. Background: The leading 'A' in the letter row only signals a first AFTER ~1983; the 1973-1983 books that read 'First Edition / BCDE' are also firsts despite lacking the A — a common point of confusion. Reynal & Hitchcock and Coward-McCann were absorbed into Harcourt (1948) — older torch-colophon books may carry over. Because the first-edition statement was simply removed on reprints, a copy with no statement at all and no later-printing notice can still be a true first in the 1921-1931 window.


Hard Case Crime — first-edition identification

Hard Case Crime (US; 2004-present). First-edition identification: Mass-market and trade paperback originals with pulp-style painted covers; copyright page carries a printing statement and/or number line. First printing shows 'First Hard Case Crime edition' (or 'First edition') and a number line ending in '1'. Each title has a series number (the 'HCC-0xx' designation) — useful for series collecting but the printing is set by the copyright-page line. Note the distributor era: early titles (2004-2010) were distributed via Dorchester/Leisure; the relaunch (2011+) is under Titan Books — copyright-page imprint wording differs by era. Imprints and series: Hard Case Crime (originally Dorchester/Leisure distribution); Hard Case Crime under Titan Books (current). Background: Founded 2004 by Charles Ardai and Max Phillips; mixes reprints of vintage noir with new originals (Lawrence Block, Stephen King's 'The Colorado Kid' and 'Joyland', Donald Westlake's posthumous 'Memory'). Stephen King's 'The Colorado Kid' (HCC-013, 2005) first printing is a key — confirm first-printing line; widely reprinted. Some titles also have signed/limited hardcover states (e.g., via PS Publishing or special editions) — those are separate, not the paperback first. Because the line is mostly paperback originals, the paperback IS the first edition; there is no earlier hardcover to chase for new works.


Harmony Books — first-edition identification

Harmony Books (US (New York); 1972-present (Crown imprint; Crown owned by Random House / now Penguin Random House since 1988)). First-edition identification: For titles from roughly the early 1980s onward, Crown/Harmony first printings are identified by a 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page together with a number line ending in 1; later printings drop the lowest digits. For 1970s Harmony titles, do not assume the 'First Edition' statement: Crown only adopted the stated-first-edition-plus-number-line practice in the late 1970s to early 1980s. Earlier Crown-group books often used a colophon and noted reprints there, so absence of a reprint notice plus matching copyright year is the safer first-printing signal for that era. Imprints and series: Harmony. Background: Crown Publishing Group lifestyle, wellness, self-improvement and cookery imprint, founded 1972 by Crown executive Bruce Harris. Modern identification inherits the standard Crown 'First Edition' + number-line rule, but the rule only applies cleanly to titles from the early 1980s forward.


Harper & Brothers — first-edition identification

Harper & Row (post-1962)
Harper's
Harper Torchbooks

Harper & Brothers (US; 1912-1962 (code 1912-1949)). First-edition identification: 1912-1949: month/year letter code on copyright page. Month: A=Jan, B=Feb, C=Mar, D=Apr, E=May, F=Jun, G=Jul, H=Aug, I=Sep, K=Oct, L=Nov, M=Dec (J skipped). Year code (J skipped): M=1912, N=1913 ... Z=1925, then A=1926, B=1927 ... Z=1950 (cycles). Code reads as two letters (month-year), e.g. 'K-Z' = October 1925. For firsts, the year letter code should match (or precede) the year on the title page; a code LATER than the title-page year indicates a reprint. From 1922: also began printing 'First Edition' on the copyright page in addition to the code. Letter code discontinued after 1949; later Harper & Row used standard statements/number lines. Imprints and series: Harper & Row (post-1962); Harper's; Harper Torchbooks. Background: The letter code is the defining Harper point — memorize that J is skipped in BOTH month and year sequences. Between 1912-1922 there is usually no 'First Edition' words — you MUST decode the letter code against the title-page date. A matching code confirms first printing; mismatched (later) code on otherwise-identical book = book-club or later printing. Becomes Harper & Row in 1962 after merger with Row, Peterson; the vintage code applies only to the Harper & Brothers era.


Harper (flagship imprint) — first-edition identification

Harper
Harper Perennial
Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Harper Voyager
Harper Wave
Harper Business
Harper Paperbacks
Amistad
HarperVia
Harper Muse

Harper (flagship imprint) (US (New York); 1817-present (Harper lineage)). First-edition identification: Modern HarperCollins: a stated "FIRST EDITION" on the copyright page together with a number line; on a first printing the number line descends to 1 Historic Harper & Brothers / Harper & Row letter date code (used from 1912 and discontinued after 1949): a two-letter code on the copyright page where the FIRST letter is the month (A=Jan through M=Dec, skipping J) and the SECOND letter is the year. A code matching the stated copyright year, with no later code, indicates a first printing for that period Do NOT use the letter code to identify modern books: it was abandoned by mid-century, so post-1950 and especially post-1990 HarperCollins firsts are determined by the "FIRST EDITION" statement plus number line, not by a letter cipher Imprints and series: Harper; Harper Perennial; Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Harper Voyager; Harper Wave; Harper Business; Harper Paperbacks; Amistad; HarperVia; Harper Muse. Background: The Harper letter code is real but narrow in scope: it dates the printing for the 1912-1949 window only and is genuinely two letters (month, then year), not a single code; it cannot be relied on for any book after about 1949 HarperCollins was formed in 1989 from Harper & Row and William Collins; pre-1989 conventions differ by predecessor house Modern HarperCollins firsts use "FIRST EDITION" plus a number line to 1


Harper Perennial — first-edition identification

Perennial Classics
Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Perennial Library (older)

Harper Perennial (US; 1980s–present). First-edition identification: States 'First [Harper] Perennial edition (Year)' on the copyright page, with a descending number line ending in 1 for that printing. Because it is predominantly a trade-paperback REPRINT line, the 'first Perennial edition' is usually NOT the first edition of the work. To find the true first, trace back to the original Harper / Harper & Row / HarperCollins hardcover. Line ending in 1 + 'First Perennial edition' = first of that paperback printing only. Imprints and series: Perennial Classics; Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Perennial Library (older). Background: Harper Perennial is HarperCollins's flagship trade-paperback imprint (descended from Perennial Library). Key confusion point: collectors must NOT treat a 'First Harper Perennial edition' as a true first edition — it is almost always a later trade-paper reissue. Some Harper Perennial titles ARE paperback originals (e.g. certain story collections, P.S. editions) — those can be firsts. Part of HarperCollins.


Harper Voyager — first-edition identification

Harper Voyager
Voyager Impulse (digital)

Harper Voyager (US (New York); US imprint 2011–present). First-edition identification: Hardcover first printings follow the standard HarperCollins convention: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1. Mass-market paperbacks may instead carry a "First [imprint] printing" line plus a number line ending in 1; the lowest digit present indicates the printing. U.S. Harper Voyager is distinct from HarperCollins UK Voyager — verify the edition's country of publication before identifying the first. Imprints and series: Harper Voyager; Voyager Impulse (digital). Background: Science-fiction & fantasy imprint within HarperCollins; the U.S. imprint launched in 2011 as a rebrand of Eos (which succeeded HarperPrism), unifying with the UK/Australia Voyager brand. U.S. and UK Voyager are separate publishing operations, so the same title can have distinct U.S. and UK firsts. Voyager Impulse was the imprint's digital-first line.


HarperCollins — first-edition identification

HarperCollins (USA (New York); 1817–present (J. & J. Harper 1817; Harper & Brothers 1833; Harper & Row 1962; HarperCollins 1990)). First-edition identification: Pre-1912 (Harper & Brothers): no stated-first convention exists. Apply the classic date-agreement test — the year on the TITLE PAGE should match the last (latest) copyright date on the copyright page. A copyright page carrying dates later than the title page indicates a later printing, not a first. 1912–1922 (Harper & Brothers, before the stated-first era): the ONLY dating aid is the two-letter PRINTING CODE on the copyright page (small type, e.g. 'H-Q'). First letter = month, second = year. For a genuine first the code-year must match or precede the title-page date; a code-year later than the title page proves a subsequent printing. Month letters: A=Jan, B=Feb, C=Mar, D=Apr, E=May, F=Jun, G=Jul, H=Aug, I=Sep, K=Oct, L=Nov, M=Dec (the letter J is SKIPPED, in both the month and year sequences). 1922–c.1962 (Harper & Brothers, stated-first era): from 1922 Harper & Brothers began printing the words 'First Edition' on the copyright page. IMPORTANT: the letter printing code did NOT stop in 1922 — it continued to appear alongside the 'First Edition' slug for decades (e.g. a real Harper copyright page shows 'D-S / 8-43' = August 1943). A true first therefore shows 'First Edition' AND a printing code whose year letter agrees with the title-page year. A 'First Edition' slug with a code-year later than the title-page date signals a reprint from first-edition plates where the slug was not stripped. Reading the year code (the central trap): the year sequence begins M=1912 and runs forward through the alphabet — M=1912, N=1913, O=1914 … Z=1925, A=1926, B=1927 … L=1936. In 1937 the alphabet is RECYCLED: it restarts at M=1937 and runs again — N=1938 … through to S=1968. Because every year letter therefore denotes two different years exactly 25 years apart (e.g. B = 1927 OR 1952; F-B = June 1927 or June 1952), NEVER date a Harper by the code alone — corroborate with the title-page date, jacket price, and the physical book (paper, binding, design) to choose the correct 25-year cycle. Note: sources disagree on the end of the code system — some antiquarian guides state it was discontinued after 1949, while the most-detailed published tables extend it through 1968; treat any single retirement date as uncertain and lean on the physical book. 1962–1969 (Harper & Row, after the 1962 merger with Row, Peterson & Company): imprint reads 'Harper & Row.' 'First Edition' continues to be stated on the copyright page; there is no number line yet in this window. A stated 'First Edition' under the Harper & Row imprint with no number line is consistent with a first printing of this period. 1969–c.1975 (Harper & Row): a NUMBER LINE was introduced but initially placed at the FOOT OF THE LAST PAGE of text (just before the rear free endpaper), not on the copyright page. A complete line ending in '1' (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') denotes the first printing. Harper & Row frequently FAILED TO STRIP the 'First Edition' slug on later printings, so the LOWEST NUMBER IN THE LINE — not the slug — is the authority: if the line's lowest digit is 2 or higher, it is a later printing despite any 'First Edition' wording. c.1975–1990 (Harper & Row): the number line MOVED to the copyright page and a two-digit YEAR line was often added alongside it (e.g. '71 72 73'). First printing = 'First Edition' plus a number line whose lowest number is '1'. Later printings often retain 'First Edition' but show a line beginning at 2+ — always let the number line override the slug. Lines may run either direction and are sometimes split odd/even (e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2'); what matters is the presence of 1. 1990–present (HarperCollins): imprint reads 'HarperCollins' (News Corp merged Harper & Row with the UK's William Collins in 1990). Through the 1990s a first printing shows 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page together with a number line whose lowest number is 1, commonly paired with a two-digit YEAR line (e.g. '11 12 13 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' — the right-hand digits are the printing, 1 = first; the left group is the year of that printing). From the early 2000s onward HarperCollins and many of its imprints (Morrow, Ecco) DROPPED the number line: on a modern HC book, 'First Edition' with NO number line reads as a first printing, and the ABSENCE of any 'First Edition' statement reads as a later printing. Imprints and series: Harper & Brothers (1833–1962); Harper & Row (1962–1990); Harper (trade); Harper Perennial; Harper Voyager; HarperOne; William Morrow; Ecco; Avon; Harper Business; HarperCollins Children's Books; Balzer + Bray; Greenwillow Books; Katherine Tegen Books; Walden Pond Press; HarperFestival; Harper Wave; Custom House; Amistad; Rayo; Broadside Books; HarperVia; Mariner Books (via HMH acquisition, 2021). Background: The number line beats the words. Across Harper & Row and HarperCollins the house is notorious for leaving the 'First Edition' slug on the copyright page of later printings. When both are present, the lowest digit in the number line is decisive — 'First Edition' + a line starting at 2 (or higher) is NOT a first. Do not confuse the Harper printing CODE (a legitimate house device, two letters = month + year of impression, e.g. 'H-Q') with a book-club marking. The letter code is NOT a book-club tell and is unrelated to the Knopf Borzoi-style device. Book-club Harper reprints are instead flagged by a blind-stamped dot/square/leaf on the lower rear board near the spine, absence of a jacket price on the front flap, cheaper bulked paper, and the lack of any number line — never by the presence of the letter code. The recycled year-letter alphabet is the single biggest dating error. The alphabet restarts M=1937 (having first run M=1912–L=1936), so the same year letter serves two years exactly 25 years apart. A code read in isolation can be off by 25 years — always reconcile it against the title-page date and the physical evidence before asserting an era. The exact year the code system ended is itself contested in the sources (post-1949 vs. through-1968), so do not date a late Harper on the code alone. Imprint name fixes the era boundary: 'Harper & Brothers' = pre-1962; 'Harper & Row' = 1962–1990; 'HarperCollins' = 1990–present. But sub-imprints (Harper, Harper Perennial, William Morrow, Ecco, Avon, HarperOne) each carry their own copyright-page habits, so identify to the SUB-IMPRINT first, then apply the era rule — a Morrow or Ecco title may format its number line differently from a flagship Harper trade title. Cross-check against the standard bibliographies (Zempel & Verkler, First Editions: A Guide to Identification; McBride, A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions) for title-specific points of issue. For high-spot Harper/Harper & Row titles the number line or letter code establishes the printing, but true first-STATE identification (a corrected typo, a dropped line, a jacket-price or dust-jacket point) requires the per-title point noted in those references.


HarperCollins Children's Books (formerly Harper & Row Junior Books / Harper & Brothers) — first-edition identification

Greenwillow Books
Katherine Tegen Books
Balzer + Bray
Harper
Joanna Cotler Books
Laura Geringer Books
Amistad (children's)
Walden Pond Press
HarperFestival
Harper & Row Junior Books (historical)
Ursula Nordstrom Books (historical)

HarperCollins Children's Books (formerly Harper & Row Junior Books / Harper & Brothers) (US; 1817–present (date-code era 1912–1949; stated-First-Edition + number-line era 1949–present)). First-edition identification: Modern (post-1990 HarperCollins, and Harper & Row from c.1975): stated 'First Edition' on copyright page PLUS a full descending number line ending in 1 (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) CRITICAL QUIRK: Harper repeatedly FAILED to remove the 'First Edition' statement from later printings — the NUMBER LINE is the authoritative signal, not the words. A book stating 'First Edition' but with a number line that does not reach 1 is a LATER printing 1922–1949 (Harper & Brothers): two-letter date code on copyright page — first letter = month (A=Jan ... excluding J; K=Oct, L=Nov, M=Dec), second letter = year (M=1922-cycle). 'First Edition' also stated from 1922 but code is the precise tell Greenwillow (founded 1974 by Susan Hirschman): follows Harper house style — stated 'First Edition' + number line to 1 Imprints and series: Greenwillow Books; Katherine Tegen Books; Balzer + Bray; Harper; Joanna Cotler Books; Laura Geringer Books; Amistad (children's); Walden Pond Press; HarperFestival; Harper & Row Junior Books (historical); Ursula Nordstrom Books (historical). Background: Home of the most-collected picture books: Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are, Harper & Row 1963), Shel Silverstein, Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Moon), Crockett Johnson, Garth Williams — verify via number line because 'First Edition' carry-over is rampant Harper & Brothers → Harper & Row in 1962 → HarperCollins in 1990; ID conventions carried through with the same 'forgot to delete First Edition' habit Book-club editions (Weekly Reader, Junior Literary Guild) of Harper picture books are common: smaller trim, cheaper paper, no price on jacket flap, often a blind stamp on lower-right rear board


HarperOne — first-edition identification

HarperOne (US (San Francisco, California); HarperOne name 2007–present; lineage via HarperSanFrancisco (1990s–2007) and Harper & Row San Francisco religious division). First-edition identification: First editions follow the standard HarperCollins convention: the words "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1 — both required for the true first. If "First Edition" is stated but the number line's lowest digit is higher than 1 (or the line is incomplete), it is a later printing of the first edition, not a first printing. Removal of the "First Edition" statement on later printings is standard HarperCollins practice; a copy lacking the statement is not a first. Number line forms vary (e.g., 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, sometimes with a year code alongside); the lowest digit present indicates the printing. Imprints and series: HarperOne; HarperElixir (historical); HarperSanFrancisco (former name); Harper & Row (San Francisco) religious list (historical). Background: HarperOne is HarperCollins's San Francisco-based religion/spirituality/personal-growth imprint, renamed from HarperSanFrancisco in 2007 (which descended from the Harper & Row San Francisco religious books division, founded 1977). For pre-2007 titles look for "HarperSanFrancisco" (and earlier "Harper & Row" / "Harper San Francisco") on the imprint line — the same Harper number-line plus "First Edition" convention applies across the name changes. Publishes major spiritual bestsellers that run to many printings, so strict adherence to the "First Edition" statement plus a complete number line is essential. As a HarperCollins imprint it shares the corporate copyright-page template, so the rule is firm.


HarperVia — first-edition identification

HarperVia (US (New York); 2019–present). 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. Because most titles are works in translation, the U.S. HarperVia edition is the first English-language (translation) edition, not the original-language first — verify which you are identifying. Imprints and series: HarperVia. Background: International / translated-literature imprint launched by HarperCollins in 2019 for the World English market. Now part of the Mariner Books Group following the 2024 U.S. trade reorganization (originally launched within the HarperOne Group). Each title typically includes a translator's note.


Harrison Smith & Robert Haas — first-edition identification

Harrison Smith & Robert Haas (New York, USA; 1932–1936). First-edition identification: 1932–1936: The firm did NOT consistently use a first-edition statement. First printings are identified primarily by the absence of any subsequent-printing notice on the copyright page (later printings were noted). Some titles do print 'First Edition' or 'First Printing,' but its absence does not by itself disqualify a first. Faulkner titles (Light in August 1932; Pylon 1935; Absalom, Absalom! 1936): rely on the copyright page lacking a later-printing line, plus author-specific first-state points and dealer-documented points of issue, rather than on any house statement. Matching title-page and copyright dates is a supporting check. After 1936: the firm merged into Random House; books bearing the Random House imprint thereafter follow Random House rules. The Smith & Haas imprint ends at the 1936 merger. Imprints and series: Harrison Smith and Robert Haas; Smith & Haas; Harrison Smith, Inc. (related earlier Smith venture). Background: Formed 1932 by Harrison Smith (formerly of Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith) and Robert Haas; carried William Faulkner's list. Merged into Random House in 1936; Robert Haas became the third Random House partner — the key ownership-change fact and the end of the imprint. Frequently styled 'Smith & Haas' on title pages and spines. Because the first-edition statement was inconsistent, the reprint-noted convention is the reliable tell.


Harry N. Abrams — first-edition identification

Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Abrams
Abrams Books
Abrams ComicArts
Abradale Press (Abrams reprint imprint)
Cross River Press
Tiny Folio (Abrams miniature series)

Harry N. Abrams (US (New York); 1949-present). First-edition identification: Copyright page: Abrams first editions are identified by the publisher's descending number line; the lowest digit present indicates the printing (a complete line such as 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 with a 1 present indicates a first printing). Many mid-century Abrams art books state the year of publication; the absence of any 'Second printing' or 'Reprinted' note, together with a full number line, supports a first. On later and modern Abrams titles the standard number line applies, with the lowest number present indicating the printing. Abradale Press editions are explicitly later reprint/budget reissues of Abrams titles, so the Abradale imprint itself signals a non-first. Imprints and series: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.; Abrams; Abrams Books; Abrams ComicArts; Abradale Press (Abrams reprint imprint); Cross River Press; Tiny Folio (Abrams miniature series). Background: Abrams is the prototypical large US art-book house and largely follows the US number-line convention, so the printer's key is comparatively reliable here. Abradale Press is Abrams's own reprint imprint, so an Abradale copy of a title is NOT the first Abrams edition. Some large-format Abrams art monographs and boxed sets exist in distinct deluxe issues; check for limitation statements. Ownership: Abrams was acquired by La Martinière Groupe in 1997, and La Martinière was in turn acquired by Media-Participations in 2018, so Abrams is now ultimately owned by the French group Media-Participations. Modern imprint expansions (ComicArts, Appleseed and others) sit outside the classic art-book line.


Harvard University Press — first-edition identification

Belknap Press
Loeb Classical Library
I Tatti Renaissance Library
Murty Classical Library of India
Dumbarton Oaks (distributed)

Harvard University Press (US; 1913–present (title-page-year practice strongest mid-20th c.; number lines common from the 1970s–80s onward)). First-edition identification: Classic Harvard tell: the YEAR OF PUBLICATION is printed on the TITLE PAGE of a first edition; on later printings the year is removed from the title page and a printing/reprint notice is added to the copyright page (verso). Absence of a copyright-page reprint notice plus the year on the title page = first printing. Modern HUP (and Belknap) books carry a descending number line on the copyright page; lowest digit present indicates the printing (a '1' = first printing). Copyright page states 'First printing' on many recent titles, or lists 'Second printing,' 'Third printing,' etc. for subsequent runs; a copyright year matching the title-page year with no later-printing line supports a first. Imprints and series: Belknap Press; Loeb Classical Library; I Tatti Renaissance Library; Murty Classical Library of India; Dumbarton Oaks (distributed). Background: The title-page-year convention is the single most reliable Harvard point and is documented in ILAB's by-publisher guide — check that the title-page year was NOT stripped. Belknap Press is HUP's flagship imprint (e.g., Rawls, A Theory of Justice, 1971) and follows the same copyright-page conventions. Loeb Classical Library volumes are heavily reprinted/revised; rely on the copyright-page printing history and 'Revised'/'Reprinted with corrections' notes rather than assuming first state. Book-club editions are rare for HUP scholarly titles; the bigger confusion is later printings that retain the same copyright year — check the number line and title-page year, not just the copyright date.


Harvill Press — first-edition identification

Harvill Press (UK (London); 1946–2005 (continued as Harvill Secker)). First-edition identification: Copyright page states 'First published [year]' or 'First published in Great Britain [year]' under the named imprint (The Harvill Press, or Collins Harvill / Collins and Harvill Press in the HarperCollins era). Descending number line; the lowest digit present indicates the impression, with a first printing ending in '1'. Translated-literature house: many firsts cite the original-language first publication separately and state the English translation date. The line naming the Harvill imprint identifies the English first edition. Imprints and series: The Harvill Press; Harvill; Collins Harvill (1980s–90s under HarperCollins); Harvill Secker (merged with Secker & Warburg 2005). Background: Specialist in literature in translation (the UK Doctor Zhivago, Lampedusa, Sebald, Magris). The English-translation first is distinct from the earlier original-language edition. The 1958 UK Doctor Zhivago carries the 'Collins and Harvill Press' imprint, translated by Max Hayward and Manya Harari. Imprint lineage: Harvill Press to Collins Harvill (under HarperCollins) to independent again in 1995, then merged with Secker & Warburg as Harvill Secker (Random House) in 2005. Each ownership era changes the imprint name on the copyright page; the named imprint helps date the printing.


Hatje Cantz Verlag — first-edition identification

Hatje Cantz Verlag (Germany (Berlin; formerly Ostfildern/Stuttgart); 1945–present (Hatje Cantz name from 1999 merger)). First-edition identification: The colophon (Impressum) states the year and edition; a first printing shows the first-published year with no 'Reprinted' or higher-'Auflage' line. German 'Auflage' (edition/impression) wording is the key tell: '1. Auflage' or no Auflage statement indicates a first; '2. Auflage' and higher indicate later printings. Most exhibition and monograph titles are single-printing; the printer credit (historically 'Dr. Cantz'sche Druckerei') appears in the colophon. Edition Hatje Cantz limited editions carry a numbered limitation, often with an original signed print; that justification statement defines the issue. Imprints and series: Hatje Cantz; Hatje Cantz Verlag; Edition Hatje Cantz (limited/print editions); Cantz / Dr. Cantz'sche (historic); Gerd Hatje (historic, pre-merger). Background: Verlag Gerd Hatje was founded in Stuttgart in 1945; it was sold to Dr. Cantz'sche Druckerei in 1990, and the two merged as Hatje Cantz in 1999 (initially in Ostfildern near Stuttgart, later Berlin). Pre-merger 'Gerd Hatje' or 'Cantz' imprints are earlier issues of the same lineage. Watch the German edition wording: 'Auflage' = printing/impression; look for '1. Auflage' to confirm a first. Edition Hatje Cantz is a distinct limited/print-edition arm; a numbered limited copy is a separate issue from the trade book of the same title.


Hawthorn Books — first-edition identification

Hawthorn Books (New York, USA; 1952–1977). First-edition identification: 1952–c.1977: First printings generally state 'First Edition' on the copyright page; a stated later printing rules out a first. Where no statement appears, treat the book cautiously and rely on the absence of any later-printing notice as a supporting (not conclusive) indicator. 1970s: where a number line appears, the lowest digit (1) present indicates the first printing. After the 1976 Dutton acquisition: late Hawthorn titles can follow Dutton-style copyright-page conventions; check for a Dutton association and for a number line. Imprints and series: Hawthorn Books; Hawthorn (under E.P. Dutton ownership, from 1976). Background: American trade house operating 1952–1977; originally founded as a subsidiary of Prentice-Hall, later owned by W.H. Allen. Known for reference, popular non-fiction, and how-to titles. Acquired by E.P. Dutton in 1976 (Dutton bought it from W.H. Allen) and the name was discontinued; documentation of its first-edition practice is thin, so set confidence accordingly when a copy lacks an explicit statement.


Hay House — first-edition identification

Hay House
Balboa Press (self-publishing division)
SmileyBooks

Hay House (US (Carlsbad, California); also Hay House UK, Australia, and India; 1984-present). First-edition identification: On a first printing, look for a descending number line on the copyright page whose lowest digit is 1; the lowest digit present equals the printing. Many Hay House copyright pages also carry an explicit edition-and-date line such as '1st edition, [Month Year]', which when present is a helpful corroborating signal, though it should be cross-checked against the number line rather than relied on alone. Later printings increment the stated edition or printing line and drop the lowest number-line digits. The copyright-page imprint city distinguishes the US edition from the separate Hay House UK, Australia, and India editions. Imprints and series: Hay House; Balboa Press (self-publishing division); SmileyBooks. Background: Founded by Louise Hay in 1984 to publish her own 'You Can Heal Your Life'; now a major New Age, self-help, and mind-body-spirit house (Wayne Dyer, Esther and Jerry Hicks, and others). Balboa Press is Hay House's paid self-publishing arm (a partnership with Author Solutions); Balboa titles are print-on-demand and have no meaningful collectible 'first edition' point. Multiple regional Hay House entities (US, UK, Australia, India) co-publish, so the copyright-page imprint city tells you which edition you hold. Early printings of 'You Can Heal Your Life' (Hay House, 1984, originally a slim Santa Monica, California edition) are sought after; verify via the stated edition and number line.


Headline — first-edition identification

Headline Book Publishing
Headline Book Publishing PLC
Headline Book Publishing Ltd
Headline Publishing Group
Headline Feature
Headline Review
Review
Eternal Romance
Tinder Press
Wildfire
Headline Home

Headline (UK (London); founded 1986 (independent, floated 1991); acquired Hodder & Stoughton in 1993 to become Hodder Headline; WH Smith 1999; Hachette Livre 2005; now a Hachette UK imprint). First-edition identification: Find the dated 'First published' statement on the copyright (imprint) page. As a modern British trade house (founded 1986), a Headline first edition carries a line such as 'First published in Great Britain in [year] by Headline Book Publishing' (later 'by Headline Publishing Group'). A first printing shows that statement with no accompanying 'Reprinted' / 'Second impression' / later-year line, and the stated 'First published' year matching the book's true first-publication year. Check the descending number line (printer's key) on the copyright page. Verified Headline firsts (e.g. Neil Gaiman, 'Stardust', Headline 1999) show a complete line ending in 1 — '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'. The lowest digit present is the impression, so a line reaching 1 signals a first impression; if the 1 has dropped off (line ends '...3 2' or starts higher) it is a later printing. This is standard modern-UK practice and it does apply to Headline, but confirm on the copy in hand rather than assuming. Use the imprint-name form as a dating cross-check, not a standalone first-edition point: pre-1993 firsts typically read 'Headline Book Publishing' (or '...PLC' / '...Ltd'); books from the mid-1990s onward increasingly read 'Headline Publishing Group', with genre sub-imprints (Review / Headline Review for fiction, later Tinder Press and Wildfire) on some titles. A mismatch between the imprint form and the claimed date is a warning sign. Treat a stated later impression as decisive: if the copyright page names a printing/reprint year later than first publication, or the number line no longer reaches 1, it is not a first printing regardless of the title-page date. Because no publisher-specific reference guide documents a unique Headline house rule, verify the individual title: match the copyright-page 'First published in Great Britain in [year]' statement and an intact number-line-to-1 against the known true-first publication year and format for that book before calling it a first printing. Imprints and series: Headline Book Publishing; Headline Book Publishing PLC; Headline Book Publishing Ltd; Headline Publishing Group; Headline Feature; Headline Review; Review; Eternal Romance; Tinder Press; Wildfire; Headline Home. Background: No dedicated first-edition-by-publisher guide carries a Headline-specific entry: the qbbooks A-G and G-S lists (which do cover neighbours like Hamish Hamilton, Heinemann and Hodder & Stoughton) have no Headline entry, and booksellers tag Headline hardbacks simply as 'First Edition' without documenting the mechanism. Identification therefore rests on the general modern-UK number-line + dated 'First published' convention, not a verified house-specific point — hence low confidence. Book-club and reprint trap: many popular Headline crime/thriller titles (e.g. Martina Cole) were also issued through book clubs such as BCA / Book Club Associates or later reprinted. Club/reprint copies often lack the number line, omit a stated price, use different (often thinner) boards, or carry a separate book-club imprint line — none of which is the trade first. Corporate-history caution: Headline acquired Hodder & Stoughton in 1993 to become Hodder Headline, and is now part of Hachette UK. The 'Headline' imprint persists on books, but parent-company / registered-address wording on the copyright page shifts over time; use the imprint-name form as a dating cross-check, not the sole first-edition point. Do not conflate with the unrelated US firm 'Headline Books' of Terra Alta, West Virginia (est. 1988; children's / how-to publisher, imprint 'Headline Kids'). It is a separate company from the UK 'Headline' / 'Headline Book Publishing' (London, est. 1986); keep the publisher metadata distinct.


Heavenly Monkey — first-edition identification

Heavenly Monkey (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 2000-present). First-edition identification: 2000-present: a first/only edition is identified by the COLOPHON limitation statement; the private letterpress and binding studio of Rollin Milroy, with most books printed on a handpress. Editions are very small, usually no more than 50 copies (often 25-50, occasionally as few as 20). The colophon records the limitation, the types (handset), the paper, the binding, and the date; the copy number is hand-inscribed. Many titles were offered in a standard state plus a smaller deluxe or special binding state (Milroy works with binders on variant editions); the binding and colophon distinguish them. Identify by the Heavenly Monkey imprint; the press also issues its own bibliographic checklists documenting the output (for example the 'HM = X' first-decade checklist and the 2022 'This Monkey's Gone to Heaven' checklist). Imprints and series: Heavenly Monkey Editions (HM Editions) — a parallel but separate imprint. Background: Founded by Rollin Milroy; the press is also a fine bindery, and most books are printed on a handpress, so production is deliberately slow and editions tiny. Tiny editions (often 50 or fewer) make every copy scarce; the binding state is a key identification axis. All books are limited firsts; there are no trade printings.


Henry Holt & Company — first-edition identification

Henry Holt
Holt, Rinehart & Winston (1960-1985)
Owl Books

Henry Holt & Company (US; 1866-1990s). First-edition identification: Pre-1945: identified by the LACK of a later-printing statement on the copyright page. 1945 onward: usually placed a first-edition statement on the copyright page of US-produced books (no statement on books produced outside the US). After 1985: first-edition statement PLUS a number row (presence of '1' = first). Imprints and series: Henry Holt; Holt, Rinehart & Winston (1960-1985); Owl Books. Background: The 'no statement on non-US-produced books' caveat means an imported/co-produced title may be a first despite lacking the statement. Merged into Holt, Rinehart & Winston in 1960; reverted to Henry Holt branding after 1985 — convention shifts at those boundaries. Robert Frost's longtime US publisher; individual Frost titles have their own points.


Henry Holt and Company — first-edition identification

Metropolitan Books
Times Books
Owl Books (former trade paper)
Holt Paperbacks
Christy Ottaviano Books (former)
Godwin Books

Henry Holt and Company (US; 1866–present). First-edition identification: Pre-1945: first editions identified chiefly by the ABSENCE of any later-printing statement on the copyright page. 1945–c.1985: usually placed a 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page of US-produced books (no statement on books produced outside the US). c.1976/1985 onward: 'First Edition' statement PLUS a descending number line ending in 1 — the modern reliable test. Imports/co-productions may read 'First American Edition' and lack the line. Imprints and series: Metropolitan Books; Times Books; Owl Books (former trade paper); Holt Paperbacks; Christy Ottaviano Books (former); Godwin Books. Background: Founded 1866 (Henry Holt); long, complex history — was part of Holt, Rinehart and Winston for decades, then re-emerged as Henry Holt under Holtzbrinck/Macmillan. Now part of Macmillan. Era matters: a mid-century Holt first relies on absence-of-reprint logic, NOT a number line. Metropolitan Books and Times Books are prestige imprints under Holt — same convention. No statement on UK-produced sheets is a common confusion — check where the book was manufactured.


Herbert Jenkins — first-edition identification

Herbert Jenkins (UK (London); founded 1912; independent through 1963; merged 1964 with Barrie & Rockliff to form Barrie & Jenkins). First-edition identification: The identification method depends on the era, because Jenkins changed practice around 1929-1930. This is the single most important point: do not apply one rule to all Jenkins books. For roughly 1930 onward (which covers most collected Wodehouse titles): a first edition/first printing IS positively stated on the copyright page (verso of the title leaf) as 'First printing' or 'First edition.' A true first shows that statement with NO later-impression lines added. Any 'Second impression,' 'Reprinted,' 'Third printing,' etc. means it is not a first printing. Examples that carry the stated 'First printing': Right Ho, Jeeves (1934), Blandings Castle and Elsewhere (1935), Quick Service (1940), Eggs, Beans and Crumpets (1940), Barmy in Wonderland (1952). For pre-1929 Jenkins titles (no printing statement was used yet): match the title-page date to the last date on the copyright page for a first, and use the count of other titles advertised on the verso of the half-title as the first-issue point (e.g. The Clicking of Cuthbert 1922 = eight titles; The Adventures of Sally 1923 = nine titles; The Inimitable Jeeves 1923 first issue = ten titles). These counts come from the standard bibliography and distinguish first issues from later states. Jenkins did NOT use a printer's number line (the descending 10 9 8... string). Number lines are a later, largely American convention; their absence is normal for Jenkins and is not itself evidence of a first. Cross-check against McIlvaine (Eileen McIlvaine, Sherby & Heineman, 'P. G. Wodehouse: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Checklist,' 1990) — the internationally accepted standard for Wodehouse/Jenkins firsts. Dealers cite McIlvaine 'A' numbers for the first issue and its collation gives the exact first-issue points (binding, verso title counts, jacket) for each title. Jasen's 1970 'Bibliography and Reader's Guide' is a useful secondary reference but is less detailed and omits dust jackets. The publisher device is the winged-horse (Pegasus) 'A Herbert Jenkins' Book' colophon; the title-page imprint reads 'Herbert Jenkins Limited, London.' Confirm dust-jacket first-issue points where the bibliography specifies them (correct original jacket artist/design; jackets on several Jenkins/Wodehouse titles are by artists such as Abbey), but treat the jacket as corroborating only — later impressions were frequently issued in the same jacket art, so verify the copyright-page printing statement or verso title-count in the book block itself. Imprints and series: Herbert Jenkins Limited; Herbert Jenkins Ltd.; Herbert Jenkins Ltd; A Herbert Jenkins' Book; Barrie & Jenkins (post-1964 successor imprint). Background: Biggest single trap: Jenkins reused the same jacket art across impressions, so a common later printing in a first-style jacket is often mistaken (or sold) as a first. Always verify the printing statement (1930s+) or the verso title-count (1920s) in the book, not just the wrapper. Era-dependent rule: applying the 'stated First printing' test to a pre-1929 Jenkins book, or the 'count the verso titles' test to a 1940s book, will give wrong answers. Identify the title's publication year first, then use the matching method. For Wodehouse specifically, the US first edition (Doubleday, Little Brown, etc.) sometimes preceded the Jenkins UK edition; establish which national edition is the true first for that title before calling the Jenkins printing 'the first edition.' Post-1964 printings under Barrie & Jenkins are later reissues, not the Herbert Jenkins first-edition imprint; read the imprint name and date together.


Heritage Press — first-edition identification

Connecticut Heritage (later reissues)
George Macy Companies

Heritage Press (US; 1935–c.1980s). First-edition identification: NO limitation page and NO signed colophon — this absence distinguishes Heritage from its parent LEC (the books otherwise often share the same plates/illustrations) Original issue accompanied by the 'Sandglass' — a 4-page (sometimes folded) pamphlet describing the book and illustrator; the Sandglass code/number helps date the printing Sandglass numbering and the publisher's address/colophon device indicate New York (early) vs. later Connecticut/Norwalk printings; earlier NY issues are generally the desirable first Heritage state Slipcase usually present; check Sandglass for printing identification rather than a copyright-page number line Imprints and series: Connecticut Heritage (later reissues); George Macy Companies. Background: Heritage is a reprint/trade arm of LEC — not 'firsts' in the rare-book sense, but collectors distinguish first Heritage issue (New York) from later reprints via the Sandglass and materials Many copies now lack the Sandglass (it was loose); its presence materially affects collector value Common confusion: buyers list Heritage copies as 'LEC' — only the signed numbered colophon makes it LEC Connecticut-era reissues use cheaper cloth/paper than early NY printings


Hesperus Press — first-edition identification

Hesperus Press
Hesperus Classics
Hesperus Modern Voices
Hesperus Nova
Hesperus Minor

Hesperus Press (UK (London), classic and rediscovered short works in fresh editions and translation; 2001-present). First-edition identification: 2001-present: a first printing is shown by a descending number line on the copyright page with 1 lowest, alongside 'First published <year> by Hesperus Press Limited'. For the Hesperus Classics and Modern Voices series, which reissue earlier or public-domain works, the collectible 'first' is the first Hesperus edition of that text, not the date the work was originally written. The newly commissioned introduction or translation is the original content that the Hesperus first carries. The uniform small-format flapped-paperback series design is house branding and does not by itself indicate a first printing. Imprints and series: Hesperus Press; Hesperus Classics; Hesperus Modern Voices; Hesperus Nova; Hesperus Minor. Background: Specialised in short, lesser-known works by major authors under the motto 'Et remotissima prope', meaning to bring the far near. The common confusion is between the original work's date of composition and the Hesperus first-edition date; identification keys on the Hesperus imprint statement and number line. Series have included Hesperus Classics, Modern Voices, Nova, Minor, Brief Lives and Poetic Lives.


Heyday Books (Heyday) — first-edition identification

Heyday Books (Heyday) (West — Berkeley, California; 1974-present). First-edition identification: 1974–c.1990: Early Margolin-era titles often lack a formal 'First Edition' slug; a first printing is shown by a single copyright year, a matching title-page date, and no later-printing statement. Some early titles were author-typeset with minimal copyright data. c.1990–present: Number line standard on the copyright page ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest digit present indicates the printing. Many titles also state 'First edition' or 'First printing'. California Legacy titles carry Santa Clara co-imprint lines that do not affect first-printing status. Imprints and series: Heyday; Great Valley Books; California Legacy (series produced with the California Legacy Project at Santa Clara University); News from Native California (periodical). Background: Founded 1974 by Malcolm Margolin in Berkeley, beginning with his self-typeset 'The East Bay Out'; his landmark title 'The Ohlone Way' appeared in 1978. Became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2004 (merger with the Clapperstick Institute); Steve Wasserman became publisher in 2016 after Margolin's retirement at the end of 2015. Focus on California natural history, Native California cultures, and California literature; publishes 'News from Native California'. Early hand-produced titles can be scarce and lack standard first-edition markers.


Hill and Wang — first-edition identification

Hill and Wang (US (New York); 1956-present). First-edition identification: First printing follows FSG house style: a copyright-page statement such as "First edition" or "First published" with the year, generally accompanied by a number line ending in 1 Imprints and series: Hill and Wang. Background: History, politics, and drama imprint acquired by and operating within Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Macmillan Identification follows FSG conventions; for older titles confirm the printed first-edition/first-published statement rather than relying on a number line alone


Hill Street Press — first-edition identification

Hill Street Press
Hill Street Classics (reprint series)

Hill Street Press (South (Athens, Georgia); 1998-c.2009). First-edition identification: 1998-c.2008 (active era): Standard small-press convention. First printing is typically identified by a number line on the copyright page in which the lowest number present indicates the printing (a '1' present means first printing); some titles instead state 'First edition' or 'First printing.' Where neither is present, a title-page date matching the copyright date together with the absence of any later-printing notation indicates the first printing. Hill Street Classics (reprint line): a reprint imprint, so a Hill Street Classics issue is generally NOT the first edition of the underlying work; the issue itself follows the house number-line convention for its own printing. Imprints and series: Hill Street Press; Hill Street Classics (reprint series). Background: Athens, Georgia independent founded in 1998 by Tom Payton and Judy Long; published regional Southern fiction, nonfiction, sports, and culture before ceasing active trade publishing in the late 2000s. Now effectively defunct/dormant as the original literary house; a long-tail Southern small press whose backlist is scattered across the used market. (Listings under the Hill Street Press name in later years reflect an unrelated trivia/puzzle reincarnation, not the original literary list.) Hill Street Classics revived older Southern titles, so distinguish a seeker of the original edition from a reprint copy. Limited bibliographic documentation; rely on per-copy copyright-page evidence.


Hippocampus Press — first-edition identification

Hippocampus Press (New York, New York, USA; 1999-present). First-edition identification: 1999-present: first printings generally state 'First Edition' / 'First Printing' on the copyright page; predominantly trade paperback and cloth, often single-printing scholarly editions. Later and revised/corrected editions are noted on the copyright page - check for 'second printing', 'revised edition', or changed text, as the texts (frequently edited by S.T. Joshi) are revised over time. I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft (2010) is the uncut restoration of Joshi's earlier H.P. Lovecraft: A Life (Necronomicon Press, 1996), restoring roughly 150,000 cut words; treat it as the first complete edition ('first edition thus'), distinct from the 1996 Necronomicon first. Imprints and series: Sarnath Press (assoc.). Background: Founded 1999 by Derrick Hussey (with S.T. Joshi as a longtime editorial force) to continue weird-fiction scholarship after Necronomicon Press's decline. Produces definitive critical/corrected texts of Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and weird poetry; recognized with a specialty-press award. Successor publisher for many Necronomicon Press projects.


Hodder & Stoughton — first-edition identification

Hodder
Sceptre (literary paperback/HB)
Coronet (paperback)
Hodder Children's
New English Library

Hodder & Stoughton (UK; 1868-present). First-edition identification: Pre-1940s: no consistent practice — first/later printing identification is unreliable and requires jacket/ad/binding/bibliographic analysis 1940s onward: may state "First Printed [Year]" on firsts and note subsequent printings (transitional, not universal) By 1976: consistent "First published in [Year]" on the copyright page of firsts, with later printings/impressions explicitly noted Modern era (number line): later Hodder/Sceptre titles carry a printer's-key number line (lowest digit = printing; '1' present = first); number lines are a general post-~1970 trade practice — the exact year Hodder adopted them is not documented, so do not assert a precise 'mid-1990s' start date First printing = era-appropriate statement present AND no later-impression/printing notation; for pre-1940s books rely on points/bibliography, not the copyright page Imprints and series: Hodder; Sceptre (literary paperback/HB); Coronet (paperback); Hodder Children's; New English Library. Background: Large commercial house; John Buchan's Richard Hannay sequels were Hodder firsts (Greenmantle 1916, Mr Standfast 1919) — but his most famous title, 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' (1915), was FIRST published by William Blackwood & Sons, NOT Hodder & Stoughton; do not cite it as a Hodder first Pre-war inconsistency makes early Hodder firsts genuinely difficult — beware confident copyright-page claims; identification often needs binding/jacket/ad and bibliographic points Later-printing dust jackets can sometimes be flagged by a small roman-numeral code on the rear panel (e.g. 'ii' = second printing jacket) Sceptre (founded 1986) is the modern literary imprint; many Booker-era authors (Keneally, David Mitchell, Fay Weldon)


Hogarth (US) — first-edition identification

Hogarth (US) (US (New York); 2012–present (revival)). First-edition identification: Crown / Penguin Random House house style: true first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries a full number line whose lowest digit is 1. The lowest number in the number line is the decisive signal for the first printing. Imprints and series: Hogarth. Background: Modern revival launched in 2012 as a joint Crown (US) / Chatto & Windus (UK) literary imprint; named after but unrelated to Leonard and Virginia Woolf's original Hogarth Press (founded 1917). Now a Crown imprint within Penguin Random House. Not to be confused with the historic Hogarth Press.


Holiday House — first-edition identification

Holiday House
Margaret Ferguson Books
Neal Porter Books
Pixel+Ink (sister)

Holiday House (US; 1935–present). First-edition identification: Modern: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on copyright page, typically accompanied by a descending number line ending in 1 Number line is the controlling signal when both are present; first printing requires '1' Older mid-century titles: stated 'First Edition' / 'First printing' with no number line Imprints and series: Holiday House; Margaret Ferguson Books; Neal Porter Books; Pixel+Ink (sister). Background: Independent children's-only publisher founded 1935 (one of the oldest US children's specialists) Home of many Caldecott/Newbery honorees; Neal Porter Books (a Holiday House imprint) carries prestige picture books Generally clean, consistent 'FIRST EDITION'-plus-number-line conventions — fewer carry-over errors than Harper


Hong Kong University Press — first-edition identification

Hong Kong University Press (Hong Kong; 1956-present). First-edition identification: 1956-c.1990: The press of the University of Hong Kong, publishing in English and Chinese. A first printing uses 'First published [year]', a copyright line for Hong Kong University Press in that year, and 'Printed in Hong Kong', with no reprint note. Chinese-language titles carry the equivalent first-edition statement and a separate ISBN. c.1990-present: 'First published [year] by Hong Kong University Press' with a number line (lowest digit indicates the printing) and a full ISBN block, often with separate hardback and paperback ISBNs. A full number line ending in 1 with no reprint statement indicates a first printing. Bilingual note: a Chinese-language edition and the English edition are separate firsts; match the language and ISBN to the specific issue being identified. Some titles are co-published or distributed with US or UK presses (for example via the University of Chicago Press), whose market may have its own first issue. Imprints and series: Hong Kong University Press; HKU Press. Background: Established in 1956 as the university press of the University of Hong Kong; Henri Vetch served as its first head, and it publishes more than fifty titles a year in English and Chinese. Strong in Asian and cultural studies, film and media studies, Chinese history and culture, and law. Distinct from the Chinese University of Hong Kong Press (CUHK Press) and City University of Hong Kong Press, which should not be conflated with it. Some titles are co-published or distributed by US or UK presses, so the co-publisher's market may carry its own first issue.


Houghton Mifflin — first-edition identification

Houghton Mifflin (USA (Boston); 1880–2007 (as Houghton, Mifflin & Co. / Houghton Mifflin Company; lineage from Ticknor & Fields 1854 and Hurd & Houghton / Riverside Press 1852; became Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2007)). First-edition identification: Ticknor & Fields / pre-house era (1854–1868, plus the Wm. D. Ticknor and Ticknor, Reed & Fields variants): no printed 'First Edition' statement exists — a first printing is established when the date on the title page agrees with the copyright date and no later printing is indicated. Dated publisher's terminal advertisements/catalogues bound in at the rear (e.g. ads dated 'October, 1858') are the classic corroborating point and must not post-date the book. This is the lineage HM inherited, so cross-check against Zempel/BAL for canonical titles. Merger-lineage window (Hurd & Houghton 1864 → Houghton, Osgood & Co. 1878–1880 → Houghton, Mifflin & Co. from 1880): still no 'First Edition' wording; identify by title-page date matching the copyright date, by the earliest-state dated terminal-ad catalogue, and by the Riverside Press, Cambridge colophon, whose dated form aids placement of a copy within this transitional span. Late-19th to mid-20th century (c.1880s–1950s): the operative tell is the title page. Houghton Mifflin almost invariably printed the year of first publication, in Arabic numerals, on the title page of a first printing and removed (or changed) that date on all later printings. First printing = date present on the title page AND agreeing with the copyright page, with no added 'later printing' notice. A differing title-page and copyright date signals a reprint. Transitional years (roughly late 1930s–1950s): practice is less uniform before the formal statement settled in. Continue to rely on the matching title-page/copyright-page date and the absence of any printing-history notice; weigh with Zempel/McBride for specific titles. Statement era (late 1950s to early 1970s): Houghton Mifflin began consistently placing an explicit printing statement on the copyright page — most often the words 'First Printing' (occasionally 'First Impression' / 'First Edition'), typically with a month/year. A first printing carries this statement with no later-printing line; any 'Second Printing' or added date demotes the copy. Number-line era (early 1970s to 2007, HMH thereafter): the 'First Printing' statement was replaced by a descending number line on the copyright page. A first printing is indicated when the line runs down to and ENDS IN 1 (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); the second printing drops the 1 (lowest digit 2), the third drops the 2, and so on. The line normally also carries a one- or two-letter manufacturer/printer (plant) code — a letter group set off from the digits, before or after the line (e.g. 'S', 'P', 'R', 'MP' as in 'MP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); the letters are printing-plant codes, NOT a printing count, so read the DIGITS for edition state. Clarion Books (a Houghton Mifflin children's/YA imprint from 1979 through the HMH era): follows the parent house's number-line convention — a full descending line whose lowest digit is 1 marks the first printing, generally with a letter/plant code attached. Clarion first printings do not depend on the words 'First Edition' being present; the number line ending in 1 is the point. Imprints and series: Ticknor & Fields (antecedent house, 1854–1868; briefly revived by HM as a trade imprint in the 1980s); Riverside Press, Cambridge (the firm's printing arm and colophon device, 1852 onward); Clarion Books (children's/YA house founded 1965 by Seabury Press; became a Houghton Mifflin imprint in 1979 and later HMH; moved to HarperCollins in 2021–2022); Mariner Books (trade-paperback line, used for paperback originals). Background: Do NOT expect the words 'First Edition' in the modern era — from the early 1970s onward the operative point is the number line whose lowest digit is 1, not any printed phrase; a book can be a true first with no 'First Edition' wording at all. A genuine HM first shows the title-page date (pre-statement era) OR the copyright-page 'First Printing' statement/number-line. Treat book-club copies skeptically: clubs (BOMC and others) reprinted HM titles without the trade number line and often with a blind-stamped dot/square on the rear board plus a price-clipped or gutter-code jacket — but that board-blindstamp is a generic book-club feature, not an HM-specific device, so use it only as a supporting flag alongside the missing number line/statement. The Riverside Press, Cambridge colophon is a printing-house device (the firm's own press), NOT a printing-order marker and NOT a book-club stamp — its presence helps date early copies but does not by itself certify a first printing. Do not confuse this house device with a club board-stamp; they signal opposite things. Famous-title traps: Jhumpa Lahiri's 'Interpreter of Maladies' (1999) — the true first edition is the Mariner trade PAPERBACK, which precedes the hardcover, so a first-printing hardcover is not the primary first. For McCullers' 'The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter' (1940), the year must appear on BOTH the title page and copyright page with no later-printing line (first-issue jacket carries the printed price and the 'Summer's Lease' rear-flap blurb). Era-boundary ambiguity: the changeovers (title-page date → 'First Printing' statement in the late 1950s; statement → number line in the early 1970s) were phased in title-by-title, so a book near a boundary may follow either convention. When in doubt, check the specific title against Zempel/Verkler 'First Editions: A Guide to Identification' or McBride's 'Pocket Guide,' using jacket state as corroboration. Award seals on jackets ('Newbery,' 'Caldecott,' 'National Book Award') for the book's OWN prize are added to later printings, since the prize post-dates first publication — a printed seal for the title's own award is evidence of a LATER printing; verify the number line still ends in 1 (or the statement/title-page date is present) and that the jacket matches first state before accepting a copy.


Houghton, Osgood & Co. — first-edition identification

Hurd & Houghton (predecessor)
Riverside Press
Houghton, Mifflin & Co. (successor)

Houghton, Osgood & Co. (Cambridge/Boston, Massachusetts (Northeast USA); 1878-1880). First-edition identification: 1878-1880: a short-lived transitional imprint formed in 1878 when Hurd & Houghton (operating the Riverside Press, Cambridge) merged with James R. Osgood & Co., the successor to Ticknor & Fields. The house used no printed 'First Edition' statement; the first printing is identified by concordance of the title-page date with the copyright date and by the earliest-state terminal advertising catalogue bound in. A Riverside Press colophon is often present and aids dating. Dissolved/reorganized in 1880 when Osgood withdrew, becoming Houghton, Mifflin & Co. For ongoing 1880s practice see the Houghton Mifflin / Riverside (early) entry. Imprints and series: Hurd & Houghton (predecessor); Riverside Press; Houghton, Mifflin & Co. (successor). Background: The 1878 merger that consolidated the Ticknor/Fields/Osgood author list under Houghton control and set the stage for the modern Houghton Mifflin trade lineage. The Riverside Press, Cambridge, was the firm's printing arm; its colophon and dated terminal ads aid dating of copies from this brief window.


House of Anansi Press — first-edition identification

Anansi
Groundwood Books
Spiderline (crime imprint)
Astoria (poetry, historic)
Arachnide Editions (French, historic)
House of Anansi Poetry

House of Anansi Press (Canada (Toronto, Ontario); 1967-present). First-edition identification: Early Anansi (1967 through the 1970s) were small-run literary firsts often without number lines; identify by the original copyright-page year matching publication, the Anansi spider colophon/device, and the absence of any later-printing statement. Modern Anansi typically states 'First edition' and/or carries a number line on the copyright page; '1' present indicates a first printing. Cross-check against later printings: Anansi frequently reprinted breakout titles (for example Atwood's 'Survival', 1972, went through many printings), so a first must show the first-printing year with no 'second/third printing' line. Imprints and series: Anansi; Groundwood Books; Spiderline (crime imprint); Astoria (poetry, historic); Arachnide Editions (French, historic); House of Anansi Poetry. Background: Founded 1967 by Dennis Lee and Dave Godfrey; a seminal CanLit nationalist press whose early list included Atwood's 'The Circle Game' and 'Survival', and work by Michael Ondaatje, George Grant, and bpNichol. Survival (1972) is heavily reprinted; the wrappered first printing is the desirable point, to be distinguished from the many softcover reprints. Groundwood Books (children's/YA, founded 1978, later under Anansi) follows its own imprint line; treat Groundwood titles under that imprint. Era change: restructured under Scott Griffin ownership in 2002, after which editions standardize the number-line and 'First edition' wording, so the convention is more reliable post-2002.


Howell Press — first-edition identification

Howell Press (Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; c.1985-c.2007). First-edition identification: Late-1980s into the mid-2000s Virginia specialist in aviation, military, transportation, quilt, and Mid-Atlantic/Southeastern regional pictorials: copyright page typically carries a descending number line, and the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a line ending in '1' indicates a first printing. Some titles also state 'First edition.' Large-format color titles; revised editions are stated explicitly and reset the number line. Confirm the house by the Charlottesville, Virginia imprint line to distinguish it from unrelated 'Howell' surnames on other publishers. Imprints and series: Howell Press. Background: Niche aviation, transportation, and regional pictorial publisher; firsts of out-of-print warbird and aviation titles are sought. Imprint wound down by the mid/late 2000s. Short print runs typical.


Huia Publishers — first-edition identification

Huia Publishers (New Zealand (Wellington); 1991-present). First-edition identification: 1991-present: Māori-owned and Māori-focused publisher founded in 1991 by Robyn (Rangihuia) Bargh and Brian Bargh. First editions are identified from the copyright/imprint page by the statement 'First published 19xx/20xx by Huia Publishers'; later printings add a 'Reprinted' line. A first printing carries the earliest stated publication year and no reprint history. Bilingual context (te reo Māori / English): some works exist as separate reo Māori and English editions, each with its own 'First published' line — establish which language edition you hold before calling it a first. On some trade titles a standard descending number line may also appear; where present, the lowest digit indicates the printing. Treat the stated 'First published' line plus the absence of any reprint line as the primary evidence, and use a number line only as corroboration. Imprints and series: Huia; Huia Publishers. Background: New Zealand's foremost Māori publisher (te reo Māori and English), associated with the Huia Short Stories anthologies and the Pikihuia Awards. Bilingual publishing means a single work may exist in separate reo Māori and English first editions — identify the language edition. Named after the extinct huia bird; founded by Robyn Bargh (made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, 2012) and Brian Bargh.


Humanoids, Inc. (Les Humanoïdes Associés, US arm) — first-edition identification

Humanoids, Inc. (Les Humanoïdes Associés, US arm) (USA (Los Angeles, California; US arm founded 1999 by Fabrice Giger) / parent France (Les Humanoïdes Associés, founded 1974); 1999-present (US arm); French parent 1974-present). First-edition identification: US editions, 1999-present: deluxe graphic-novel first printings are identified by the indicia printing statement, with a first printing stating an original date and reprints stating a later printing. Many oversized 'deluxe' editions are discrete reprintings of classic European material, each US printing dated in the indicia. Humanoids/DC co-editions (the DC distribution agreement was signed in January 2004 and ran through the mid-2000s): some Moebius and Jodorowsky material was published under this arrangement and carries DC indicia conventions, forming a distinct collectible sub-line. Note that the earlier standalone Humanoids editions began in 1999, before the DC deal. The Incal, The Metabarons, and Moebius oversized deluxe reissues (2010s-2020s) exist in multiple competing editions and printings over the decades, so the specific publisher, format, and indicia date must be verified; the same work appears across the DC-era co-editions, standard Humanoids editions, and later deluxe slipcased reprints. Imprints and series: Humanoids; H1 (superhero line, historical); Life Drawn (literary/non-fiction); Humanoids/DC co-editions (mid-2000s, historical). Background: Parent Les Humanoïdes Associés (France, 1974) published Métal Hurlant; the US arm brings Moebius, Jodorowsky (The Incal, The Metabarons), and Enki Bilal to English. The US company was founded in 1999 by Fabrice Giger, who had acquired the French parent in 1988. The Incal has a tangled English-edition history (DC-era co-editions from 2004, standalone Humanoids editions, then deluxe oversized reprints), so edition confusion is common; match indicia plus format carefully. Deluxe oversized slipcased editions are the premium collectible format; limitation statements, when signed and numbered, are separate from the printing line. The Life Drawn imprint handles literary and non-fiction graphic novels.


Hurtig Publishers — first-edition identification

Hurtig
The Canadian Encyclopedia (flagship)

Hurtig Publishers (Canada (Edmonton, Alberta); 1972-1991). First-edition identification: 1972 to early 1980s: established 1972 by Mel Hurtig in Edmonton after he sold his bookstores to concentrate on publishing. First editions are identified by a 'First edition' or 'First printing' statement on the copyright page, or by a number line where present (lowest number indicates the printing). Absence of any reprint/later-printing notice on a dated copyright page indicates a first. Early 1980s to 1991: number lines appear on trade titles (descending, lowest digit indicating the printing). The Canadian Encyclopedia (1985 first edition, three volumes; second edition 1988, four volumes) is explicitly edition-stated on the title/copyright pages, so distinguish the 1985 first edition from the 1988 second edition by the stated edition and volume count. 1991: the firm was sold to McClelland & Stewart and the trade list dispersed. Imprints and series: Hurtig; The Canadian Encyclopedia (flagship). Background: A nationalist Western-Canadian house, the first national English-language trade publisher based outside Toronto; the flagship was The Canadian Encyclopedia, a landmark reference work, with the 1985 first edition (three volumes) versus the 1988 second edition (four volumes) being the central identification point. Mel Hurtig was a prominent Canadian-nationalist publisher and political figure, twice named Canadian Book Publisher of the Year (1975, 1981). Regional Alberta imprint with a relatively short trade-publishing run, making some firsts scarce.


Hutchinson & Co. — first-edition identification

Hutchinson
Hutchinson & Co. (Publishers)
Stanley Paul
Hurst & Blackett
Jarrolds
Andrew Melrose
John Long
Skeffington
Arrow Books (paperback)
Barrie & Jenkins
Hutchinson Radius
Rider

Hutchinson & Co. (UK (London); 1887-present). First-edition identification: Late 1880s to about 1920: many firsts of this era carry no printing statement at all, so dating relies on the title-page date and on dated rear advertisement catalogs; later printings note reprints. Number lines do not apply to this early period. About 1920 to about 1960: 'First published (year)' or 'First published in Great Britain (year)' on the copyright page; a first impression lists no reprints, while later printings add dated 'Reprinted' or 'New impression' lines. Hutchinson absorbed many houses (Stanley Paul, Hurst & Blackett, John Long, Jarrolds, Andrew Melrose, Skeffington), each carrying its own imprint name but the same dated-statement convention. About 1960 to about 1975: 'First published 19xx' on the verso, with a first printing showing no additional impression line. About 1975 onward (within the Hutchinson Group, later under Random House from 1985): a descending number line on the copyright page typically accompanies 'First published in Great Britain 19xx by Hutchinson'; the lowest number present indicates the printing (1 = first). Treat the exact transition year as approximate and confirm against the dated 'First published' statement, which remains the primary tell. Imprints and series: Hutchinson; Hutchinson & Co. (Publishers); Stanley Paul; Hurst & Blackett; Jarrolds; Andrew Melrose; John Long; Skeffington; Arrow Books (paperback); Barrie & Jenkins; Hutchinson Radius; Rider. Background: Founded 1887 by Sir George Hutchinson; grew by absorbing many smaller houses (Stanley Paul, Hurst & Blackett, John Long, Jarrolds, Andrew Melrose, Skeffington), so the Hutchinson Group umbrella covers numerous imprint names. Arrow Books was its mass-market paperback arm. Became the Hutchinson Group; acquired by Random House in 1985; Hutchinson and Hutchinson Heinemann are now imprints of Penguin Random House.


I'm not sure / publisher not listed — first-edition identification

I'm not sure / publisher not listed (general). First-edition identification: Universal first-edition checks that apply to any publisher Background: Also rule out an advance review copy or uncorrected proof — those say “ADVANCE REVIEW COPY,” “UNCORRECTED PROOF,” or “NOT FOR SALE,” usually in paper wrappers, and are pre-publication documents, not the first edition.


IDW Publishing — first-edition identification

IDW (main)
Top Shelf Productions (acquired 2015)
EuroComics
Library of American Comics (LOAC)
Yoe Books
Artist's Editions (oversized line)
Black Crown (2017-2020, Shelly Bond)

IDW Publishing (USA (San Diego, CA); 1999-present). First-edition identification: Floppy issues and trade paperbacks: a first printing carries no printing statement; later printings are explicitly stated. The indicia gives the publisher block, ISBN, and printing. Collected editions/hardcovers: the copyright/indicia page states the printing with month and year (e.g. 'First Printing, May 2018'); a first printing shows the earliest single date. IDW 'Artist's Edition' oversized books are typically single-print runs with a printed limitation/colophon — the limitation statement and first-printing date identify them. Imprints and series: IDW (main); Top Shelf Productions (acquired 2015); EuroComics; Library of American Comics (LOAC); Yoe Books; Artist's Editions (oversized line); Black Crown (2017-2020, Shelly Bond). Background: Founded 1999 (Idea and Design Works). Heavy licensed catalog (Transformers, TMNT, Star Trek, Sonic, G.I. Joe, Locke & Key, Doctor Who). TMNT (IDW, 2011-) collected first printings are tracked closely; the 'First Printing' date line is the point because cover art is reused across printings. Library of American Comics and EuroComics are reprint imprints with scholarly colophons — first printing stated by date. Top Shelf (founded 1997) became an IDW imprint in 2015; pre-2015 Top Shelf books carry the independent Top Shelf indicia, while post-2015 titles carry IDW/Top Shelf branding.


Ignatius Press — first-edition identification

Ignatius Press (San Francisco, California, USA; 1978-present). First-edition identification: 1978-1980s: founded in 1978 by Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J.; on early titles a number line is not yet universal, so identify a first printing by the copyright year and the absence of a reprint notice. The Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat date the approval of the text, not the printing. 1980s-present: standard number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a line including 1 indicates a first printing. Many Ignatius titles are the first English-language or first US edition of European Catholic works (Balthasar, Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, de Lubac), so the Ignatius edition can be the true first in English even when the original German, French, or Italian predates it; identify the first English printing by Ignatius's first copyright year for the translation plus a clean impression line. Catholic-specific caution: read the impression or number line, not the Imprimatur date, to determine the printing. Imprints and series: Ignatius Press; Communio Books; Ignatius Critical Editions; San Francisco (imprint/place line on some). Background: Ignatius Press was founded in June 1978 by the Jesuit Fr. Joseph Fessio (with Carolyn Lemon) and is the leading orthodox/conservative American Catholic publisher; it is named for Ignatius of Loyola. It is the principal English-language publisher of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Henri de Lubac; translation firsts are the key collecting interest. It publishes the Ignatius Bible (RSV-Catholic Edition / RSV-2CE), with Bible text editions tracked separately from printings. The Imprimatur-date trap applies, and San Francisco may appear as a place or imprint line.


Image Comics — first-edition identification

Image Comics (USA (Portland, OR); 1992-present). First-edition identification: Floppy single issues: a first printing carries NO printing statement; later printings are explicitly marked (e.g. 'Second Printing' in the cover area or indicia). Trade paperbacks / hardcovers: the copyright/indicia page states the printing month and year (e.g. 'First Printing: March 2014') plus the volume number; later printings update that line. Many Image collected editions also carry a descending number line on the indicia page; a '1' present indicates the first printing. Image is a direct-market-focused publisher, so newsstand-vs-direct barcode distinctions generally do not apply; barcode suffix digits sometimes track the printing but are not a reliable stand-alone first-printing test — rely on the stated printing line. Imprints and series: Skybound (Robert Kirkman); Top Cow Productions (Marc Silvestri); Shadowline (Jim Valentino); Todd McFarlane Productions; Highbrow Entertainment (Erik Larsen); Extreme Studios (Rob Liefeld, historical). Background: Founded 1992 by seven Marvel defectors (McFarlane, Liefeld, Lee, Valentino, Larsen, Silvestri, Portacio). Each founding partner ran a studio (Top Cow, Extreme, WildStorm, Highbrow, Shadowline, Todd McFarlane Productions); Jim Lee sold WildStorm to DC in 1998 (effective January 1, 1999), so it is no longer an Image imprint. The Walking Dead and Saga drove large second/third/fourth-printing runs, so first-printing collected editions are verified by the 'First Printing' month line rather than cover art, which is often unchanged. Skybound (est. 2010) and Top Cow are among the most active sub-imprints; their collected editions still use Image's printing-month indicia convention.


Indiana University Press — first-edition identification

Midland Books
Quarry Books
Well House Books

Indiana University Press (US; 1950–present). First-edition identification: Copyright page states later printings; first printings carry the copyright line alone or 'First edition' / a printing line. Modern titles use a number line where '1' = first printing. Midland Books is the paperback line — typically a later issue, not the original first edition. Revised editions are dated and numbered. Imprints and series: Midland Books; Quarry Books; Well House Books. Background: Midland Books paperbacks reissue cloth first editions — confirm whether a paperback is the true first appearance or a reprint. Standard academic later-printing-noted convention for older books.


Inner Traditions International — first-edition identification

Bear & Company
Destiny Books
Park Street Press
Healing Arts Press
Bindu Books
Bear Cub Books
Inner Traditions en Espanol

Inner Traditions International (US (Rochester, Vermont); 1975-present (Bear & Company joined Inner Traditions in 2000)). First-edition identification: First printings carry a descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing. Inner Traditions publishes many translations of European esoteric and alchemical works, so a copy may show both the original-language copyright and the English first-printing year; date the English first edition by its own line, not the original foreign edition. Some reissued or translated titles state 'First U.S. edition' or a similar named-edition note. Imprints and series: Bear & Company; Destiny Books; Park Street Press; Healing Arts Press; Bindu Books; Bear Cub Books; Inner Traditions en Espanol. Background: Major publisher of esoteric, Hermetic and alchemical, indigenous-wisdom, holistic-health, and sacred-sexuality titles; founded in 1975 in New York City and based in Rochester, Vermont. Absorbed Bear & Company in 2000 - Bear had been founded in the early 1980s in Santa Fe, New Mexico (locally relevant) and used its own pre-merger copyright conventions, so older Bear & Company titles may not follow the Inner Traditions number line. Multiple subject imprints (Destiny Books for popular occult, Park Street Press for psychology and ecology, Healing Arts Press for alternative medicine) share the same descending number-line convention. Because many first English editions are translations of older European works, the buyer should distinguish the original foreign edition from the Inner Traditions first English printing.


Insight Guides (APA Publications) — first-edition identification

Insight Guides
Insight Pocket Guides
Insight Compact Guides
Insight FlexiMap

Insight Guides (APA Publications) (Singapore (APA Productions / APA Publications, founded 1970); later Langenscheidt and subsequent owners; 1970-present). First-edition identification: Identify by edition statement plus copyright-page printing year; revised editions list multiple update years, so a first printing shows only the original edition's single year. 1970-1980s: founded by Hans Hoefer (Hans Johannes Hofer); 'Guide to Bali' (1970) is the landmark first, establishing the photo-led format. Early printings carry the 'APA Productions' / 'APA Publications' imprint and a single copyright year. 1990s-2000s: Houghton Mifflin (US) and Langenscheidt distribution; the copyright page gives an edition statement and 'Updated' years, and a first printing lacks the update list. 2010s-present: APA Publications under later ownership; conventional copyright-page dating with edition and reprint years. Imprints and series: Insight Guides; Insight Pocket Guides; Insight Compact Guides; Insight FlexiMap. Background: Hans Hoefer's 'Guide to Bali' (1970) is the foundational first and pioneered the heavily photographed guidebook format. The photo-led format distinguishes Insight; the 'APA' imprint marks the Singapore origin. Revised-edition 'Updated' year lists are the key tell — a first printing has none. Became the parent of Rough Guides in 2017.


InterVarsity Press (IVP) — first-edition identification

IVP Academic
IVP Books
Formatio
IVP Praxis
Bible Speaks Today (series)

InterVarsity Press (IVP) (US IVP (Westmont, Illinois; long based in Downers Grove, Illinois); separate UK house Inter-Varsity Press (now under SPCK, London); US IVP founded 1947 (book program); UK Inter-Varsity Press has older roots in the IVF/UCCF movement). First-edition identification: US IVP first printings typically carry a descending number line on the copyright page ending in '1'; the lowest digit indicates the printing. Many IVP copyright pages pair a descending printing line with a descending year line, so a first printing shows both the lowest printing digit and the earliest year still present; later printings drop the lowest printing digits and the earliest years. Some earlier or simpler titles give only a copyright year with no printing line, in which case a first printing is inferred from the absence of any reprint notice. Imprints and series: IVP Academic; IVP Books; Formatio; IVP Praxis; Bible Speaks Today (series). Background: US IVP and the UK's Inter-Varsity Press are legally distinct publishers that frequently co-publish or share text; a US copy and a UK copy of the same book are different editions with different copyright pages, so check the imprint city to know which house's convention applies. The UK Inter-Varsity Press was formerly the publishing wing of UCCF (Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship) but was divested in 2005, with its assets transferred to SPCK, which continues the imprint; UK titles tend to state 'First published' with a year and sometimes a 'Reprinted' list rather than a number line. IVP Academic (scholarly) and IVP Books (trade) both use the US number-line system.


Interweave Press — first-edition identification

Interweave Press (Loveland, Colorado, USA; 1975-present). First-edition identification: 1975-2005 (independent, Loveland CO; founded by Linda Ligon): Fiber-arts specialist (weaving, spinning, knitting, beadwork). First printing is identified by the earliest copyright year, usually with a descending number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on book titles, the lowest digit giving the printing. Many titles grow out of the Handwoven, Spin-Off and Interweave Knits magazines. 2005-2019 (Aspire Media, then F+W Media ownership): Aspire Media acquired Interweave in 2005, and F+W Media acquired it in August 2012. The number-line convention continues, and copyright pages begin referencing F+W; Interweave became F+W's flagship fiber and craft imprint. 2019-present (F+W bankruptcy; Penguin Random House acquired F+W's book assets June 2019): F+W filed Chapter 11 on 10 March 2019, and PRH won the book publishing assets at the June 2019 auction. Recent printings follow the new owner's conventions, while older F+W-era stock remains in distribution; note the magazine and fiber-arts properties dispersed separately (Long Thread Media took several fiber titles). Imprints and series: Interweave; Interweave Press; Interweave Knits / Spin-Off / Handwoven (magazine-derived books). Background: Founded 1975 by Linda Ligon as a weaving and fiber-arts publisher in Loveland, Colorado. Ownership chain: independent -> Aspire Media (2005) -> F+W Media (2012) -> F+W bankruptcy 2019 -> book assets to Penguin Random House; some magazine/fiber properties went elsewhere (Long Thread Media). Authoritative on handweaving, spinning, knitting and beadwork; many titles tie to its magazines. The F+W Chapter 11 (10 March 2019) is the key provenance break; post-2019 reprints carry different ownership.


Iowa State University Press — first-edition identification

Iowa State College Press
Iowa State University Press

Iowa State University Press (Ames, Iowa; 1934–2000 (independent); ISU Press brand to c.2007). First-edition identification: 1934–c.1959 (Iowa State College Press, before the college became a university in 1959): No first-printing statement; later printings/editions noted on the copyright page; a first printing shows matching title/copyright dates with no later-printing line. 1959–c.1975 (Iowa State University Press): Same convention; printing-history lists or 'Second printing' lines added on reprints. c.1975–2000: Number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing; Library of Congress CIP block standard. Post-2000: The press merged into Blackwell Science (2000) and later Wiley (2007); titles after the merger carry the ISU Press imprint but were not produced in Ames — identify those by Blackwell/Wiley number-line conventions. Imprints and series: Iowa State College Press; Iowa State University Press. Background: Imprint name tracks the institution: 'Iowa State College Press' before 1959, 'Iowa State University Press' after — a quick dating tell. Renowned for veterinary medicine, agriculture, and animal-science titles, its core list. Ceased as an independent press: merged with Blackwell (2000) and absorbed into Wiley (2007); the 'Iowa State Press' branding lingered briefly post-merger (renamed Blackwell Publishing Professional in 2004). Distinct from the University of Iowa Press in Iowa City — do not conflate the two Iowa presses.


Ives Washburn — first-edition identification

Ives Washburn (New York, USA; c.1926-1968). First-edition identification: c.1926-1968 (independent Ives Washburn): First editions generally carry no printed first-edition statement. Identify a first by the absence of any later-printing or reprint notice and by matching single dates on the title page and copyright page. 1968 onward (after acquisition by David McKay): Titles appear under a joint 'David McKay Company, Inc. / Ives Washburn, Inc.' imprint and follow McKay practice, where later printings are noted, so absence of a later-printing notice indicates a first; some titles of this period also carry a descending number line, in which the presence of '1' as the lowest digit indicates a first printing. Imprints and series: Ives Washburn; Ives Washburn, Inc.; David McKay Company, Inc. / Ives Washburn, Inc. (joint imprint, 1968 onward). Background: A small New York trade house active from the mid-1920s, best known for children's books, with some sports and general non-fiction. Acquired by the David McKay Company in 1968, after which its titles appeared under a joint McKay / Ives Washburn imprint into the 1970s before the Ives Washburn name faded. Records are sparse for the independent era, so confirm firsts by bibliographic points and date-matching rather than by any printed statement.


J. B. Lippincott Company — first-edition identification

J. B. Lippincott Company (US; 1836-1978). First-edition identification: From ~1925: printed 'First Edition' on the copyright page of books deemed important; novels and children's books often NOT so marked. Reliably indicated later printings ('Second Printing', 'Third Printing', etc.), so absence of a later-printing notice is a key signal for the unmarked titles. Mid-1970s: added a descending number line; presence of '1' = first printing. Imprints and series: Lippincott; Keystone Books. Background: Because 'First Edition' was applied selectively, the absence of that statement does NOT mean a copy is a reprint — check for the absence of any 'Nth Printing' notice instead. Publisher of Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (1960): the famous first has 'First Edition' on the copyright page and the Lippincott colophon; jacket points (Truman Capote blurb, printed price) matter for that title.