A-R Editions — first-edition identification

Recent Researches in Music (series)
Computer Music and Digital Audio Series
A-R Editions

A-R Editions (USA (Madison, WI; later Middleton, WI); 1962-present). First-edition identification: 1962-present (scholarly music-edition house): Publishes critical/scholarly editions of music (the 'Recent Researches in Music' series, begun 1964) and musicology. Identify by the series volume number and the critical-edition apparatus; the original issue is stated by the copyright year on the verso. Printings of a given critical edition are rarely distinguished, so the series volume number plus copyright year is the working identifier. All eras: A first issue carries the original copyright year with no 'corrected/second printing' note; corrected reissues add such a note. There is no consumer-style number line; this is a scholarly-edition house. Imprints and series: Recent Researches in Music (series); Computer Music and Digital Audio Series; A-R Editions. Background: Specialist publisher of scholarly critical editions of music, founded 1962 at Yale by Gary Aamodt and Clyde Rykken (the 'A' and 'R'); moved from Madison to Middleton, Wisconsin in the 1990s. The flagship 'Recent Researches in Music' series (Renaissance, Baroque, and other periods) began in 1964 and is identified by series volume number, not a trade number line. Significant for academic music collecting; printings are seldom distinguished.

New Mexico Literacy Project (newmexicoliteracyproject.org)


A. Roman & Co. — first-edition identification

A. Roman & Co. (San Francisco, California (West US); c.1857–c.1875). First-edition identification: c.1857–c.1875: pioneer San Francisco bookseller-publisher of California/Western literature; first editions carry the 'A. Roman & Co., San Francisco' imprint and a dated title page. No first-edition statement and no number line — identify by imprint and the absence of a later-printing notice. Publisher of the early Overland Monthly (founded 1868, edited by Bret Harte); the magazine bore the 'A. Roman & Company, San Francisco' imprint during Roman's ownership through June 1869. For periodical-origin works confirm the issue by the dated imprint and binding/wrapper state. Eastern co-imprints (New York) sometimes appear on the same title — the San Francisco imprint state is the Western first issue. Imprints and series: A. Roman & Co.; Anton Roman. Background: Anton Roman (1828–1903), a Gold Rush–era bookseller, was a key early West Coast publisher and founded the Overland Monthly that launched Bret Harte; he sold the magazine to John Carmany in 1869. Foundational for California/Western Americana first editions; standard 19th-century imprint/date identification applies.


A. S. Barnes & Company — first-edition identification

A. S. Barnes & Company (New York, NY (USA); earliest activity Hartford, CT and Philadelphia, PA; c.1838-late 20th century (A. S. Barnes & Co. in New York from 1865)). First-edition identification: 19th century through mid-20th century: designation of later printings was erratic. A first printing is identified either by the line 'First American Edition (year)' on the copyright page when present, or, when no such line appears, by the same date appearing on the title page as on the copyright page with no additional printings listed. Absence of any later-printing notice combined with date agreement is the working test. Later 20th century: the firm noted later printings on the copyright page more consistently, so a copyright page with no later-printing entries indicates a first printing; number lines appear on more recent titles, with the lowest digit present indicating the printing. Imprints and series: A. S. Barnes & Co.; A. S. Barnes & Burr (partnership, c.1857-1865); Barnes (educational/textbook lists, e.g. National Series). Background: Alfred Smith Barnes learned the trade under D. F. Robinson & Co. in Hartford, CT, publishing educational titles (Davies's mathematics, Emma Willard's histories), moved to Philadelphia about 1840, and the firm was established as A. S. Barnes & Co. in New York City in 1865. A leading 19th-century American textbook and educational publisher, known for the National Series of readers and science texts, Davies's arithmetics, and Steele's 'Fourteen Weeks' science series. When present, the 'First American Edition (year)' line on the copyright page is the clearest tell; otherwise rely on title-page and copyright-date agreement with no later-printing notice. Distinguish the 19th-century textbook house from the mid-20th-century A. S. Barnes & Co. trade and sports-book publisher operating under the continued name; the company name and back catalog passed to John Barnes Pratt after a 1917-era split.


A.C. McClurg & Co. — first-edition identification

A.C. McClurg & Co. (Chicago, Illinois (Midwest US); 1844-c.1930s (publishing imprint c.1872-1930s)). First-edition identification: 1872-1886 (as Jansen, McClurg & Co.): first editions carry the Jansen, McClurg & Co. imprint on the title page with no 'First Edition' statement; identify by the dated title page and absence of any later-printing notice. 1886-1899: imprint reads 'A.C. McClurg and Co.' with no first-edition statement; a first printing is identified by the title-page date matching the copyright date and absence of any later-impression notation. Many titles were printed for McClurg by W. F. Hall Printing or the Lakeside Press (R. R. Donnelley), Chicago. 1900-1930s: continued reliance on the dated title page; later printings often added 'Published (month, year)' impression lines on the copyright page, so absence of such later dates indicates a first printing. For key titles, especially Edgar Rice Burroughs, first state is determined by binding and printer's-imprint points rather than any printed statement. Tarzan of the Apes (1914): the true first edition, first state, has the W. F. Hall Printing Co. printer's imprint set in two lines of Old English (black-letter) type on the copyright page, and the first-state binding lacks the acorn device at the foot of the spine (the acorn appears on a later binding state). About 10,000 first-edition copies were produced across three states. Imprints and series: A.C. McClurg & Co.; Jansen, McClurg & Co. (predecessor, 1872-1886). Background: Began in 1844 as a Chicago retail bookstore and stationer; the publishing arm grew from Jansen, McClurg & Co. (1872) into A.C. McClurg & Co. (1886). Original book publisher of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan and Barsoom novels, the firm's most collected output. Burroughs first editions are identified by binding state and the Old-English printer's imprint, not by any 'First Edition' wording. The trade, wholesale, and bookselling operations were larger than the publishing line, which wound down by the 1930s.


A.L. Bancroft & Co. / H.H. Bancroft & Co. — first-edition identification

H.H. Bancroft & Co.
A.L. Bancroft & Co.
The History Company (successor)

A.L. Bancroft & Co. / H.H. Bancroft & Co. (San Francisco, California (West US); 1856–c.1900). First-edition identification: c.1856–c.1870 (H.H. Bancroft & Co.): West Coast bookseller-publisher founded by Hubert Howe Bancroft; first editions carry the H.H. Bancroft imprint with a dated title page and no first-edition statement. c.1870–1886 (A.L. Bancroft & Co.): after Hubert Howe Bancroft withdrew from management (he resigned active management 1868; his brother Albert Little Bancroft took over and renamed the firm c.1869–1871), this imprint form brackets the period. Bancroft's multivolume Works/Histories of the Pacific States were issued by subscription — identify volumes by stated volume number and dated title page; binding grade is a subscription price variant, not a separate edition. 1886–c.1900 (The History Company): later issues of the Histories carry this successor imprint; copies so imprinted are not the A.L. Bancroft first issue. No first-edition statement; subscription multivolume sets are identified by volume/series state and imprint era. Imprints and series: H.H. Bancroft & Co.; A.L. Bancroft & Co.; The History Company (successor). Background: Hubert Howe Bancroft's San Francisco firm produced the monumental 39-volume subscription-published Works/Histories of the Pacific States of North America, sold through canvassing book agents. The imprint succession (H.H. Bancroft & Co. → A.L. Bancroft & Co. → The History Company) is the dating key; subscription bindings are price variants, not editions. A core house for Western/Pacific Americana.


ABC-CLIO — first-edition identification

ABC-CLIO
Greenwood (post-2008)
Praeger (post-2008)
Libraries Unlimited
Linworth
Clio Press (UK, historical)

ABC-CLIO (United States (Santa Barbara, CA); 1953-present). First-edition identification: 1953-c.1990: Founded 1953 by Eric Boehm as a bibliographic/abstracting and reference house (the abstract serial America: History and Life dates to the 1960s). Reference works and bibliographies are identified by EDITION statement and copyright year; a first printing is indicated by the absence of any later-printing notice. Serial and abstract volumes are identified by volume number. c.1990-present: Where a number line appears on the copyright page, the lowest digit indicates the printing. For its core encyclopedias and reference sets the meaningful unit is the edition statement plus copyright year, not first-printing points; the first-printing collecting premium is minimal because this is a library reference market. Post-2008: Acquired the Greenwood Publishing Group from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2008), gaining the Greenwood, Praeger, and Libraries Unlimited imprints; corporate copyright-page style was then applied across those lines. ABC-CLIO was itself later acquired by Bloomsbury. Imprints and series: ABC-CLIO; Greenwood (post-2008); Praeger (post-2008); Libraries Unlimited; Linworth; Clio Press (UK, historical). Background: Name derives from the firm's databases (ABC = American Bibliographical Center) and Clio, the muse of history. Pure reference and library house; value lies in content currency and edition, not first-edition points. Became parent of the Greenwood and Praeger imprints in 2008.


Abingdon Press — first-edition identification

Abingdon Press
Dimensions for Living
formerly Abingdon-Cokesbury Press
formerly The Methodist Book Concern

Abingdon Press (Nashville, Tennessee, USA (formerly New York); 1789-present). First-edition identification: The Methodist Book Concern (founded 1789) and early Abingdon (imprint from the early 1900s): in the 19th and early 20th centuries no number line; identify firsts by copyright year and the absence of a reprint notice; some titles state an edition. The Methodist Book Concern imprint dates a book before about 1939. Abingdon-Cokesbury Press (1940-1954): the merged imprint name brackets this era; copyright year plus the absence of a reprint notice indicates a first printing, though printing statements are inconsistent. Abingdon Press (1954-present), mid-20th century onward: explicit printing and edition statements appear; later printings are noted by an added printing line or year. 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. Major reference sets (The Interpreter's Bible, The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, The New Interpreter's Bible) are heavily reprinted, so a first requires a clean impression line; the bookstore/retail brand Cokesbury on a binding may indicate the retail arm rather than the Abingdon imprint. Imprints and series: Abingdon Press; Dimensions for Living; formerly Abingdon-Cokesbury Press; formerly The Methodist Book Concern. Background: Abingdon Press is the book-publishing arm of the United Methodist Publishing House; its lineage traces to The Methodist Book Concern, established by John Dickins in 1789, the oldest church publishing house in the United States. Imprint-name chronology is a strong era tell: Methodist Book Concern (to about 1939), then Abingdon-Cokesbury Press (1940-1954, after the 1939 reunification of the northern and southern Methodist churches), then Abingdon Press (1954-present). It publishes major reference sets (The Interpreter's Bible, The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, The New Interpreter's Bible) that are heavily reprinted, so firsts require a clean impression line. The retail arm is Cokesbury; the Cokesbury name on a binding may indicate the bookstore/retail brand rather than the Abingdon imprint.


Abrams Books for Young Readers / Amulet Books — first-edition identification

Amulet Books
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Abrams Appleseed (board/picture)
Abrams ComicArts (graphic, crossover)
Abrams Fanfare
Cameron Kids (Cameron + Company)
Magic Cat (distributed)

Abrams Books for Young Readers / Amulet Books (US; Abrams 1949–present; Amulet 2004–present). First-edition identification: First printing: number line ending in 1 on the copyright page (lowest digit present = the printing) Many Abrams children's titles also state 'First edition [year]' on the copyright page Amulet typically prints a '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' number line; presence of the 1 indicates first printing Imprints and series: Amulet Books; Abrams Books for Young Readers; Abrams Appleseed (board/picture); Abrams ComicArts (graphic, crossover); Abrams Fanfare; Cameron Kids (Cameron + Company); Magic Cat (distributed). Background: Harry N. Abrams is an art-book house (founded 1949); Amulet (launched 2004) is its middle-grade/YA fiction imprint Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Amulet, 2007) is the marquee collected title; true firsts are identified by the full number line down to 1, with later printings raising the lowest digit and adding bestseller/award flags to the jacket Modern number-line convention is reliable for this house


Abstract Studio — first-edition identification

Abstract Studio (USA (Houston, TX); 1994-present). First-edition identification: Creator-owned publisher (Terry Moore): on Abstract Studio's own floppy issues, the first printing carries no printing statement in the indicia; later printings are explicitly marked (for example, the second printing states 'SECOND PRINTING'). Collected trade paperbacks and 'pocket book' editions: the copyright/indicia page states the printing and year; a first printing carries no later-printing statement. Because runs are small and self-distributed, many issues and collections were reprinted; the indicia printing statement, or its absence, is the key tell. Background: Founded around 1994 by Terry Moore to self-publish 'Strangers in Paradise' (the Abstract Studio volume two run, 1994-1996); later published 'Echo', 'Rachel Rising', 'Motor Girl', 'Five Years', and 'Parker Girls'. Correction: the original 1993 three-issue 'Strangers in Paradise' miniseries (volume one) was published by Antarctic Press, NOT Abstract Studio. Abstract Studio did not exist in 1993. The first Antarctic Press printing of issue #1 carries no printing statement and lists a print run of 3,000; the second printing states 'SECOND PRINTING'. Do not attribute the 1993 first printing to Abstract Studio. Single-creator house with no sub-imprints; all Abstract Studio material carries the Abstract Studio indicia, and printing is determined by the indicia statement or its absence.


Ace Books — first-edition identification

Ace Books (US; 1952–present). First-edition identification: Primary method (pre-1968): a first printing carries NO printing statement and NO later-printing line on the copyright page. Ace applied this inconsistently, so treat the absence of a printing notice as suggestive, not conclusive. Use the Ace serial/catalog number (letter-prefixed code, e.g. 'D-xxx', 'F-xxx', 'G-xxx', or post-1968 five-digit numeric like '12345') printed on cover/spine to date and place the edition. The LETTER prefix primarily encodes the cover PRICE and era (D=35c 1952-62, S=25c 1952-56, F=40c 1961-67, G=50c, M=45c, H=60c, A=75c, N=95c 1968), not strictly the printing order. Reprints were frequently reissued under a new/changed serial number at a higher price, so a higher price or changed prefix for the same title signals a later state. Caution on 'First Ace printing' / '1st Ace printing' wording: per Ace reference sources this phrase means the first time ACE published the title and IMPLIES a prior hardback or paperback edition exists elsewhere -- it is NOT evidence of a first edition of the work. Do not treat it as a true-first tell. Price increases on later printings of the same/related serial number are a reliable later-STATE indicator. There is no well-documented, consistent Ace convention of an explicit 'First Ace printing: <Month Year>' statement followed by a standard number line with '1' present; do not rely on a number line as the primary Ace first-printing test. Imprints and series: Ace; Ace Doubles (back-to-back 'tête-bêche' format); Ace Science Fiction Specials. Background: Founded 1952 by A. A. Wyn (Ace Magazine Company, New York); Donald A. Wollheim spearheaded the paperback list, added SF in 1953, and was the influential editor (~1952-1971) before founding DAW Books with Elsie Wollheim (named for his initials; first titles April 1972). Ace Doubles (1952-1973) bind two novels tete-beche (head-to-toe) with two front covers; first-printing identification keys on the serial number and price rather than a printing statement. The final D-series double appeared Aug 1973; post-1974 'Ace Doubles' were arranged conventionally. Ace Science Fiction Specials -- the acclaimed Terry Carr-edited first series (started 1967, into the early 1970s) -- are sought as paperback firsts (Le Guin, Lafferty, Russ). A second Specials series (1984) carried debut firsts such as Gibson's Neuromancer. Pre-1968 mass-market firsts rarely state anything on the copyright page, so the no-later-printing-line rule combined with the serial-number/price (and price-increase) tells is the main practical handle. Now an imprint of Penguin Random House, operating within the Berkley Publishing Group as its SF imprint (Berkley/Ace).


Ace Books (crime / mystery) — first-edition identification

Ace Double (tête-bêche)
Ace Books (singles)
Ace mystery D-series
Ace G/S/F/K letter-price series

Ace Books (crime / mystery) (USA (New York, NY — A. A. Wyn / Ace Magazines); 1952-present (crime doubles c.1952-c.1973)). First-edition identification: 1952-c.1968 (D-series Ace Doubles, mystery): two novels bound tête-bêche (back-to-back, dos-à-dos) under a single D-prefix catalog number; the mystery doubles begin at D-1 (Keith Vining's Too Hot for Hell backed with Samuel W. Taylor's The Grinning Gismo, 35 cents, 1952). The D-number identifies the pairing. A first printing is identified by NO additional printing being listed on the copyright page — Ace's standard paperback first-edition convention, which the house applied INCONSISTENTLY (some firsts carry no statement and some reprints are also unmarked). Letter-price prefix logic: the D, G, S, F and K prefixes correspond to price points and bracket the issue era (the D-series is earliest, from 1952). Many Ace crime titles are reprints; the Double format frequently pairs a reprint with an original. Paperback originals versus reprints: where one half of a Double is an original, the Ace edition is that text's first; a copyright page lacking a prior-publisher acknowledgment confirms it. From about 1968-1973 onward, Ace moved toward standard number-line identification (first printing = lowest digit present). Note that the D and S prefixes denote price, not Double versus Single — some D-series titles are not tête-bêche. Reliability caveat: because Ace used the 'no additional printings listed' method inconsistently, corroborate firsts with catalog-number date ranges (e.g., the published Ace D/G/S checklists and Wikipedia Ace-double lists) rather than the copyright page alone. Imprints and series: Ace Double (tête-bêche); Ace Books (singles); Ace mystery D-series; Ace G/S/F/K letter-price series. Background: Founded 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn; first editor Donald A. Wollheim (later of DAW). The tête-bêche 'Ace Double' is the line's signature — two complete novels, two front covers, no conventional back cover. The mystery D-series (from D-1, 1952) predates the famous SF doubles; both are prized by collectors. First-printing identification is among the weakest of the major houses because the no-statement method was used inconsistently — lean on catalog-number checklists. Distinct from later Ace under Charter/Berkley/Grosset (1970s onward), which used number lines. The D/S prefixes indicate price, not Double versus Single; not every D-series title is tête-bêche.


Action Books — first-edition identification

Action Books (USA (Notre Dame, Indiana); 2005–present). First-edition identification: Number line on the copyright page where present; the lowest digit indicates the printing. May state 'First Edition' with the year; many small-run titles carry no number line at all. Check the copyright leaf for any later-printing statement; its absence supports a first printing. Background: Founded in 2005 by Joyelle McSweeney and Johannes Göransson to publish work — including Aase Berg and Lara Glenum — that journals embraced but trade houses found too extreme. Specializes in international poetry in translation and the transnational avant-garde. Housed at the University of Notre Dame English Department; small runs, with reprints uncommon.


Adam and Charles Black — first-edition identification

A. & C. Black
A & C Black
Adam & Charles Black
Adam and Charles Black
A. and C. Black
A. & C. Black, Ltd.

Adam and Charles Black (UK (Edinburgh / London); founded 1807 (Edinburgh); collectible literary firsts c.1902–1915 (the Wodehouse titles)). First-edition identification: No 'First Edition' statement and no printer's number line: like nearly all British houses of its era, Adam & Charles Black did not print a 'First Edition' notice or a number line in its collectible literary firsts (the early Wodehouse school stories). Do not expect a stated edition or a line ending in 1 — the descending number line is a much later, largely American practice this house did not use in that period. Identify by the title-page date, first-issue ad/binding points, and (for Wodehouse) the standard McIlvaine points instead. Rely on the title-page year and a clean copyright verso: a first printing carries the year of publication on the title page (e.g. 1903 for 'A Prefect's Uncle', 1909 for 'Mike') with no later date and no printing/reprint notice on the verso. But the date alone is NOT sufficient — later issues can share the same title-page date, so the date must be corroborated by the title-specific ad and binding points below. Confirm the title-page imprint form and device: firsts of this period read 'London: Adam and Charles Black' (or 'A. & C. Black') at the foot of the title page, generally with the publisher's device. On some titles the imprint/device state is diagnostic — the 1904 'William Tell Told Again' first issue has title in red and black with the device in red and NO publisher's address on the title page. Check first-issue advertisement points, which are title-specific and bibliographically defined. 'A Prefect's Uncle' (1903) first issue: advertisement for 'The Pothunters' on the verso of the half-title, 1903 date on the title, and NO further advertisements (a later issue adds 8 pages of 'Beautiful Books for Boys and Girls' ads at the rear; a variant with 8 pages of terminal ads is unrecorded by McIlvaine). 'Mike. A Public School Story' (1909) first issue: NO advertisements and NO date on the title verso. Verify the first-state binding/cloth exactly as bibliographically described, since later issues appear in altered cloth. 'A Prefect's Uncle' first: pictorial RED cloth printed in blue, black and cream, spine titled gilt, with a frontispiece and 7 plates by R. Noel Pocock. 'Mike' first: publisher's GREEN cloth with a cricket scene in white, black and red to cover and spine, spine title gilt, half-title, frontispiece and 11 plates by T. M. R. Whitwell. Reprints/prize issues in different cloth or lettering are not the first issue even when the title-page date matches. Treat the 'Ltd' form and an added address as reprint flags: the firm later imprints read 'A. & C. Black Ltd' (e.g. the 1924 reprint of 'Psmith, Journalist' in Black's Novel Library, blue cloth with black lettering). An undated title page, a publisher's address added to the imprint, or the 'Ltd' form generally signals a later printing, not the first. Anchor any Wodehouse attribution to Eileen McIlvaine's 'P. G. Wodehouse: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Checklist' — the trade standard, cited by dealers as e.g. McIlvaine A2a for 'A Prefect's Uncle' — supplemented by David A. Jasen's Wodehouse bibliography. For general British-house practice (no stated edition / no number line), Zempel & Verkler, 'First Editions: A Guide to Identification.' Imprints and series: A. & C. Black; A & C Black; Adam & Charles Black; Adam and Charles Black; A. and C. Black; A. & C. Black, Ltd.. Background: School-prize and reprint traps: many A&C Black boys' school stories survive as later issues, prize bindings, or reprints. The presence/absence of the specific ad leaves and the exact first-state cloth — not the title-page date alone — decide first-issue status, so match the McIlvaine points precisely. The undated-reprint problem: A&C Black reprints frequently drop the title-page date and add the publisher's address. Absence of a date is a reprint signal here, not an 'early' one — do not assume 'no date = first.' Imprint drift over time: forms range from 'Adam and Charles Black' and 'A. & C. Black' (earlier) to 'A. & C. Black, Ltd.' (later, e.g. 1924 reprints). The 'Ltd.' form points to a later printing. This is a very long-running, high-volume house best known for non-literary output (Who's Who, the Encyclopaedia Britannica 7th–9th editions to 1903, and Black's colour-plate travel guides). The collector-driven firsts are chiefly the early P. G. Wodehouse titles (1902–1915), which is where rigorous point-checking matters most; most other Black output is not point-sensitive in the same way.


Addison-Wesley (technical/STM) — first-edition identification

Addison-Wesley (technical/STM) (United States (Reading, MA / Boston); 1942-present). First-edition identification: 1942-c.1970: Founded 1942 (first title was Francis Weston Sears' 'Mechanics'); mathematics, physics, and computer-science textbooks and monographs. Early titles are identified by edition statement, with a first printing indicated by the absence of a later-printing notice; revised texts carry an edition statement. c.1970-present: A number line on the copyright page is the standard printing indicator (lowest digit = printing). Addison-Wesley Professional computing classics are identified by edition number together with the number line. Imprints and series: Addison-Wesley; Addison-Wesley Professional; Benjamin Cummings (sister science imprint); Pearson (current owner). Background: Donald Knuth's 'The Art of Computer Programming' (Vol. 1, 1968) and many foundational computer-science texts make Addison-Wesley a key STM-collecting house; printing is read from the number line. Now part of Pearson. Sister imprint Benjamin Cummings handled life-sciences and physiology textbooks.


AdHouse Books — first-edition identification

AdHouse Books (USA (Richmond, Virginia; founded 2002, largely wound down around 2020 with backlist out of print); 2002-around 2020). First-edition identification: 2002 to around 2020: design-forward small-press graphic-novel and art-book first printings are identified by the indicia or colophon printing statement, with a first printing stating an original date or 'First printing' and the uncommon reprints stating a later printing. Some titles carry a number line ending in 1. Many AdHouse titles (the Project: anthology series, Paul Pope's PulpHope art book, Scott Morse, and Afrodisiac by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca) had single small print runs, so most surviving copies are first printings; still, a few popular titles were reprinted, so verify the colophon. Limited and signed editions and convention exclusives state their limitation separately from the printing line. Imprints and series: AdHouse Books. Background: Run by designer Chris Pitzer; known for high production values and curated anthologies such as the 'Project:' series. Small print runs mean first-printing scarcity is driven mainly by run size rather than by multiple printings. Largely wound down publishing around 2020, with the backlist out of print and collectible; the imprint has still appeared at conventions afterward. Afrodisiac (2010, Eisner-nominated) and Paul Pope's PulpHope are notable design-collectible titles.


Akashic Books (Noir Series) — first-edition identification

Akashic Books (Noir Series) (US; 1996-present). First-edition identification: Modern copyright-page number line ending in '1' for the first printing; usually a 'First printing' / 'First edition' statement as well. Many Noir Series titles are trade-paperback originals — the paperback is the first edition; a few have hardcover library states with their own line. Series identification by the '[City] Noir' title and Akashic colophon. Imprints and series: Akashic Books; Akashic Noir Series (city-based crime anthologies). Background: Founded 1996 (Johnny Temple); the Noir Series (Brooklyn Noir, etc.) are original anthologies — first BOOK appearance of the stories, so genuinely collectible firsts. Trade paperback original status means there is no earlier hardcover to chase. Some popular titles reprinted quickly — confirm the full number line ending in '1'.


Albert & Charles Boni — first-edition identification

Albert & Charles Boni (New York, USA; 1923–c.1939). First-edition identification: 1923–1930s: No statement of edition on the copyright page of first printings; subsequent printings ARE noted, so the absence of a later-printing notice indicates the first printing. Title-page year usually present; a title-page year matching the copyright-page year with no added printing line supports a first printing. (Confirmed example: Thornton Wilder's 'The Bridge of San Luis Rey,' 1927 — the first printing shows 1927 on both title and copyright pages with no other printings listed.) Imprints and series: Paper Books; Bonibooks (reprint series). Background: A separate, later firm (founded 1923, by purchasing and renaming Lieber & Lewis) run by Albert Boni — co-founder of the earlier Boni & Liveright — with his brother Charles; not to be confused with Boni & Liveright. In 1926 the Boni brothers purchased the business of their uncle, Thomas Seltzer, Inc., absorbing its list (including D. H. Lawrence titles). Albert Boni had earlier co-founded the Washington Square Players and the Little Leather Library, and later co-developed microfilm work (Readex). Published Thornton Wilder's 'The Bridge of San Luis Rey' (1927), which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928. Later issued the Paper Books / Bonibooks paperback series (c.1929–1943), an early American paperback venture.


Aleph Book Company — first-edition identification

Aleph Book Company (India (New Delhi); 2011-present). First-edition identification: Copyright page reads 'First published in India in [year] by Aleph Book Company' (sharing the Rupa address, 7/16 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi). A first printing is typically stated as 'First edition' or 'First impression [year]' with no later-impression notice; later impressions add impression lines. Some titles also carry a descending number line; the digit 1 present indicates the first printing. Background: Founded May 2011 by David Davidar in partnership with R. K. Mehra and Kapish Mehra of Rupa Publications India. Publishes literary fiction and high-quality non-fiction (history, biography); authors have been shortlisted for or won the Booker, JCB, Sahitya Akademi, and other prizes, with smaller curated print runs. Copyright-page form follows the Rupa house style given the shared parent and address.


Alfred A. Knopf — first-edition identification

Alfred A. Knopf (USA (New York); 1915–present). First-edition identification: 1915–c.1933 (no stated-edition era): first printings carry NO first-edition notation at all. Identify by EXCLUSION — a genuine first has none of the later-printing legends ('Second Printing,' 'Third Printing,' etc.) that Knopf listed on the copyright page for every printing AFTER the first. Some titles instead read only 'Published (Month Year),' with any reprint dated on a line below; absence of any reprint line, matched to the true publication date, indicates the first. c.1933/1934 onward (stated 'First Edition' era — the core rule): Knopf began consistently printing 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page of first printings, or 'FIRST AMERICAN EDITION' when the book had already appeared abroad. Per Quill & Brush and IOBA, Knopf has used this method with unusual consistency ever since — 'has not changed its identification methods' across nine house statements. This stated line is the primary marker; the Borzoi device and the 'A Note on the Type' colophon merely confirm genuine Knopf manufacture, not first-printing status. (Consensus adoption is 1933–1934; a minority of house-history summaries cite ~1947 — treat 1933–1934 as primary, ~1947 as an alternate boundary for that transitional window.) IMPORTANT — there is NO separate 'First Printing' era: two authoritative references (IOBA, Quill & Brush) state explicitly that Knopf did NOT adopt a 'First Printing' statement the way some houses did. Do not look for or rely on the word 'First Printing' as a Knopf first-edition marker; the operative words are 'First Edition' (or 'First American Edition'). c.1970s onward (number-line era, added ALONGSIDE the words — it did not replace them): later Knopf firsts also carry a descending numeric printer's key (often with a manufacturing/printer code). A first printing shows the digit '1' PRESENT in the line — the lowest number present is the printing number. Note Knopf did NOT drop the 'First Edition' wording; on modern trade books you should see BOTH the words 'First Edition' AND a number line that still contains the '1'. Belt-and-suspenders authentication (modern books): the safest read is that the two signals AGREE — a stated 'First Edition' line AND a number line still containing the '1'. If the words say 'First Edition' but the lowest number is 2 or higher, it is a later printing that failed to strip the statement; trust the number line. Contrast with sibling Random House to avoid a classic mix-up: a Knopf first has the '1' IN the number line. Random House historically paired 'First Edition' with a line whose LOWEST number was '2' (e.g.,...98765432) — but only until about 2003, after which Random House switched to the standard industry '1'. So the 'ends-in-2' rule is a Random House quirk (pre-~2003), NOT Knopf's; a Knopf first always keeps the '1.' House device (all eras): the Borzoi — a running Russian wolfhound — trademarked with the 'Borzoi Books' brand in 1922, with the well-known colophon associated with Blanche Knopf in 1925 (and redrawn by later designers, e.g., a 1930s T. M. Cleland version). It appears on essentially EVERY Knopf trade book (title page, spine foot, and commonly BLIND-STAMPED at the tail of the rear board). It is a maker's mark for the whole house — NOT a first-edition point and NOT a book-club tell. Rear-matter tell (all eras): a genuine Knopf usually carries an 'A Note on the Type' / colophon leaf at the back describing the typeface. Its presence confirms authentic Knopf production versus a cheaply reset reprint, but like the Borzoi it does not by itself establish first-printing status — always read it together with the era-appropriate copyright-page evidence. Imprints and series: Borzoi Books (house brand for all Knopf trade output); Vintage Books (sister quality-paperback line, founded 1954); Everyman's Library (US series, revived by Knopf 1991; published under Knopf/Random House); Pantheon, Schocken, Nan A. Talese (sibling imprints within the Knopf Doubleday group). Background: CRITICAL — do not mistake Knopf's own house device for a book-club stamp. Book-club editions are typically given away by a small blind-stamped dot, circle, square, star, or maple leaf debossed at the lower corner of the REAR board, plus a jacket flap with NO printed price, cheaper bulk paper/binding, and sometimes a short vertical alphanumeric string near the rear gutter. BUT Knopf itself blind-stamps its OWN Borzoi colophon on the back board (confirmed on genuine Knopf firsts), so the Borzoi rear-board deboss is NOT evidence of a club edition. Judge club status on the price-less jacket, cheaper materials, and a boxed/vertical club code — never on the presence of the Borzoi. 'First and second printings before publication' (or similar) on the copyright page means the copy is NOT a first printing — the first printing sold out to the trade before the on-sale date, so such copies are SECOND printings despite carrying the publication year. It is a publisher boast, not a first-edition point. There is NO Knopf 'First Printing' statement era — this is a common trap. Sources confirm Knopf used 'First Edition' consistently from ~1934; treat any record claiming a distinct 'First Printing' phase as an error. The stated-'First Edition' start date is the main era-boundary ambiguity: most references (Quill & Brush, IOBA, BooksTellYouWhy) date consistent use to 1933–1934, while some house-history summaries cite ~1947. For a book in the 1933–1947 window, weight the copyright-page evidence and cross-check a bibliography (e.g., Zempel/McBride) for the specific title. The Borzoi ('Borzoi Books') brand covers ALL Knopf trade output rather than a sub-series, so its appearance never narrows down edition or printing — use it only to confirm the book is a genuine Knopf, then apply the era-appropriate copyright-page test.


Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill — first-edition identification

Algonquin Young Readers
Shannon Ravenel Books (editorial line)

Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill (US; 1983–present). First-edition identification: Stated 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' on the copyright page on early printings Full descending number line ending in 1 (e.g., '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); lowest digit present = printing number, so a true first shows the '1' Founded 1983 (Louis Rubin / Shannon Ravenel), Chapel Hill, NC; became a Workman imprint and is now part of Hachette Book Group via Workman — number-line conventions are standard modern American trade Cross-check the stated-edition line against the number line; both should agree for a true first printing Imprints and series: Algonquin Young Readers; Shannon Ravenel Books (editorial line). Background: A confirmed dealer point of reference: Julia Alvarez 'Something to Declare' (1998) first printing carries a full number line Early-1980s titles (pre-Workman distribution maturity) can be scarce; rely on number line plus stated 'First Edition' Book-club editions are uncommon for Algonquin literary titles but watch for absent number line / 'Book Club Edition' on any reprint-house copies Workman/Algonquin did NOT have an idiosyncratic house code; treat as conventional stated-first + number-line


Alice James Books — first-edition identification

Beatrice Hawley Award titles
Kundiman Poetry Prize titles

Alice James Books (US; 1973–present). First-edition identification: Modern convention: 'First Edition' on the copyright page, often with a descending number line; lowest digit present indicates the printing. First shows no later-printing notice. Early cooperative-era titles (1970s) were small-run; verify printing statements individually. Imprints and series: Beatrice Hawley Award titles; Kundiman Poetry Prize titles. Background: Founded 1973 as a poets' cooperative in Cambridge, Massachusetts (named for Alice James, sister of Henry and William James); now affiliated with the University of Maine at Farmington. Cooperative origin means very small early print runs — early firsts are scarce. Standard modern conventions on current list.


Allen & Unwin (Australia) — first-edition identification

Allen & Unwin
A&U Children's
Inspired Living
Crows Nest (location imprint)

Allen & Unwin (Australia) (Australia; 1990-present (Australian independent)). First-edition identification: First printings state "First published [Year]" with the descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); lowest digit = printing Copyright page names 'Allen & Unwin' Australia and shows the original year with no later-impression line First printing = number line ending in 1 + no reprint notation Imprints and series: Allen & Unwin; A&U Children's; Inspired Living; Crows Nest (location imprint). Background: Became fully independent of the UK parent in 1990 — Australia's largest independent trade publisher Leading literary list (Tim Winton among others); follows standard modern number-line convention Distinct corporate entity from George Allen & Unwin UK despite shared heritage


Allen Lane — first-edition identification

Allen Lane (UK (London); 1967–present). First-edition identification: Copyright page states 'First published [year]' / 'First published in Great Britain [year] by Allen Lane'; a first carries no later-impression note. Penguin convention identifies firsts by the 'First published' statement (reprints read 'First Penguin edition' or note a reprint). Penguin-family number line on modern titles; a first printing ends in '1' (e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2', the Penguin odd-up/even-down style). Allen Lane is Penguin's hardcover imprint, so an Allen Lane hardcover can be the true first of a work also issued later in Penguin paperback — do not assume the paperback is the first. Imprints and series: Allen Lane; Allen Lane The Penguin Press; Penguin Press (current serious non-fiction hardcover line). Background: Founded 1967 as Penguin founder Allen Lane's eponymous hardback imprint for serious non-fiction (history, science, politics, economics, philosophy); distinct from the mass-market Penguin paperback line. The original imprint carried the fuller name 'Allen Lane The Penguin Press' on early copyright pages. Modern Allen Lane titles follow Penguin Random House number-line conventions.


Allen Press — first-edition identification

Allen Press (Kentfield, Marin County, California (San Francisco Bay Area), USA; 1939-1985). First-edition identification: 1939-1985: first/only-edition status is established by the COLOPHON limitation statement; there is no 'First Edition' wording and no number line. Editions were small (commonly on the order of 100-140 copies) and hand-set, and the colophon records limitation, date, paper, and types. Early period (Lewis and Dorothy Allen, from 1939): identify by the colophon limitation and the Allen Press device; many titles are on named handmade papers recorded in the colophon. Mature period: the colophon remains controlling and the copy number is frequently hand-numbered; 'The Allen Press Bibliography' is the standard cross-check for points and limitation figures. Because no trade printings exist, every copy is the limited edition described in the colophon. Background: Operated entirely by Lewis and Dorothy Allen on a hand press from 1939; every book is effectively a first edition, as nothing was reprinted. First book (1939) was 'The Trail of Beauty' by Lewis Allen's father, Harris Sterns Allen, in an edition of 100 copies. Inspired by Aldus Manutius, William Morris, John Henry Nash, and the Grabhorns. Watch that the press's own 'Allen Press Bibliography' itself appeared in more than one state/edition.


Alma Books / Alma Classics — first-edition identification

Alma Books / Alma Classics (UK (Richmond, London), fiction and classics in translation; 2005-present). First-edition identification: 2005-present (Alma Books): a first printing is shown by a descending number line with 1 lowest, alongside 'First published by Alma Books Limited in <year>'. Oneworld Classics (launched 2007, a joint venture with Oneworld Publications) was renamed Alma Classics in 2012 after Alma took full control. For these classics and translation reissues the relevant first is the first Oneworld Classics or Alma Classics edition; the original work's date does not govern, and a newly commissioned translation carries its own copyright year. Alma holds the Calder Publications back-list. A Calder title reissued under Alma carries Alma imprint data and is not the original John Calder first printing, so do not conflate the two. Imprints and series: Alma Books; Alma Classics; Calder Publications (acquired); Oneworld Classics (former name of Alma Classics); Overture (music imprint); Herla (poetry). Background: Founded in 2005 by Alessandro Gallenzi and Elisabetta Minervini in Richmond, London. The classics imprint began as Oneworld Classics and was renamed Alma Classics in 2012; this is distinct from the separate company Oneworld Publications. Holds the Calder back-list, so Alma reissues of authors such as Beckett are not the original Calder firsts.


Amadeus Press — first-edition identification

Amadeus Press (US (Portland, Oregon, originally; later New York under Hal Leonard); 1980s-present). First-edition identification: Use the descending number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a '1' indicates a first printing. Classical-music/opera reference and biography; no distinctive prose first-edition statement is documented — rely on the number line. Where no number line is present on early titles, the stated copyright year serves as the principal date, but is weaker evidence of a true first printing. Background: Specialist in classical music, opera, and performance reference; began as an imprint of Timber Press of Portland, Oregon, was acquired by Hal Leonard in 2006, and was sold to Rowman & Littlefield in December 2018. Imprint and distribution data on the copyright page dates the era through those ownership changes. Niche collector demand for opera and composer reference firsts.


American Antiquarian Society — first-edition identification

American Antiquarian Society (Worcester, Massachusetts, USA (learned society, founded 1812); 1812-present). First-edition identification: Society publishing, not trade firsts. Much of its historical output is the 'Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society,' identified by volume and date of the serial (the new series ran from 1880; the Proceedings ceased with volume 118, part 2, in October 2008). Monographs and bibliographies (often co-published with or distributed by university presses): follow standard scholarly practice — a number line where present, otherwise dated single printings. Some titles were issued in stated limited editions (members' editions) — identify by the limitation statement. Historically associated with major American bibliographies: AAS published the final volumes (13-14) of Charles Evans's 'American Bibliography'; such reference works have distinct editions identified by edition statement and year. Imprints and series: American Antiquarian Society; Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society (serial); AAS scholarly monographs and bibliographies. Background: Primary identifier for the journal is serial volume/date (Proceedings, new series from 1880, ceased 2008). Co-published monographs follow the partner press's conventions. Better known as a research library and learned society than as a trade publisher. Limited members' editions exist for some titles; AAS completed Charles Evans's 'American Bibliography' (vols. 13-14, 1955 and 1959).


American Tract Society — first-edition identification

American Tract Society
ATS (New York)
ATS (Boston)

American Tract Society (New York / Boston (US religious publishing); 1825–present (peak 19c)). First-edition identification: 1825–c.1876: a stereotype-driven religious publisher whose tracts and books are largely undated and carry no first-edition statement. 'Identification' is by the assigned tract/series number, the New York vs. Boston imprint, and the stereotype-plate state, not by an edition statement. Undated books and tracts are dated by external evidence (the method documented by the American Antiquarian Society / S.J. Wolfe): the bound-in 'Publications of the American Tract Society' catalog, the form of the imprint and typeface, and the society's changing New York address — for example the shift to the 150 Nassau Street address and the wording/typeface of that imprint line. Premium/gift bindings (gilt, presentation) are binding variants, not separate editions; the same stereotype text was reprinted indefinitely, so a textual 'first printing' is generally not determinable and these are not collected by edition. Annual Reports and periodicals (e.g., the American Messenger) are dated by year on the title page or cover, which serves as the edition. Imprints and series: American Tract Society; ATS (New York); ATS (Boston). Background: Formed 1825 in New York by the merger of the New York Religious Tract Society (1812) and the New England Tract Society (1814, later the American Tract Society of Boston); a massive evangelical stereotype publisher of tracts and devotional books. Stereotype plates produced decades of near-identical reprintings (some tracts in millions of impressions), so textual first printings are usually indeterminate and collectors track imprint city, address, typeface, and catalog state instead. Numbered tract series (each title keeping its series number across reprints) provide the most reliable internal identification system, though the number alone does not date a copy.


Amistad — first-edition identification

Amistad (US (New York); 1986–present). First-edition identification: True first printings follow the standard HarperCollins convention: the words "First Edition" stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1 (e.g., 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). If "First Edition" is stated but the lowest digit in the number line is higher than 1, it is a later printing of the first edition, not a first printing; on many later printings the "First Edition" statement is removed entirely. Imprints and series: Amistad. Background: African-American interest imprint; founded as the independent Amistad Press in 1986 and acquired by HarperCollins in 1999. Now part of HarperCollins's Mariner Books Group following the 2024 U.S. trade reorganization. Oldest imprint devoted to the African-American market; leans toward literary fiction and narrative nonfiction.


Anchor Books — first-edition identification

Anchor Bible (reference)
Anchor/Vintage adjacencies

Anchor Books (US; 1953–present). First-edition identification: States 'First Anchor Books edition (Month Year)' on the copyright page with a descending number line ending in 1. Predominantly a quality trade-paperback REPRINT line — 'first Anchor edition' is usually NOT the first edition of the work. Trace true firsts to the original Doubleday / Nan A. Talese / Knopf hardcover. Line ending in 1 + 'First Anchor Books edition' = first of that paperback printing only. Imprints and series: Anchor Bible (reference); Anchor/Vintage adjacencies. Background: Founded 1953 by Jason Epstein at Doubleday — credited as the pioneering 'quality paperback' (trade paperback) imprint in the US. Now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group within Penguin Random House (paired with Vintage). Confusion point: an Anchor edition is almost always a reprint; do not treat as a true first. Some Anchor titles were originals — verify before assigning first-edition status.


Ancient City Press — first-edition identification

Ancient City Press (southwest). First-edition identification: ISBN prefix 0-941270 Santa Fe, New Mexico imprint/address Stated “First edition” or negative-evidence Printing-history list on some titles Background: Small Santa Fe regional press; works by Marta Weigle, Marc Simmons, and Dennis Slifer.


And Other Stories — first-edition identification

And Other Stories (UK (Sheffield/London), translated and literary fiction; 2011-present). First-edition identification: 2011-present: a first printing is shown by a descending number line on the copyright page with 1 present; the copyright page also reads 'First published in <year> by And Other Stories'. Many titles are subscriber-supported. The publisher prints the names of the supporters of that specific book at the back of the first print run as a thank-you; a later reprint may drop that list, so its presence is a corroborating first-issue tell rather than a definitive one. For a translated work the English-language And Other Stories edition is the relevant first; the original-language first-publication date is recorded separately. Imprints and series: And Other Stories. Background: The subscriber model means early printings often carry supporters' names at the back, a useful corroborating tell. Published early English-language firsts of prize-winning translated authors such as Yuri Herrera. Because reprints may remove the subscriber list, check both the number line and the presence of that list.


Andersen Press — first-edition identification

Andersen Press (UK; 1976–present). First-edition identification: British convention: a first printing carries a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page (e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' or '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); lowest digit = printing Usually NO 'First edition' statement — identify via the full number line plus the 'First published in [year] by Andersen Press' line Imprints and series: Andersen Press; Andersen Press USA (US distribution via Lerner). Background: UK independent founded in 1976 by Klaus Flugge; named for Hans Christian Andersen Elmer (David McKee) and the Little Princess / Preston Pig titles are flagship collectibles — UK Andersen firsts are identified by the complete number line US editions reach the market via Lerner (Andersen Press USA) and are later co-editions, not the true UK first


Andrews McMeel Publishing — first-edition identification

Andrews and McMeel (earlier name)
Andrews, McMeel & Parker (earlier name)
AMP! Comics for Kids
Andrews McMeel Universal (parent)

Andrews McMeel Publishing (US (Kansas City, Missouri); 1970s-present). First-edition identification: Standard descending number line on the copyright page; presence of '1' indicates a first printing. Comic-strip collections (the core catalog) are dated by copyright year and carry the number line; some titles also print an explicit 'First Printing' / 'First Edition' line. For mass-market humor and comic collections the number line is the reliable signal; calendar and gift product often omit a usable key. Imprints and series: Andrews and McMeel (earlier name); Andrews, McMeel & Parker (earlier name); AMP! Comics for Kids; Andrews McMeel Universal (parent). Background: Premier US humor/cartoon publisher: collected newspaper-strip volumes — Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson), The Far Side (Gary Larson), Garfield (Jim Davis), Doonesbury — drive the strongest first-printing demand. The publishing arm was established in 1973 out of Universal Press Syndicate (founded 1970 by Jim Andrews and John McMeel); earlier imprint names (Andrews and McMeel; Andrews, McMeel & Parker) help date pre-1990s printings, with corporate parent Andrews McMeel Universal formed in 1997. Calvin and Hobbes and Far Side treasuries/anthologies have notable first-printing points — verify the number line and dust jacket/price. Calendars and many gift books are not 'first edition' collectibles in the usual sense.


André Deutsch — first-edition identification

André Deutsch
Allison & Busby (associated)
Deutsch Children's

André Deutsch (UK; 1951-present (imprint within other groups later)). First-edition identification: First editions state "First published [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year] by André Deutsch Limited" on the copyright page; later printings noted First printing = statement present with no subsequent-impression lines Later titles may carry a number line ending in 1 Confirm clean copyright page Imprints and series: André Deutsch; Allison & Busby (associated); Deutsch Children's. Background: Quality post-war literary list: John Updike (UK), Philip Roth (UK), V.S. Naipaul, Jean Rhys ('Wide Sargasso Sea', 1966), Norman Mailer (UK) Many titles are UK issues of American books — the US edition is often the true world first; verify precedence Founded 1951 by André Deutsch


Angel Hair (Angel Hair Books / magazine) — first-edition identification

Angel Hair (magazine, 6 issues 1966-69)
Angel Hair Books
Boke (related Warsh imprint)

Angel Hair (Angel Hair Books / magazine) (New York (Lower East Side / St. Marks Place) and Bolinas, California (Anne Waldman & Lewis Warsh); 1966-1978). First-edition identification: 1966-1978: mimeograph, offset, and occasional letterpress chapbooks and booklets. Identification is per-title via stapled-wrappers collation; most titles are single editions with no printing statement, so a copy matching the standard bibliography (the Granary 'Angel Hair Anthology' checklist) is the first. Magazine: six issues, Spring 1966-Spring 1969 — identify by issue number and contents; there were no reprints, so any genuine issue is the original. Most issues carried uniform letterpress paper wrappers (printed by The Chapel Press); one issue had a decorated mimeographed wrapper. Some books exist in a plain mimeo/offset trade state plus a small signed or hardbound sub-issue; the signed or limited state is noted on a colophon when one is present. Mimeo-revolution production means stapled bindings, colored-paper wrappers, and small runs are the norm; complete wrappers and covers are key collation points. Imprints and series: Angel Hair (magazine, 6 issues 1966-69); Angel Hair Books; Boke (related Warsh imprint). Background: Edited and published by Anne Waldman and Lewis Warsh (married at the time), beginning from their St. Marks Place apartment and later associated with Bolinas, California; a central organ of the second-generation New York School and the St. Mark's Poetry Project milieu. Published many books and chapbooks plus the magazine, with contributors including Ted Berrigan, Alice Notley, Bernadette Mayer, Clark Coolidge, Joe Brainard, Ron Padgett, John Wieners, Tom Clark, and Kenward Elmslie. Archive held at NYU's Fales Library; the Granary Books anthology 'Angel Hair Sleeps with a Boy in My Head' (2001) is the standard reference and reprint source. A quintessential mimeograph-revolution press — identification leans on bibliography and physical collation rather than any printing line.


Angry Robot Books — first-edition identification

Angry Robot Books (UK (Nottingham; under HarperCollins UK 2008–2010, then Osprey, then Watkins Media); 2008–present). First-edition identification: Trade paperback and hardcover originals state the 'First published' year and carry a number line on the copyright page; the first printing is the state in which the lowest number present is '1'. UK printings commonly use a split-style line (e.g. 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2), but the exact sequence varies by printer, so rely on the lowest digit present rather than a fixed string. UK and US/simultaneous editions can differ in number line and ISBN — distinguish the UK first from a US printing by the imprint address and ISBN block, not by the stated year alone. Strange Chemistry (YA) and Exhibit A (crime) carried their own copyright-page indicia during their short 2012–2014 runs. Imprints and series: Strange Chemistry (defunct YA imprint, 2012–2014); Exhibit A (defunct crime imprint, 2013–2014); Datura Books (current crime-fiction imprint, launched 2022). Background: Founded in 2008 by Marc Gascoigne as a science-fiction/fantasy imprint of HarperCollins UK (first titles July 2008); Gascoigne bought it out in partnership with Osprey Publishing in 2010 when HarperCollins exited; Osprey sold it to Watkins Media (Etan Ilfeld) in 2014. The parent name and address on the copyright page date the printing era. Strange Chemistry and Exhibit A were both closed in June 2014, making their titles short-window collectibles. A trade publisher identified by number line; not a limited-edition house.


Annick Press — first-edition identification

Annick Press (Canada (Toronto, Ontario); 1975-present). First-edition identification: First printing: number line on the copyright page ending in 1; lowest digit present = the printing. Many titles also carry 'First published in [year]' wording on the copyright page. For early titles (late 1970s through mid-1980s) issued before number lines were used, identify the first by the 'First published' statement plus first-issue cover and format, not a line. Imprints and series: Annick Press. Background: Toronto independent founded 1975 by Rick Wilks and Anne Millyard (originally as Books By Kids; later renamed Annick from the founders' names). Published Robert Munsch's The Paper Bag Princess (1980) and Love You Forever (1986); these bestsellers exist in multiple format and printing variants, so match the format and verify the number line where one is present. The number-line convention is reliable for modern titles; the earliest titles must be identified by format and cover points rather than a line.


Aperture Foundation — first-edition identification

Aperture Foundation (US (New York); 1952–present). First-edition identification: The copyright/colophon page is the primary locus: look for 'First edition' stated and/or a number line. Modern Aperture titles (1990s–present) typically carry a descending number line (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1), with presence of the 1 indicating a first printing. Many monographs are single-printing; the absence of any 'Second printing'/'Reprinted' line, plus the original ISBN and jacket-flap price, supports a first. Reprints are usually noted explicitly ('Second printing' / 'Reprinted [year]') on the colophon; later printings may also update the printer or binder credit. Limited/special editions carry a signed-and-numbered colophon statement plus a tipped-in or boxed original print; the limitation statement (e.g. 'one of 100') defines that issue. Imprints and series: Aperture; Aperture Masters of Photography; The PhotoBook Review (periodical); Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards titles. Background: Founded 1952 (the magazine launched that spring in San Francisco); the book program began in 1965 with 'Edward Weston: The Flame of Recognition.' 1970s–80s Aperture monographs often lack a number line; rely on stated 'First edition', year, and the original distributor (Aperture has been distributed at various times by outside trade houses). The distributor named on the title page changed over the decades; a distributor name does not change first-printing status but helps date the issue. Highly collected titles (e.g. the Diane Arbus monograph, 1972) have well-documented printing points and many later printings; verify against the specific title's known points, not house rules alone.


Applause Theatre & Cinema Books — first-edition identification

Applause Theatre & Cinema Books (US (New York); 1980s-present). First-edition identification: Use the descending number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a '1' indicates a first printing. No distinctive house first-edition statement is documented — rely on the number line rather than on wording. Acting-edition play scripts and anthologies are frequently reprinted; confirm the '1' is present and check for added printing notices. Background: Theatre- and film-book specialist (play texts, screenplays, performing-arts reference); a performing-arts companion to Backbeat, Amadeus, and Limelight. Ownership chain dates the printing: Hal Leonard took a majority stake in 2000 and acquired the company fully in 2004, then sold it (with the other performing-arts imprints) to Rowman & Littlefield in December 2018; in 2024 Rowman & Littlefield sold Applause and several sisters to Bloomsbury. Collectible interest is title-specific (notable screenplay or theatre firsts).


Aqueduct Press — first-edition identification

Conversation Pieces (series)
Heirloom Books (series)

Aqueduct Press (USA (Seattle, Washington); 2004–present). First-edition identification: Trade paperback and hardcover originals; the first printing is identified by the stated-edition line ('First edition') with the copyright year, plus a number line on the copyright page where one is present and the lowest digit shown indicates the printing. 'Conversation Pieces' carries a volume number that is a SERIES index (bibliographic sequence), not a printing-state or limited-run number — do not read the volume number as a limitation. Imprints and series: Conversation Pieces (series); Heirloom Books (series). Background: Founded 2004 by L. Timmel Duchamp; specializes in feminist speculative fiction (broadly defined to include SF, fantasy, and the fantastic). Predominantly single-printing trade editions, so the first is identified by the stated-edition line rather than by a hand-numbered limitation. The 'Conversation Pieces' chapbook/short-book series is numbered by volume; that index is easily mistaken for a limitation but is purely a series sequence.


Aralia Press — first-edition identification

Aralia Press (West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; 1983-present). First-edition identification: 1983-present: First/only edition by the COLOPHON or broadside imprint line; the press of Michael Peich. It specializes in poetry (single poems and small collections), frequently issued as signed limited broadsides and pamphlets. The colophon or imprint line states the limitation (commonly on the order of 100-250 copies) and the date, and many are SIGNED by the poet. Broadsides: identify by the Aralia Press imprint, the poet's signature, and the stated limitation; these are often first appearances of individual poems by major poets (Wilbur, Hecht, Justice, Hollander, and others). Pamphlets and chapbooks: colophon-controlled, hand-set, letterpress-printed, and hand-numbered. Background: Michael Peich, Emeritus Professor of English at West Chester University, founded Aralia in 1983 as a teaching press and a vehicle to support new poets; he also helped found and direct the West Chester Poetry Conference. Many items are first printings of poems by major American poets, where the poet's signature plus the limitation are the identification tells. Output is small-format (broadsides and pamphlets) rather than folios, using hand-set type and letterpress printing.


Arbor House — first-edition identification

Arbor House Publishing Company
Arbor House Publishing Co.
Arbor House Pub. Co.
Arbor House (New York)

Arbor House (USA (New York); founded 1969 (Donald Fine); acquired by Hearst Corporation 1978 but continued as a distinct hardcover house; became a William Morrow imprint January 1988 (active c.1969–1980s)). First-edition identification: Look on the copyright page for the explicit statement 'First Edition'. Arbor House followed standard US trade practice and typically printed this statement on the true first (confirmed on dealer-collated copies such as Elmore Leonard's Glitz and Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth). Check for a descending number line on the copyright page (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). The lowest number present indicates the printing, so a line that still includes '1' marks a first printing; a line whose lowest digit is 2 or higher is a later printing. Arbor House firsts across multiple titles (Schismatrix, Exit to Eden, LaBrava, Glitz) are consistently described with a 'full number line' down to 1. Use the two marks together as the strongest confirmation: a first printing of a 1980s Arbor House hardcover generally shows a 'First Edition' statement together with a complete number line ending in 1. Where only the number line is present, trust the lowest digit; where the words are present but the line's lowest digit is not 1, treat it as a later printing. Confirm the imprint reads 'Arbor House' (New York) on the title/copyright page, with the copyright/printing year matching the stated first publication date. A later printing year, or a different imprint reissuing the title, rules out the Arbor House first. Rule out later issues and reprints: absence of a 'First Edition' statement combined with a number line whose lowest digit is not 1 indicates a later printing. Mass-market paperbacks or a different house reprinting the title (including pseudonymous or reissue editions) are separate editions, never the Arbor House hardcover first. Imprints and series: Arbor House Publishing Company; Arbor House Publishing Co.; Arbor House Pub. Co.; Arbor House (New York). Background: No dedicated Arbor House entry appears in the standard publisher-by-publisher guides (QBooks A-G, ILAB, McBride), so the 'First Edition' + number-line rule is inferred from standard US trade convention plus dealer collation of actual copies rather than a published house-specific rule. Verify against the copy in hand. Book-club editions (BOMC/SFBC etc.) of Arbor House titles are common traps: they typically lack the number line, usually lack a printed jacket-flap price, and may carry a blind stamp on the rear board — none of these is the true Arbor House trade first. After the 1978 Hearst acquisition Arbor House continued as a distinct hardcover house; it only became a William Morrow imprint in January 1988. For titles near that transition, the copyright-page 'First Edition' statement and the number line — not the imprint's corporate parent — are the marks to trust. A clipped or replaced jacket does not change the printing, but a mismatched later jacket can mislead; where a jacket carries first-state points and a price, they should agree with a copyright page showing a number line down to 1.


Archipelago Books — first-edition identification

Archipelago Books
Elsewhere Editions (children's)

Archipelago Books (Brooklyn, New York, USA; 2003-present). First-edition identification: 2003-present: First printings are identified by a complete descending number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on the copyright page, the lowest digit indicating the printing; many translations also carry 'First Archipelago Books Edition' or 'First Edition' wording. The house publishes predominantly paperback originals with the distinctive square French-flap format, so the first state is that trade paperback. Elsewhere Editions (launched 2017): the children's-in-translation imprint follows the same standard number-line practice. Imprints and series: Archipelago Books; Elsewhere Editions (children's). Background: Founded 2003 by Jill Schoolman; a nonprofit devoted to literature in translation. Distinctive square, French-flapped paperback format. Because most titles are first English translations, the Archipelago edition is typically the first English-language printing of the text — a key bibliographic point.


Arion Press — first-edition identification

Arion Press (US; 1974–present). First-edition identification: Each title is a single limited edition with a letterpress colophon stating the total limitation (typically 300–400 copies) Colophon is hand-numbered in Arabic numerals; a separate run of 'hors de commerce' copies is numbered in ROMAN numerals (not for sale, complimentary distribution) Colophon frequently carries original signatures — Andrew Hoyem (printer/designer) and/or the author and artist Handmade/mouldmade paper, hand-set or M & H-cast metal type, original commissioned art; no number line — the numbered, often-signed colophon is the sole identifier Imprints and series: Andrew Hoyem (proprietor); M & H Type (its in-house foundry/typecasting arm); successor to Grabhorn-Hoyem. Background: Founded 1974 by Andrew Hoyem from the dissolved Grabhorn-Hoyem partnership (Edwin & Robert Grabhorn lineage) Landmark: the 1979 folio Ulysses with Robert Motherwell etchings (edition of 150) — among the most celebrated American fine-press books Because each book is a one-time limited printing, there are no later trade printings to confuse; the question is condition and which numbered/lettered subset Some titles have a deluxe sub-state (e.g., extra suite of prints, special binding) at a lower limitation number range


Arkham House — first-edition identification

Arkham House (US; 1939–present (convention shifts ~mid-1960s and early 1980s)). First-edition identification: Pre-mid-1960s: a true first generally shows the SAME year on the title page and the copyright page (and there were typically no reprints to confuse it) Arkham did not number lines; the Frank Utpatel-designed colophon/device (introduced 1944) appears at the rear — reprints, when they occurred, were noted there Late 1960s onward: copyright page begins stating 'First Edition' or 'First Printing (<year>)' and notes later printings Early 1980s onward (under James Turner): explicit 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page, with later printings noted Imprints and series: Arkham House; Mycroft & Moran (mystery/detective sister imprint); Stanton & Lee (general sister imprint). Background: Founded 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei expressly to preserve H. P. Lovecraft in hardcover ('The Outsider and Others', 1939) Most early Arkham titles had a single small print run and were never reprinted, so an unstated copyright page is NORMAL for a first — do not mistake the absence of 'First Edition' for a later issue Key high spots ('The Outsider and Others' 1939, 'Beyond the Wall of Sleep' 1943) have specific binding/jacket points and tiny print runs Mycroft & Moran and Stanton & Lee are Arkham's sibling imprints; same era conventions apply Reference: 'Arkham House: The First 20 Years 1939–1959' (Derleth) and Sheldon Jaffery / Leon Nielsen bibliographies


Arsenal Pulp Press — first-edition identification

Arsenal Pulp Press (Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia); 1971-present (as Pulp Press 1971-1982; Arsenal Pulp Press 1982-present)). First-edition identification: Modern Arsenal Pulp titles state 'first edition' and carry a number line on the copyright page (lowest digit '1' present indicates a first printing). Predecessor 'Pulp Press' (1970s) titles: identify by the Pulp Press imprint and the original copyright year, with no later-printing notes. Reprints are common for bestselling cookbooks and queer-lit staples; verify the number line still retains '1.' Imprints and series: Arsenal Pulp Press; Pulp Press (predecessor name); Tillacum Library (Indigenous-focused imprint). Background: Originated in 1971 in Vancouver (as Scriveners'/Pulp Press; it issued the magazine Three-Cent Pulp from 1972 to 1978) and was renamed Arsenal Pulp Press in 1982 after selling its typesetting and printing operations. Known for LGBTQ literature, Indigenous voices, cultural studies, graphic novels, and cookbooks. The imprint name change (Pulp Press to Arsenal Pulp Press, 1982) is a useful dating tell. The Tillacum Library imprint focuses on Indigenous authors (originally managed by Randy Fred) and follows the parent copyright-page convention.


Artisan — first-edition identification

Artisan (US (New York); 1994-present). First-edition identification: Follows the Workman house convention: the copyright page generally carries a printing statement (often a dated 'First printing' or 'Printed in...' line) together with a number line ending in 1 on the true first printing. On later printings the dated printing statement is revised and/or the low digits drop out of the number line. When in doubt, read the number line and the printing statement together rather than relying on either alone. Background: Artisan is Workman's high-design, heavily illustrated imprint, founded in 1994; it is home to many landmark modern cookbooks, including Thomas Keller's 'The French Laundry Cookbook' (1999), and titles by Dorie Greenspan, Nancy Silverton and Jacques Pepin. Lavishly produced cookbooks that draw real collector interest, so first-printing verification matters; confirm both the printing statement and the number line. Now part of Hachette Book Group, which acquired Workman Publishing in 2021; identification conventions were unchanged by the ownership change.


Ash-Tree Press — first-edition identification

Ash-Tree Press Annual Macabre
Ghost Story Press (assoc.)

Ash-Tree Press (Penyffordd (Chester) UK, then Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada; 1993-c.2013). First-edition identification: 1993/1994-c.2013: titles are limited-edition cloth hardcovers; the stated limitation (typically 200-600 numbered copies) on the colophon identifies the first - no trade reprint exists to confuse it. Earliest items (1993): e.g., M.R. James 'Two Ghost Stories: A Centenary,' 200 numbered copies in pictorial boards WITHOUT dust wrapper - format itself is a tell. Mid/late titles: octavo, publisher's cloth (often burgundy) with bright/copper spine lettering and a glossy pictorial dust jacket; limitation commonly 500-600. Imprint location dates the era: 'Penyffordd, Chester' (UK) = earlier; 'Ashcroft, BC' (Canada) = later, after the Rodens relocated. Later, Ash-Tree also issued e-book and POD lines; physical limited hardcover with numbered colophon = the collectible first. Imprints and series: Ash-Tree Press Annual Macabre; Ghost Story Press (assoc.). Background: Founded by Christopher and Barbara Roden (mid-1990s); specializes in resurrecting Victorian/Edwardian supernatural fiction. World Fantasy Award-winning press (1997 Special Award, Non-Professional); flagship 'Annual Macabre' series. Relocated from the UK (Penyffordd, Chester) to Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada - imprint address is a reliable era marker.


Ashendene Press — first-edition identification

Ashendene Press (UK; 1895–1935). First-edition identification: Hand-press limited editions, most using Hornby's proprietary 'Subiaco' type (and later the 'Ptolemy' type), with hand-illuminated initials in some copies Printed colophon stating the limitation; copies on paper plus a few on VELLUM (distinct higher state) Press device and colophon authenticate; fine handmade paper No number line — colophon limitation, Subiaco/Ptolemy type identify Imprints and series: C. H. St John Hornby (founder). Background: Founded 1895 (private) by C. H. St John Hornby (Chelsea/Shelley House, London); with Kelmscott and Doves, one of the 'big three' English private presses Masterpiece: the Ashendene Dante ('Lo Inferno...'/the complete Tutte le opere, 1909) and the Don Quixote (1927–28) Vellum vs. paper and hand-illumination are the principal state distinctions Standard reference: the Ashendene Press 'A Descriptive Bibliography' (the press's own 1935 catalogue)


Atheneum — first-edition identification

Atheneum
Atheneum Publishers
An Atheneum Book

Atheneum (USA (New York); independent trade house 1959–1978 (founded by Alfred A. Knopf Jr., Simon Michael Bessie, Hiram Haydn); merged into Charles Scribner's Sons 1978, Macmillan 1984, Simon & Schuster 1994). First-edition identification: Copyright page 'First Edition' statement: for the independent era and into the mid-1980s, Atheneum first printings state 'First Edition' (sometimes styled 'first edition') on the copyright page. The presence of that statement together with the absence of any later-printing slug ('Second Printing', etc.) is the primary tell for earlier books. Number row (mid-1980s onward): the standard McBride/ILAB convention records that Atheneum 'began using a number row in the mid-1980s.' From that point a first printing carries a full descending printer's line whose lowest digit is 1, typically '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'. Rule for the number-line era: the lowest number present indicates the printing, so a first printing must still show a 1 in the row. If the 1 (and any lower digits) have dropped off and the line begins at 2 or higher, it is a later printing. Transitional caution: near the changeover a book may carry BOTH a 'First Edition' statement and a number row. When both are present, treat the terminal-1 number row as governing, because a printed 'First Edition' line can survive onto later printings while the number row is updated. Later Simon & Schuster-era Atheneum children's titles (e.g. Brian Floca's 'Locomotive', 2013) follow standard S&S practice: a first printing shows a complete number row ending in 1 on the copyright page; a stated 'First Edition' may also be present, but the terminal-1 row is the reliable point (bookseller listings for the Floca first printing cite 'complete row of numbers to 1'). Distinguishing reprints and book-club issues: a genuine trade first printing has a priced dust jacket plus the 'First Edition' statement and/or terminal-1 number row; book-club printings generally lack a jacket price and the number row and often use lighter, cheaper boards. Confirm the copyright-page point on the actual copy rather than relying on a dealer's edition label. Imprints and series: Atheneum; Atheneum Publishers; An Atheneum Book. Background: Do NOT conflate this house with the modern Simon & Schuster children's imprint 'Atheneum Books for Young Readers' (created in the 2000s and holding its own record); this record is the original Atheneum imprint as it appears on the copyright/title page. The 'First Edition' statement alone is decisive mainly for the pre-mid-1980s era; from the mid-1980s on, treat the terminal-1 number row as the governing point, since the printed statement can be carried over onto later printings. The exact cutover year is approximate: reference works give it as 'mid-1980s'; some derived summaries phrase it as 'through 1986.' Do not treat any single year as a hard boundary. (An unrelated 'late 1976 number row' claim belongs to Dodd, Mead, not Atheneum — do not apply it here.) Watch for later-printing tells that reuse the original setting: a copyright page that keeps a 'First Edition' line but whose number row no longer contains a 1 is a later printing, not a first.


Atheneum Books for Young Readers — first-edition identification

Atheneum Books for Young Readers (US; 1959–present). First-edition identification: Through 1986: explicitly states 'First Edition' on the copyright page Late 1980s onward: number line on copyright page with '1' present (1 indicates first printing); 'First Edition' statement also frequently used alongside First printing requires the number line to include / end in 1 Imprints and series: Margaret K. McElderry Books; Anne Schwartz Books (historical); Richard Jackson Books / a Richard Jackson Book (historical); Jean Karl Books (historical). Background: Atheneum founded 1959; its children's department became a powerhouse (Newbery winners: E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files 1967, The Westing Game 1978) Margaret K. McElderry Books (est. 1971) was the first eponymous children's imprint in US publishing; follows Atheneum house ID style. Now part of Simon & Schuster Children's Atheneum was absorbed into Macmillan then Simon & Schuster; imprint name persists. Older 'A Margaret K. McElderry Book' / 'A Jean Karl Book' lines on title pages help date but are not printing indicators


Atlantic Monthly Press — first-edition identification

Atlantic Monthly Press (Boston, MA / New York, NY (US); 1917–present (Grove/Atlantic imprint since 1993)). First-edition identification: Pre-1925: did not use a first-edition statement, did not consistently put the publication date on the title page, and did not always list later printings — identification relies on dust jacket, ads, and binding points. Late 1920s–1930s: 'Published (Month, Year)' on the copyright page with no additional printings listed indicates a first printing. From 1940 onward 'First Edition' was added above the 'Published' line, while 'Published (Month, Year)' carried over onto reprints (with 'First Edition' removed). Since 1988: first printings state 'First Edition' and 'First Printing' on the copyright page (this convention predates and is independent of the 1993 Grove/Atlantic merger). Modern (Grove/Atlantic era): copyright-page printing statement and/or a number row with '1' for a first printing. Imprints and series: Grove/Atlantic (parent since 1993). Background: From 1925, Little, Brown handled publication of Atlantic Monthly Press books, so Little, Brown copyright-page practice became the standard for dating these printings (look for the joint imprint). Merged into Grove/Atlantic in 1993; since then it has been the hardcover literary imprint of Grove/Atlantic. Distinguish the early-20th-century Boston Atlantic Monthly Press from the modern Grove-era imprint — the identification rule differs by era.


Atria Books — first-edition identification

Washington Square Press
Emily Bestler Books
Marysue Rucci Books
37 INK
Atria/Primero Sueño Press
One Signal
Howard Books (sister)

Atria Books (US; 2002–present). First-edition identification: States 'First Edition' or 'First Atria Books hardcover edition' on the copyright page AND uses a descending number line ending in 1. Simon & Schuster-family convention: explicit 'First [Imprint] edition (Year)' statement is the reliable signal. Number line ending in 1 alongside the statement confirms first printing. Reprints note 'Second edition' or shift the line / drop the statement. Imprints and series: Washington Square Press; Emily Bestler Books; Marysue Rucci Books; 37 INK; Atria/Primero Sueño Press; One Signal; Howard Books (sister). Background: Founded 2002 (originally 'Atria' from Latin for entry hall); a flagship S&S commercial/literary imprint. Part of Simon & Schuster. S&S imprints characteristically use the verbose 'First [Imprint] hardcover edition' wording. Emily Bestler Books and Marysue Rucci Books are eponymous editor imprints under Atria — same convention. Washington Square Press is largely a trade-paperback reprint line — usually NOT a first.


Auckland University Press — first-edition identification

Auckland University Press (Auckland, New Zealand; 1966-present (publishing from 1966; formally named Auckland University Press 1972; independent of OUP from 1986)). First-edition identification: 1966-1970: The press's earliest titles were produced under the Oxford University Press imprint on behalf of the University of Auckland; the OUP imprint dates a title to this earliest period. A first printing shows 'First published [year]' with no reprint note. 1970-1986: Titles bear the joint 'Auckland University Press / Oxford University Press' imprint with 'First published [year]', '© [year]', and 'Printed in New Zealand'; a first printing is keyed by the matching year and the absence of a reprint line. The joint imprint is itself a strong dating tell for this window. 1986-present (independent): 'First published [year] by Auckland University Press' with a New Zealand National Library CIP block; from roughly the mid-1990s a descending number line (lowest digit = printing) accompanies the full ISBN/CIP data, so a complete line ending in 1 with no reprint note indicates a first printing. Number-line use follows the standard scholarly convention. Imprints and series: Auckland University Press; Auckland University Press / Oxford University Press (joint imprint, 1970-1986); Holloway Press (associated fine-press). Background: Began publishing in 1966 and was formally named Auckland University Press in 1972; New Zealand's leading scholarly and poetry press, with a major NZ poetry list. The relationship with Oxford University Press is a strong dating tell: earliest titles (1966-1970) carried the OUP imprint, and a joint AUP/OUP imprint ran 1970-1986 before full independence in 1986. Small print runs for poetry first editions make CIP and number-line confirmation important on the copyright page.


Augsburg Fortress (and predecessors Augsburg Publishing House & Fortress Press) — first-edition identification

Fortress Press (academic)
Augsburg Books (trade)
Sparkhouse
formerly Muhlenberg Press
1517 Media (corporate brand 2016-2024)

Augsburg Fortress (and predecessors Augsburg Publishing House & Fortress Press) (Minneapolis, Minnesota (Augsburg) / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Fortress); 1855/1891-present). First-edition identification: Augsburg Publishing House (1891-1988): no number line in early years; identify a first printing by the copyright year together with the absence of any added reprint or later-printing notice. Some early Minneapolis Lutheran material is in Norwegian. Later printings carry an added printing line. Muhlenberg Press era (to ~1962): identify firsts by copyright year and the absence of a reprint notice; printing statements are inconsistent. The imprint name brackets the window (Muhlenberg before about 1962, Fortress after). Fortress Press (founded 1962): scholarly Protestant theology house; earliest single copyright year with a clean printing line and no added impression history indicates the first printing. Augsburg Fortress (1988 merger) to present: standard number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a line including 1 indicates a first printing. Academic Fortress titles often show a year line plus an impression line. Read the impression/number line rather than any single copyright year on heavily reprinted titles. Imprints and series: Fortress Press (academic); Augsburg Books (trade); Sparkhouse; formerly Muhlenberg Press; 1517 Media (corporate brand 2016-2024). Background: Augsburg Fortress was formed in 1988 by the merger of Augsburg Publishing House (Minneapolis, founded 1891) and Fortress Press (Philadelphia), following the creation of the ELCA from the LCA and ALC. Fortress Press is the major scholarly Protestant theology imprint (the English-edition Bonhoeffer Works, Tillich, biblical-studies monographs); academic firsts are identified by the first copyright year plus a clean impression line. Muhlenberg Press, traceable to the United Lutheran Church in America, was the principal forerunner of Fortress Press, which superseded it around 1962. The corporate parent rebranded as 1517 Media in 2016 (echoing the 1517 date of Luther's theses) but reverted to the Augsburg Fortress name in October 2024; 1517 Media is therefore a former, not current, brand.


August House Publishers — first-edition identification

August House Publishers (South (Little Rock, Arkansas; later Atlanta, Georgia); 1978-present). First-edition identification: 1978-1990s (Parkhurst/Looney Little Rock era): No consistent 'First Edition' slug on the earliest poetry and literary titles; a first printing is identified by a matching copyright date and the absence of any later-printing notation. As the house moved into folklore and storytelling, copyright pages increasingly carried number lines. 1990s-2005 (folklore/storytelling peak, Little Rock): Standard small-press practice — a number line on the copyright page where the lowest digit present indicates the printing (a present '1' = first printing); LittleFolk picture books typically combine a number line with a 'First Edition' statement, and later printings drop the '1.' 2005-present (Marsh Cove Productions / Marsh Media ownership, Atlanta children's focus): follows children's-publisher practice — lowest digit present in the number line = printing, often with a stated 'First Edition'; the imprint and copyright line reflecting the new owner and Atlanta location is the era tell. Imprints and series: August House; August House LittleFolk (children's picture books); Marsh Cove Productions / Marsh Media (parent since 2005). Background: Founded 1978 by Ted Parkhurst and Jon Looney in Little Rock as an Arkansas poetry press; six titles published by 1979. Evolved into a leading U.S. publisher of storytelling and folklore titles; Ted Parkhurst began a partnership with the National Storytelling Festival in 1989, and Liz Smith Parkhurst built the folklore list. Launched the August House LittleFolk picture-book imprint, which drew the attention of Marsh Cove Productions of Atlanta. Sold to Marsh Cove Productions in 2005; now a children's-focused house — Arkansas versus Atlanta imprint data is the era tell. Early poetry chapbooks and limited issues may carry colophon or limitation statements rather than number lines.


Ave Maria Press — first-edition identification

Ave Maria Press
Sorin Books
Forest of Peace
Christian Classics (acquired)

Ave Maria Press (Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; 1865-present). First-edition identification: 1865-mid 20th c. (Ave Maria magazine era): a Holy Cross publishing apostolate whose early output was magazine-centered. On books of this period there is no number line; the copyright year together with the absence of any reprint or later-printing notice points to a first printing. An imprimatur dates only the approval of the text, not the impression. Mid 20th c.-1980s: explicit printing statements appear inconsistently. A copyright year paired with a clean printing line, and no later-printing notice, indicates a first printing. 1990s-present: a standard descending number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present marks the printing, so a line that still includes 1 indicates a first printing. Catholic-publishing caution: read the impression line, not the imprimatur or nihil obstat date, to determine the printing. Imprints and series: Ave Maria Press; Sorin Books; Forest of Peace; Christian Classics (acquired). Background: Founded May 1, 1865 by Edward Sorin, C.S.C., founder of the University of Notre Dame, to publish the Ave Maria magazine; it is one of the oldest continuously operating Catholic publishers in the United States and remains a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Imprints include Sorin Books (launched 1999) and Forest of Peace and Christian Classics (both acquired in 2003). Devotional, catechetical, and Catholic-school textbook focus; firsts of popular titles were printed in large runs. The imprimatur-date trap applies: the approval date is not the printing date.


Avery — first-edition identification

Avery (US (New York); 1976–present). First-edition identification: First printing is identified by a complete descending number line on the copyright page ending in 1 (for example 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the lowest number present indicates the printing As a Penguin Publishing Group imprint, Avery titles generally do NOT carry an explicit "First edition" statement — rely on the number line, not on wording Imprints and series: Avery; TarcherPerigee (sister imprint within Penguin Publishing Group). Background: Health, wellness, and cooking imprint within Penguin Publishing Group, part of Penguin Random House Came into Penguin Random House through Penguin's lineage


Avid Reader Press — first-edition identification

Avid Reader Press (US (New York); 2019–present). First-edition identification: "First Avid Reader Press ... edition" or "First Edition" statement on the copyright page plus a number line ending in 1 Imprints and series: Avid Reader Press. Background: Literary and nonfiction imprint within Simon & Schuster (announced 2018, launched July 2019; co-founded by Jofie Ferrari-Adler and Ben Loehnen) Follows Simon & Schuster first-edition conventions


Avon Books — first-edition identification

Avon Romance
Avon Impulse
Avon Inspire
Avon Red
Bard (former)
Camelot/Flare (children's-YA, former)

Avon Books (US; 1941–present). First-edition identification: Mass-market paperback originals: copyright page shows 'First Avon … Printing (Month Year)' / 'First Edition'; a true first lists ONLY the first printing. Number line where present: lowest number 1 indicates first printing. Absence of any later-printing notation is the core test for paperback originals. Modern HarperCollins-era Avon follows the HC line-to-1 convention on the copyright page. Imprints and series: Avon Romance; Avon Impulse; Avon Inspire; Avon Red; Bard (former); Camelot/Flare (children's-YA, former). Background: Founded 1941 as a mass-market paperback house; the dominant US romance imprint, so a huge share of Avon titles are paperback FIRSTS. Acquired by HarperCollins (via the Hearst/Morrow acquisition, 1999); now a HarperCollins romance imprint. Romance collectors treat the Avon mass-market original as the true first edition. Older Avon paperbacks identified by series number and printing line rather than a stated 'First Edition'.


B. W. Huebsch — first-edition identification

B. W. Huebsch (New York, USA; 1900–1925 (absorbed by Viking Press)). First-edition identification: c.1902–1925: First printings show the SAME date on the title page as on the copyright page with no additional printings listed; any later-printing line, or a title-page date later than the copyright date, indicates a reprint. A seven-branched menorah device appears as a Huebsch house mark; treat it as a publisher identifier, not by itself a first-printing point. Caveat: some Huebsch titles were issued from imported British sheets (e.g., Joyce's 'Dubliners,' 1916, from Grant Richards sheets), so for those the British printing points and the bibliographic record govern, not a U.S. number line. Background: Founded c.1900–1902 by Benjamin W. Huebsch; a pioneering modernist publisher. First U.S. publisher of James Joyce's 'Dubliners' and 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' (1916), D. H. Lawrence's 'Sons and Lovers' (1913), and Sherwood Anderson's 'Winesburg, Ohio' (1919). Merged into the newly formed Viking Press in 1925; Huebsch became an editor and vice-president at Viking, and post-1925 titles carry the Viking imprint. The 1925 Viking absorption is the firm's terminal date — a 'B. W. Huebsch' imprint dates a book to before that merger.


Back Bay Books — first-edition identification

Back Bay Books (US (Boston/New York); 1993–present). First-edition identification: Trade-paperback first printing carries a 'First Back Bay ... edition: [month year]' statement on the copyright page, typically accompanied by a full descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). Imprints and series: Back Bay Books. Background: Trade-paperback imprint of Little, Brown and Company (Hachette Book Group); follows standard Little, Brown / Hachette number-line conventions. Largely a reprint imprint: the Back Bay edition is usually NOT the true first edition of the work, only the first Back Bay printing. Verify whether an earlier Little, Brown hardcover or other-publisher first exists before describing a copy as a 'first edition.'


Backbeat Books — first-edition identification

Backbeat Books (US (San Francisco, later New York); 1990s-present). First-edition identification: Standard descending number line on copyright page; '1' present indicates first printing. No reliable house 'First Edition' statement — use the number line. Background: Music-book imprint (guitar/gear, band biographies, the 'All Music Guide' reference series). Ownership chain affects catalog continuity but not the number-line rule: originated as the renamed Miller Freeman Books music division (renamed Backbeat c.2001), under CMP -> acquired by Hal Leonard (2006) -> sold to Rowman & Littlefield (Dec 2018) alongside Applause, Amadeus Press, and Limelight Editions. Sister music-reference imprints to watch under the same owners: Applause (theatre/cinema), Amadeus Press (classical/opera), Limelight Editions.