Bad Moon Books — first-edition identification

Bad Moon Books (Garden Grove, California, USA; 2007-present (press)). First-edition identification: 2007-present (publishing arm; bookselling earlier): titles issued in tiered states - LETTERED (26 copies, A-Z, leather, custom slipcase/traycase, signed), numbered LIMITED hardcover (typically 100-300, signed, often slipcased), and occasional TRADE; the limitation page identifies the state. Lettered = 26 leather-bound traycased signed copies (top state); numbered limited = roughly 100-300 signed copies; trade = unsigned/unnumbered first. First title: Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way by Weston Ochse (2007); earlier 'Bad Moon' references are to the bookselling/catalog business, not the press. Background: Owned by Roy K. Robbins; began as a rare/out-of-print bookseller, then started publishing in 2007. 2011 HWA Specialty Press of the Year (award announced/shared in 2012); several titles won Bram Stoker Awards. Standard three-tier model (lettered/numbered/trade) typical of modern collectible-horror presses.


Baen Books — first-edition identification

Baen Books (US; 1983–present). First-edition identification: Copyright page carries a 'First printing, <Month Year>' statement; first printings show no later-printing notation Many Baen titles use a number line with '1' present — lowest digit indicates the printing Baen catalog/ISBN and the stated first-printing date are the cross-check (paperback originals are the 'first' for most titles) Imprints and series: Baen. Background: Founded 1983 by Jim Baen; heavy in military SF and space opera (Weber, Ringo, Flint) Predominantly mass-market and trade paperback originals, so the paperback is frequently the true first edition Distributed historically by Simon & Schuster, so later printings may carry S&S distribution language

New Mexico Literacy Project (newmexicoliteracyproject.org)


Baker Publishing Group — first-edition identification

Baker Books
Baker Academic
Bethany House
Brazos Press
Chosen Books
Revell (Fleming H. Revell)

Baker Publishing Group (US (Ada, Michigan; founded in Grand Rapids, Michigan); Baker Book House founded 1939; Revell acquired 1992, Bethany House acquired 2003). First-edition identification: First printings carry a descending number line on the copyright page ending in '1' (often paired with a descending year line, e.g., '24 23 22 21 20 / 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest digit indicates the printing. Most trade titles do not state the words 'First Edition'; identification is driven by the number line. Academic imprints (Baker Academic, Brazos) follow the same convention; later printings drop the lowest digits. Imprints and series: Baker Books; Baker Academic; Bethany House; Brazos Press; Chosen Books; Revell (Fleming H. Revell). Background: Baker Publishing Group is the umbrella for six divisions: Baker Books, Baker Academic, Bethany House, Brazos Press, Chosen, and Revell. Revell (Fleming H. Revell, founded 1870) was a much older independent house with offices in Chicago, New York, Toronto, London, and Edinburgh; Baker did not acquire it until 1992, so pre-1992 Revell books follow older, looser conventions and frequently state nothing. Bethany House (acquired 2003) is a major Christian-fiction imprint with large print runs and many reprintings, so the number line is essential for dating a printing. Chosen Books (charismatic/spiritual-gifts list) uses the same modern number-line system.


Ballantine Books — first-edition identification

Del Rey
Fawcett (Crest/Gold Medal/Premier)
Ivy
Wellspring
One World
Owl Books (early)

Ballantine Books (US; 1952–present). First-edition identification: Number line on copyright page; first printing has the '1' present. Modern PRH-era Ballantine uses the full descending line '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' with no edition statement, OR with 'First Edition' stated. Mass-market paperback originals: copyright page reads 'First Edition: (Month Year)' or 'First Printing: (Month Year)' with NO later printings listed. Trade hardcovers/trade paperbacks under Ballantine often state 'First Edition' plus number line ending in 1. Absence of any later-printing notation is the core test for the paperback originals. Imprints and series: Del Rey; Fawcett (Crest/Gold Medal/Premier); Ivy; Wellspring; One World; Owl Books (early). Background: Founded 1952 by Ian and Betty Ballantine; pioneer of the simultaneous hardcover/paperback original. A Ballantine PAPERBACK can be the true first edition of a title (e.g. many SF works), so 'first' may be a mass-market. Acquired by Random House 1973; now a Penguin Random House imprint, so post-1970s number-line convention follows RH-family style (line to 1). Del Rey (SF/fantasy, est. 1977) follows the same Ballantine line-to-1 convention. Fawcett titles (Gold Medal, Crest) carry their own pre-merger printing statements; Gold Medal paperback originals are collected as firsts.


Ballantine Books / Del Rey — first-edition identification

Ballantine Books / Del Rey (US; 1952–present). First-edition identification: Paperback originals: first printing has NO additional printings listed on the copyright page Reprints of titles first issued elsewhere: copyright page states 'First Printing: <Month Year>' or 'First Edition: <Month Year>' together with a number line containing '1' Del Rey titles follow Ballantine practice (number line with '1' and/or stated first printing/date) Imprints and series: Ballantine; Del Rey; Del Rey/LucasBooks; Fawcett (Crest/Gold Medal, later absorbed). Background: Ballantine founded 1952 (Ian & Betty Ballantine); historically issued simultaneous hardcover + paperback in early years, complicating 'true first' for some 1950s titles Del Rey launched 1977 (Judy-Lynn and Lester del Rey) as Ballantine's SF/fantasy imprint — published Terry Brooks, Stephen R. Donaldson, and the Star Wars line Del Rey moved out from under the Ballantine division within Random House in 2013 Ballantine's 1965 authorized paperback of Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' has its own famous points vs. the unauthorized Ace edition


Balzer + Bray — first-edition identification

Balzer + Bray (US; 2008-present). First-edition identification: First printing: a 'First Edition' statement and/or a number line whose lowest digit is 1 on the copyright page. Titles published 2008-2024 follow HarperCollins house style; titles from 2024 forward follow Macmillan Children's house style Background: Founded 2008 by Alessandra Balzer and Donna Bray as a HarperCollins imprint Moved from HarperCollins to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group effective April 2024, so the parent house and its copyright-page conventions differ before and after that date For both eras the number line, not a possibly-retained 'First Edition' statement, is the deciding evidence


Bantam (mystery/thriller mass-market) — first-edition identification

Bantam (mystery/thriller mass-market) (US; 1945-present). First-edition identification: Bantam used a code on the copyright page indicating printing and date in some eras; in the modern era a descending number line ending in '1' marks the first printing. Mass-market originals: the paperback is the first edition; reprints of hardcovers are firsts-thus only. Bantam serial/control number plus printing statement ('First Bantam edition / month year') fixes the printing. Imprints and series: Bantam Books; Bantam Crime Line; Black Lizard (later Vintage Crime/Black Lizard under Random House). Background: Black Lizard (founded by Barry Gifford, later absorbed into Random House's Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) reprinted noir (Jim Thompson, David Goodis) — those are reprints of mid-century firsts, valuable as revivals but not original firsts. Bantam Crime Line was a 1980s-90s mystery imprint; identify by the Crime Line logo plus number line. Don't confuse a 'First Bantam edition' (first paperback) with the true first hardcover from another house.


Bantam Books — first-edition identification

Bantam Spectra
Spectra
Domain
Crime Line
Loveswept
Bantam Classics
Bantam Dell

Bantam Books (US; 1945–present). First-edition identification: Copyright page printing statement: classic Bantam used a printed-line phrase such as 'Bantam edition / (date)' with a printing history; a true first lists only the first printing. Modern Bantam (post-merger) uses a descending number line; first printing retains '1' (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). Historically Bantam used a numeric/letter code; for mass-market originals look for a single printing line with no subsequent printings noted. Bantam hardcovers state 'First Edition' / 'FIRST EDITION' with the number line in PRH era. Imprints and series: Bantam Spectra; Spectra; Domain; Crime Line; Loveswept; Bantam Classics; Bantam Dell. Background: Founded 1945 (Ian Ballantine among founders); primarily a paperback house, so many Bantam firsts are mass-markets (e.g. paperback originals). Merged into Bantam Doubleday Dell (1986), then absorbed into Random House (1998); now Penguin Random House. Post-1998 convention follows RH line-to-1 style. Spectra was the SF/fantasy imprint (1985–c.2011); follows Bantam line conventions. Bantam frequently issued the FIRST printed appearance of a title as a paperback original, so condition/edition collectors must not assume the hardcover is the first.


Bantam Spectra — first-edition identification

Spectra (SF/fantasy line of Bantam)
Bantam

Bantam Spectra (US; 1985–present). First-edition identification: Follows standard Bantam/Bantam Spectra practice: the copyright page carries a full descending number line and a 'A Bantam Spectra Book / [Month Year]' statement; if the number line includes '1' (e.g., '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') it is a first printing. Lowest digit in the line = the printing number. For Bantam Spectra mass-market paperbacks (1985-present) the printing is determined by the lowest number in the digit line, NOT by a separate letter code. (Note: the letter+digit date-code key on the last text/copyright page is a Dell paperback convention; do not rely on a 'letter-coded printing key' to identify a Spectra first printing.) Hardcover Spectra firsts use the number-line-with-1 convention, typically '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' with a stated month/year; later printings drop the low digits. Imprints and series: Spectra (SF/fantasy line of Bantam); Bantam. Background: Spectra launched 1985 as Bantam's dedicated SF/fantasy imprint (later Bantam Spectra / Bantam Dell under Random House) - confirmed. Published George R. R. Martin's 'A Game of Thrones' (1996). CORRECTION: the Bantam Spectra hardcover is the US first, not the world 'true first' - the UK Voyager/HarperCollins edition precedes it and is the true first edition. A US Bantam first printing shows the '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' line and Bantam Spectra hardcover points; the Book Club Edition (BCE) is a separate, lower-value variant lacking the price/with a blind-stamp gutter dot. Many Spectra titles appeared simultaneously or near-simultaneously in hardcover and trade/mass paperback, AND some titles (e.g., AGOT) were published abroad first - always confirm both format priority and country priority before calling a copy the 'true first'.


Barbarian Press — first-edition identification

Barbarian Press (Mission, British Columbia, Canada (established 1977 in Kent, England; relocated to Mission, BC in 1978); 1977-present). First-edition identification: 1977-present: First/only edition by the COLOPHON limitation; the press of Crispin and Jan Elsted. The colophon states the limitation (standard editions commonly a few hundred copies, plus a smaller deluxe state), the type (frequently hand-set metal), the paper, and the date; the copy number is hand-inscribed. Many titles are issued in MULTIPLE STATES: a standard edition and a deluxe/special edition (extra suites, finer binding, sometimes leather, occasionally lettered rather than numbered). The colophon and the binding distinguish the states; verify the state against the press prospectus. Example: 'Endgrain' (1995) was limited to 430 copies, of which 50 special copies were leather-bound with a signed tipped-in frontispiece. Wood-engraving-rich titles (the 'Endgrain' anthology and the ongoing Endgrain Editions series, plus Shakespeare's 'Pericles') are key works; engraver credits in the colophon are an authenticity tell. Imprints and series: Endgrain Editions (single-engraver wood-engraving series). Background: A leading contemporary Canadian fine press with a strong wood-engraving tradition; the press was established in 1977 in Kent, England (where the Elsteds worked with Graham Williams at the Florin Press) and moved to Mission, British Columbia in 1978. Watch for numbered versus lettered or deluxe states; the special/leather-bound copies are the scarcer state. All books are limited firsts with no trade printings; design and typesetting are by Crispin Elsted and the presswork by Jan Elsted.


Barefoot Books — first-edition identification

Barefoot Books (UK/US; 1992-present). First-edition identification: First printing: a descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; many titles state 'First edition [year]' or 'This [hardback/paperback] edition first published in [year]' The lowest digit present in the number line indicates the printing Imprints and series: Barefoot Books. Background: Founded in 1992 in England by Nancy Traversy and Tessa Strickland (initially London and the Bath area); the US office moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts around 2000 and is now in Concord, Massachusetts Illustrated multicultural and folktale picture books, frequently issued with accompanying CD or sing-along editions Multiple format issues (hardback, paperback, with-CD) each carry their own 'first published' line — match the format in hand to its own first printing


Bart House — first-edition identification

Bart House (USA (New York, NY — Bartholomew House); 1944-c.1946). First-edition identification: 1944-c.1946 (entire run): a short-lived WWII-era mass-market paperback line (parent Bartholomew House) with titles numbered sequentially from #1 (roughly 30 titles). First printing identified by the catalog number plus absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page; the original 25-cent price and wartime paper-conservation notices help date the issue. The line mixed reprints with some originals. For a reprint, 'first' means the first Bart House printing — the earliest issue carrying no reissue note. The most celebrated title is H.P. Lovecraft's The Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth (Bart House #4, 1944), an early standalone Lovecraft paperback. Series numbering is the primary identifier; the line ended after only a couple of years, so all titles are scarce and printing-level data is thin — corroborate against a Bart House checklist such as the BookScans defunct-publishers database. Imprints and series: Bart House; Bart House Mysteries. Background: An imprint of Bartholomew House; one of many small WWII-era paperback houses that briefly competed with Pocket, Avon, Dell and Popular Library. Very short run (c.1944-1946); all titles uncommon, roughly 30 numbered issues. Best known to collectors for The Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft (Bart House #4, 1944).


Bartholomew (John Bartholomew & Son) — first-edition identification

Bartholomew (John Bartholomew & Son) (United Kingdom (Edinburgh); 1826-present (as Collins Bartholomew)). First-edition identification: Maps and atlases are dated by the imprint name, copyright year, and any printed revision date in the sheet margin; for the famous Half-Inch series, the marginal printing/revision year identifies the specific printing. 19th century to 1919: 'John Bartholomew & Co.' Edinburgh imprint (the firm also traded as the Edinburgh Geographical Institute); identify by title-page edition and date. 1919 to 1980s: 'John Bartholomew & Son Ltd'; the Half-Inch to the Mile layered-relief series is identified by the marginal revision year, and the layered-contour ('Bartholomew colouring') style is a house signature. Times Atlas of the World: Bartholomew supplied the cartography from 1922 onward; identify by the named edition (Comprehensive/Concise) and copyright year on the title page, a first printing carrying no later revision-year list. 1989 to present: merged into HarperCollins as Collins Bartholomew; modern copyright-page dating applies. Imprints and series: Bartholomew Half-Inch maps; The Times Atlas of the World (Bartholomew cartography); Bartholomew Survey Atlas; Bartholomew road atlases. Background: Pioneer of layered hypsometric (color-relief) tinting; the 'Bartholomew colouring' is a recognizable house signature developed by John George Bartholomew. Cartographic engine behind the Times Atlas of the World from 1922. Imprint evolution (John Bartholomew & Co. to & Son Ltd to Collins Bartholomew in 1989) brackets the era. Half-Inch series sheets are collected and dated by their marginal revision year; the National Library of Scotland holds the Bartholomew Archive.


Basic Books — first-edition identification

Basic Books
PublicAffairs
Seal Press
Bold Type Books
Basic Venture (2024)
Basic Liberty (2024)

Basic Books (US (New York); 1950–present (Hachette since 2016)). First-edition identification: First printing: complete number line counting down to 1, following the Hachette Book Group house practice A 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page is common on Basic's serious-nonfiction titles but is not universal; the full number line is the reliable signal Imprints and series: Basic Books; PublicAffairs; Seal Press; Bold Type Books; Basic Venture (2024); Basic Liberty (2024). Background: Founded 1950; serious-nonfiction publisher (history, science, politics, biography, psychology). Now the flagship of the Basic Books Group within Hachette Book Group The Basic Books Group comprises Basic Books, PublicAffairs, Seal Press, Bold Type Books (formerly Nation Books), Basic Venture (business/economics, 2024) and Basic Liberty (conservative analysis, 2024) Entered Hachette via the April 2016 acquisition of Perseus Books' publishing operations — pre-2016 Basic titles are Perseus imprints Ownership change (Perseus → Hachette, 2016) is the key dating caveat


Beacon Books / Beacon Signal — first-edition identification

Beacon Books / Beacon Signal (US (New York City); 1954-mid-1960s). First-edition identification: Beacon used B-prefixed catalog numbers on the cover and spine (the early B-100 through roughly the B-700s, with Softcover Library taking over near B-800); the number identifies the title and approximate era. First printing: most Beacon titles are paperback originals that were never reprinted, so absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page is the working test, and essentially all surviving copies are first printings. The Beacon Galaxy science-fiction sub-series and the later Softcover Library rebrand carry their own numbering and mark distinct eras. Imprints and series: Beacon; Beacon Signal; Beacon Galaxy Science Fiction Novels (acquired SF series, 1959-1961); Softcover Library (successor brand, mid-1960s onward). Background: Beacon (Universal Publishing & Distributing Corp., founded 1954) became one of the largest mid-century softcore/sleaze paperback-original houses; the first title was Orrie Hitt's She Got What She Wanted (1954). For its original titles the Beacon paperback IS the true first, since no hardcover exists. From 1959 to 1961 Beacon took over the existing Galaxy Science Fiction Novels reprint series under its own numbering. These are licensed reprints, not Beacon originals, and Beacon frequently retitled them and inserted mild sexual content, so a Beacon Galaxy title is not the first appearance of that science-fiction novel and should not be treated as one. Renamed Softcover Library in the mid-1960s while keeping the lighthouse colophon; that successor branding and numbering marks the later, post-Beacon-proper era.


Bear & Company — first-edition identification

Bear & Company (USA (Santa Fe NM early 1980s-2000; then Rochester VT under Inner Traditions); 1980-present). First-edition identification: Early 1980s-2000 (independent, Santa Fe NM, founders Gerry Clow and astrologer Barbara Hand Clow): the copyright page states 'First Edition'; the book typically carries a Santa Fe address. A number line is not consistent in the early years, so use the edition statement plus the first-publication year, with the Santa Fe imprint confirming a pre-acquisition printing. 2000-present (imprint of Inner Traditions, Rochester VT): follows Inner Traditions house practice, a descending number line with the lowest number indicating the printing, alongside a 'First Edition' statement; a Rochester VT address confirms a post-acquisition printing. Imprints and series: Bear & Company; Bear Cub Books (later). Background: An independent New Mexico New-Age house best known for Jose Arguelles (The Mayan Factor, tied to the 1987 Harmonic Convergence) and Barbara Hand Clow titles, collected in their original Santa Fe form. The address is the cleanest era tell: a Santa Fe NM imprint marks the independent (pre-2000) first editions, while a Rochester VT imprint marks the Inner Traditions era. Inner Traditions later reissued many Bear titles, so verify the original Santa Fe first printing for the most sought-after books.


Belford, Clarke & Co. — first-edition identification

Belford, Clarke & Co.
Belford Bros. (Toronto)
Belford-Clarke Company
Rose-Belford

Belford, Clarke & Co. (Chicago, New York & San Francisco (Midwest/US, originally Toronto); 1879–1892). First-edition identification: 1879–1892: a cheap-reprint house notorious for unauthorized reprints (famously pirating Mark Twain). For its many reprint/piracy titles the 'Belford, Clarke & Co.' imprint, the city order on the title page, the dated title page, and the bound-in advertisement state identify the earliest issue — there is no first-edition statement and no number line. Because so many titles are reprints or piracies, 'first edition' of the work usually belongs to another publisher; for Belford-Clarke's own copyrighted titles, rely on the dated title page and bound-in catalog dating to separate earliest from later issues. Imprint and city-order changes (the Toronto Belford Bros. lineage; later Belford-Clarke Company / Rose-Belford forms) help bracket the date of an issue. Imprints and series: Belford, Clarke & Co.; Belford Bros. (Toronto); Belford-Clarke Company; Rose-Belford. Background: 1880s Chicago/New York (and San Francisco) cheap-edition publisher, infamous for pirated reprints of British and American authors before stronger copyright enforcement; building burned in an 1886 fire and the firm was out of business by 1892. Reprint nature means edition identification turns on authorized-vs-pirated status and advertisement/imprint state rather than first-printing statements.


Bellevue Literary Press — first-edition identification

Bellevue Literary Press (New York, NY (US); 2007–present). First-edition identification: First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page. The printing is read from the lowest number present in the number line, not from the direction of the row. The Tinkers first printing, for example, carries the line '1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2' (odd ascending then even descending), so the presence of the '1' — not a row that 'ends in 1' — marks the first printing. Later printings drop the lower numbers. Background: Nonprofit press affiliated with the Bellevue Literary Review / NYU School of Medicine, founded 2007, publishing at the intersection of the arts and sciences. Published Paul Harding's first novel Tinkers (2009), which won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; the small first printing (about 3,500 copies) was reprinted many times, so the number line is decisive for identifying a true first. Convention here is the modern US trade default rather than a house rule documented in the standard references; medium confidence.


Berkley / Jove — first-edition identification

Berkley
Jove
Ace (sister, SF)
Charter
Berkley Caliber
Penguin Putnam mass-market lines

Berkley / Jove (US; 1955–present). First-edition identification: Mass-market originals: copyright page shows a printing statement; a true first reads 'Berkley/Jove edition / (Month Year)' or 'First printing' with NO later printings listed. Modern lines use a descending number line; presence of 1 indicates first printing. For paperback originals, the absence of any reprint notation is the primary test. Stated 'First edition' rare on mass-markets; rely on printing-history line. Imprints and series: Berkley; Jove; Ace (sister, SF); Charter; Berkley Caliber; Penguin Putnam mass-market lines. Background: Predominantly mass-market houses, so MANY Berkley/Jove/Ace titles are paperback FIRSTS (genre fiction, SF, romance, thrillers). Now part of the Berkley Publishing Group within Penguin Random House (via Penguin Putnam / G.P. Putnam's Sons lineage). Ace Books (SF) is the famous sibling — Ace Doubles (tête-bêche two-novels-in-one) are collected by their serial 'D-'/'F-'/'G-' designations. Genre collectors treat the paperback original as the true first edition; later hardcover book-club or reprint editions are not.


Bethany House Publishers — first-edition identification

Bethany House (fiction & nonfiction)
formerly Bethany Fellowship Press

Bethany House Publishers (Bloomington / Minneapolis, Minnesota (now under Baker, Grand Rapids, Michigan); 1956-present). First-edition identification: 1950s-1970s (Bethany Fellowship / Bethany Fellowship Press): small missionary-fellowship press; no number line. Copyright year and absence of a reprint notice indicate a first printing; printing statements are inconsistent. 1970s-1990s (Bethany House Publishers): explicit printing statements and additive printing/year lines, with later printings noted. Janette Oke's prairie-romance firsts (from 'Love Comes Softly', 1979) fall in this era — identify by copyright year, the early printing line, and original cover art. 1990s-present: standard number line on the copyright page; lowest digit present equals the printing. A year line plus an impression line is typical; presence of 1 indicates a first printing. 2003-present (Baker era): copyright pages follow Baker Publishing Group conventions; number line, lowest digit equals the printing. Imprints and series: Bethany House (fiction & nonfiction); formerly Bethany Fellowship Press. Background: Grew out of Bethany Fellowship, a missionary training community near Minneapolis; the publishing arm was formalized as Bethany House and long the leading evangelical fiction (especially Christian romance) house. Acquired by Baker (Baker Book House / Baker Publishing Group); the sale was announced in late 2002 and completed in early 2003. Janette Oke is the signature author — 'Love Comes Softly' was published in 1979; her early firsts are the most collected Bethany titles, and later cover-art reissues are commonly mistaken for firsts. Distinct from Augsburg/Fortress despite both being Minnesota Lutheran-adjacent — Bethany is independent-evangelical, not denominational.


BFI Publishing (British Film Institute) — first-edition identification

BFI Film Classics
BFI TV Classics
BFI Modern Classics
BFI Screen Guides

BFI Publishing (British Film Institute) (UK (London); 1980s-present). First-edition identification: Standard UK descending number line on the copyright page; presence of '1' indicates a first printing. Long-running monograph series (notably BFI Film Classics, launched 1992) often went through many reprints — read the number line carefully, since later printings of popular titles otherwise look identical. The trade/distribution-partner statement on the copyright page helps date the printing era (see notable points). Imprints and series: BFI Film Classics; BFI TV Classics; BFI Modern Classics; BFI Screen Guides. Background: BFI's book program changed distribution partners over time: originally in-house BFI Publishing, later via Palgrave Macmillan, and since 2018 in partnership with Bloomsbury. The partner shown on the copyright page indicates the printing era. The compact BFI Film Classics and TV Classics monographs are the most collected; first printings of early or out-of-print titles on cult films draw the most interest. Always confirm '1' in the number line — series reprints are frequent.


Biblioasis — first-edition identification

Biblioasis (Canada (Windsor, Ontario); 2004-present (publishing; bookstore from 1998)). First-edition identification: Modern small literary press: first printings generally state 'first edition' on the copyright page and frequently carry a number line ('1' present = first printing). Translation Series and essay titles follow the same copyright-page convention. Because print runs are small and reprints are frequent for prize winners, verify the absence of a later-printing statement and that the number line retains '1'. Imprints and series: Biblioasis; Biblioasis International Translation Series; Untimely Meditations (essays); CanLit Classics. Background: Founded by Dan Wells as a Windsor, Ontario bookstore in 1998; began publishing in 2004 (first titles were poetry collections by Salvatore Ala and Goran Simic). Among Canada's most acclaimed small presses. Frequent Giller Prize attention drives multiple printings; in 2015 two Biblioasis titles were Giller-shortlisted (Anakana Schofield's 'Martin John' and Samuel Archibald's 'Arvida'). Prize-winner and shortlist firsts must be confirmed by first-printing indicators, since post-award reprints are common. The Biblioasis International Translation Series is a distinct, collectible run of works in translation.


Bilingual Press / Editorial Bilingüe — first-edition identification

Bilingual Press / Editorial Bilingüe (USA — founded 1973 at Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti); at Arizona State University (Tempe) since 1986; 1973-present). First-edition identification: 1973-present: A first printing is indicated by 'First Edition' / 'Primera Edición' wording on the copyright page and/or a descending number line whose lowest digit is 1; absence of any later-printing or reprint notice on an otherwise-original title is consistent with a first printing. As with most academic/small-press houses, practice is not perfectly uniform across the long backlist, so confirm against the specific copyright page rather than assuming a single fixed convention. Bilingual and dual-language titles: the press's own copyright-page printing statement governs the Bilingual Press edition; for a translated or dual-language work this is the first Bilingual Press printing regardless of any prior Spanish-only or English-only publication elsewhere. Clásicos Chicanos / Chicano Classics series reissues earlier Chicano works — for those, the Bilingual Press printing statement, not the original composition or first-publication date, identifies the Bilingual Press printing. Distinguish the book imprint from the associated journal (Bilingual Review / La Revista Bilingüe), which is a separate serial. Imprints and series: Bilingual Press / Editorial Bilingüe (also widely cited as Bilingual Review Press); Bilingual Review / La Revista Bilingüe (associated journal, first issued 1976); Clásicos Chicanos / Chicano Classics series. Background: Founded 1973 by Gary D. Keller (Gary Francisco Keller); originated at Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, and moved to Arizona State University, Tempe, in 1986 when Keller joined what became the Hispanic Research Center. A leading press for Chicano/Latino literature and scholarship, established when mainstream houses largely ignored Chicano writing; backlist exceeds 150 titles in English, Spanish, and bilingual editions. Published authors including Rolando Hinojosa, Miguel Méndez, Alejandro Morales, and Denise Chávez; the Clásicos Chicanos series recovered foundational Chicano texts. The bilingual / dual-language format and series-based recovery publishing are the distinctive identification considerations; the house is frequently referenced as 'Bilingual Review Press,' which collectors should treat as the same publisher.


Binford & Mort (Binfords & Mort) — first-edition identification

Binfords & Mort
Binford & Mort Publishing
Metropolitan Press (predecessor)

Binford & Mort (Binfords & Mort) (Portland, later Hillsboro, Oregon (Pacific Northwest); 1930-present). First-edition identification: Imprint-name era tell: the publishing arm began in 1930 under the Metropolitan Press umbrella (Metropolitan Press itself dated to a Portland printing business founded in 1899). The name 'Binfords & Mort' was adopted in 1938 after Ralph Mort became a partner. A 'Metropolitan Press' imprint therefore points to roughly 1930-1938, while 'Binfords & Mort' dates a title to 1938 or later. 1930-c.1960 (heyday): First editions of this era typically carry NO number line. Identify by a copyright year that matches publication, the correct period imprint, and the absence of any later-printing or reissue statement; later printings are usually noted as 'Second printing,' etc. c.1960 onward: The no-number-line convention continued, and many titles were reprinted from standing plates over decades. A first printing requires the absence of any added printing notice and, ideally, an original dust jacket without later price or printing changes. Backlist caution: the firm is still active (later in Hillsboro, Oregon) and continues to reprint regional staples, so verify the original copyright and first-printing state rather than trusting a recent-looking copy. Imprints and series: Binfords & Mort; Binford & Mort Publishing; Metropolitan Press (predecessor). Background: The publishing operation grew out of the Binfords' Metropolitan Press (a Portland printing firm dating to 1899) and began issuing Pacific Northwest books around 1930; the 'Binfords & Mort' name dates from 1938, when Ralph Mort joined as partner. Once among the largest book publishers in the Pacific Northwest and a major force in regional literature, especially from 1930 to 1960. Definitive regional references include 'Oregon Geographic Names' (Lewis A. McArthur; Binford & Mort published its early editions), 'History of Oregon Literature,' and 'Dictionary of Oregon History' — perennials with many printings, so first-printing identification matters. Still a small active publisher (relocated to Hillsboro, Oregon), continuing to reprint its backlist, so many copies are late printings that can be mistaken for firsts.


Bird & Bull Press — first-edition identification

Bird & Bull Press (US; 1958–c.2013). First-edition identification: Letterpress limited editions printed on Morris's own HANDMADE PAPER (he made the paper as well as printing) — paper character is a house signature Printed colophon with small stated limitation (often ~100–300), hand-numbered; many signed by Henry Morris Specialist subject matter (history of papermaking, marbling, fine printing) with tipped-in paper/marbling specimens — presence and completeness of specimens authenticates the first issue No number line — colophon limitation and the handmade-paper stock identify Imprints and series: Henry Morris (proprietor and papermaker). Background: Founded 1958 by Henry Morris (Pennsylvania); the leading American private press devoted to the literature and specimens of papermaking and decorated paper Books often contain tipped-in samples of handmade or marbled paper — missing specimens reduce completeness/value Editions are small; each is effectively a single limited printing Highly prized by book-arts collectors for both content and the paper itself


Birkhäuser — first-edition identification

Birkhäuser Verlag
Birkhäuser Boston
Springer Basel (current parent)

Birkhäuser (Switzerland (Basel) / United States (Boston); 1879-present (Springer brand)). First-edition identification: 1879-c.1985: Founded 1879 in Basel by Emil Birkhäuser; the scientific program (mathematics, physics, civil engineering, architecture) developed from the 1920s-1940s onward. German-language works state edition as 'Auflage'; a first edition reads '1. Auflage' (or carries the earliest issue with no later-Auflage statement). English-language titles from the Birkhäuser Boston office (opened 1979) are identified by edition statement, with a first printing shown by the absence of any later-printing notice. c.1985-present: Acquired by Springer in 1985. English-language titles carry a number line (lowest surviving digit = printing); German titles continue to use 'Auflage.' Modern titles follow Springer house style and may print a DOI. Note that the architecture/design program was sold to ACTAR in 2010 while the natural-sciences program remained with Springer. Imprints and series: Birkhäuser Verlag; Birkhäuser Boston; Springer Basel (current parent). Background: Distinguished mathematics and physics monograph and series publisher (e.g., the 'Progress in Mathematics' series). Now a Springer brand; 'Auflage' is the reliable German-language edition tell. Boston (US) and Basel (Swiss) issues can differ — check the imprint city on the title and copyright pages.


Birlinn Ltd — first-edition identification

Birlinn
Polygon
John Donald
Mercat Press (acquired 2007)
Arena Sport
BC Books

Birlinn Ltd (Scotland (Edinburgh); 1992-present). First-edition identification: Copyright page reads 'First published in [year] by Birlinn Ltd' (West Newington House, 10 Newington Road, Edinburgh) with a descending number line; a first printing has the digit 1 present. The imprint line names the specific Birlinn imprint (Polygon, John Donald, etc.); match the imprint to attribute the book correctly within the group. A first state shows the first-published year, the 1 in the number line, and no later-impression notice. Imprints and series: Birlinn; Polygon; John Donald; Mercat Press (acquired 2007); Arena Sport; BC Books. Background: Founded 1992 by Hugh Andrew; a major independent Scottish trade publisher. Acquired Polygon (2002), the John Donald academic imprint, and Mercat Press (2007), consolidating several Scottish lists. Largely Scottish-interest non-fiction; literary fiction and poetry are published mostly through the Polygon imprint.


Bitter Lemon Press — first-edition identification

Bitter Lemon Press (UK (London); 2003–present). First-edition identification: UK convention: first printings carry a descending number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on the imprint page, with 'First published in [year] by Bitter Lemon Press' stated; the lowest digit present is the printing. Translated titles state the original title, translator and original-language publication date — the Bitter Lemon line marks the first English-language edition, which is the relevant point for this house. Issued chiefly in B-format trade paperback (some hardcover); a full number line with no later-printing notation marks the first English-language edition. Imprints and series: Bitter Lemon Press. Background: Small independent founded 2003 by Swiss brothers François and Frédéric (Fred) von Hürter with Laurence Colchester; specializes in translated literary crime/noir (Carofiglio, Glauser, Padura). Almost all titles are first English-language editions of works already published abroad — collectors value them as the first appearance in English, not as world firsts. Print runs are small; the copyright-page number line is the practical identification tool, as no dedicated published first-edition guide exists for this house.


Black Belt Press — first-edition identification

Black Belt Press (South (Montgomery, Alabama); 1989-2000 (original imprint)). First-edition identification: 1989-2000 (active era under BBCG, Inc.): Standard small-press convention. First printing is typically identified by a number line on the copyright page in which the lowest number present indicates the printing (a present '1' means first printing); some titles instead state 'First edition' or 'First printing.' Where neither is present, a title-page date matching the copyright date plus the absence of a later-printing notation indicates the first printing. Continuity caution: Randall Williams and the Junebug Books children's imprint carried directly into NewSouth Books (founded 2000, Montgomery), so late Black Belt and early NewSouth titles share staff and conventions. Identify the actual imprint named on the copyright page to assign the correct house. Imprints and series: Black Belt Press; Junebug Books (children's, later carried to NewSouth); Black Belt Publishing. Background: Montgomery, Alabama independent; the Black Belt Press imprint began publishing in 1989 under BBCG, Inc., with H. Randall Williams (there from 1986) as a founding principal. It published Alabama/Southern history, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and folklore and was, by the mid-1990s, the state's leading independent press. Effectively the predecessor of NewSouth Books: when Williams and Suzanne La Rosa founded NewSouth in 2000, the team and the Junebug Books imprint carried over, and Black Belt was discontinued as an active imprint that year. The dormant Black Belt Press name was later revived as an imprint under NewSouth, Inc.; backlist titles were partly reissued by NewSouth. Long-tail house with thin bibliographic documentation; rely on per-copy copyright-page evidence.


Black Inc. (Schwartz Books / Schwartz Media) — first-edition identification

Black Inc.
Nero
Piccolo Nero
Schwartz City
La Trobe University Press
Quarterly Essay (series)
Australian Foreign Affairs (series)

Black Inc. (Schwartz Books / Schwartz Media) (Australia (Melbourne, VIC); c.1999–2000–present (Schwartz parent from the 1980s)). First-edition identification: On a first printing the copyright page states 'Published by Black Inc. [year]' (or the relevant imprint, e.g. 'Published by Nero'), shows no reprint line, and the stated year matches the copyright year. This statement is the primary first-printing signal. Recent titles often carry a descending number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1', where the lowest digit present indicates a first printing; treat as supporting evidence, as the line is not applied to every title across the group's imprints. The imprint colophon identifies the sub-brand: La Trobe University Press (a 2017 joint venture with La Trobe University) and Nero/Piccolo Nero each carry distinct imprint statements though produced by the same parent. Imprints and series: Black Inc.; Nero; Piccolo Nero; Schwartz City; La Trobe University Press; Quarterly Essay (series); Australian Foreign Affairs (series). Background: Parent is Schwartz Publishing / Schwartz Media, founded by Morry Schwartz in the 1980s; the Black Inc. imprint dates to roughly 1999–2000, not the early-to-mid 1990s. Quarterly Essay (since 2001) and The Monthly (since 2005) are periodicals; Quarterly Essay issues are numbered and dated and are identified by issue number, not a book number line. La Trobe University Press launched 2017 as a Black Inc./La Trobe joint imprint, so a co-branded copyright page dates the book to 2017 or later.


Black Lizard Books — first-edition identification

Black Lizard Books (USA (Berkeley, California - a division of Creative Arts Book Company); 1984-1990 (original); 1990-present (Vintage successor)). First-edition identification: 1984-1990 (Creative Arts / Barry Gifford era, original Black Lizard): paperback reprints of 1930s-1960s noir in a deliberately pulpy mass-market look; the first Black Lizard printing carries the Creative Arts Book Company imprint and Berkeley address and shows no additional-printing line on the copyright page. Later printings add a printing notice. 1990-present (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, Random House / Knopf Doubleday): after Random House acquired the Black Lizard name in 1990, titles appear as trade paperbacks under 'Vintage Crime/Black Lizard.' A first Vintage edition is stated as 'First Vintage Crime/Black Lizard Edition, [month year]' with a full descending number line ending in 1. This is a different entity from the original Berkeley series. Collector caution: the original Berkeley-era Black Lizard editions (1984-1990) are the scarce, sought-after state; the later Vintage trade paperbacks are common reprints carrying the same brand name but a different format and publisher. Imprints and series: Black Lizard (original Creative Arts series); Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (Random House successor). Background: Founded and edited from 1984 by Barry Gifford as a division of Creative Arts Book Company (Berkeley); released over ninety titles between 1984 and 1990. Revived Jim Thompson's reputation, helping lead to film adaptations of his work. Reprinted Goodis, Thompson, Willeford, Rabe, Whittington, Williams and Lionel White, plus Gifford and Nisbet originals. In 1990 Don Ellis sold the line (including unprinted titles under contract) to Vintage/Random House, which merged it with Vintage Crime - same brand name, different trade format and house.


Black Sparrow Press — first-edition identification

Black Sparrow Press (US; 1966–2002 (original press)). First-edition identification: TITLE-PAGE COLOR is the master point: a first printing has a title page printed in two or more colors; ALL later printings have a title page in black only. This is the single most reliable Black Sparrow first-edition tell. Copyright page of a first lists no additional printings. Multi-tier issue structure per title: (1) lettered signed/limited (e.g., 26 lettered A–Z) often with original holograph or artwork, (2) numbered signed limited (e.g., 250–300 copies) on better paper with a limitation/colophon leaf at the rear, (3) trade hardcover (cloth/boards), (4) trade paperback wrappers — all four can be 'firsts' of the first printing; tier is identified by the limitation statement. Limitation/colophon leaf at the BACK states the print run and signing; signed-limited copies are numbered and signed there. Deluxe/limited bindings done by Earle Gray Book Binding Company (most BSP deluxe books 1968–2002). Imprints and series: Black Sparrow Books (later David R. Godine continuation); Sun Dog Press (associated). Background: Founded 1966 by John Martin in Los Angeles; defining publisher of Charles Bukowski (Post Office 1971, Women 1978), plus Paul Bowles, John Fante, Wyndham Lewis, Diane Wakoski, Robert Kelly. Distinctive Barbara Martin cover design (bold typographic wrappers) is a house signature but is NOT itself a printing point. Common confusion: a black-only title page on a Bukowski title that 'looks first' is actually a later printing — always check title-page color. After the press closed (2002), Black Sparrow name/backlist split: David R. Godine continues 'Black Sparrow Books'; HarperCollins/Ecco acquired the Bukowski list — later corporate reissues are not BSP firsts.


Black Sun Press — first-edition identification

Black Sun Press (Paris, France; 1927–c.1952 (Paris operation ran to 1936; firm officially continued to Caresse Crosby's death in 1970)). First-edition identification: 1927–1952: expatriate fine press. Each title issued once in a stated LIMITED edition; identify by the COLOPHON/limitation page giving the total number of copies (often with subsets on different papers — Japan vellum, Holland, etc.) and the individual copy number. The earliest imprint (1927 into 1928) reads 'Éditions Narcisse'; the name changed to 'Black Sun Press' in 1928 — the imprint name on the title page/colophon dates the issue. Paper-state subsets (deluxe vellum/Japan copies vs ordinary numbered copies) are distinguished in the limitation statement and are the key variant. Published early/first appearances of major modernists (Crane, Lawrence, MacLeish, Hemingway, Joyce, Jolas) — for these the Black Sun issue can be a true first edition of the text; confirm via the limitation and the standard Crosby/Black Sun bibliographies. Imprints and series: Black Sun Press (Harry & Caresse Crosby); formerly Éditions Narcisse (1927–1928). Background: Founded by Harry and Caresse Crosby in April 1927 as Éditions Narcisse (named for their whippet), renamed Black Sun Press in 1928. Often a genuine first printing of important modernist texts — high collectibility; the longest-lived of the 1920s Paris expatriate presses. Paper-state subsets (vellum/Japan vs ordinary numbered copies) drive desirability. Colophon limitation governs identification; there is no number line.


Bloomsbury Publishing — first-edition identification

Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury Children's
Methuen (acquired)
A&C Black (acquired)
Continuum

Bloomsbury Publishing (UK; 1986-present). First-edition identification: First printings carry a full descending number line "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" on the copyright page; the lowest number (1) present = first printing Copyright page should show only the original publication year and no later printer/edition statement Some later titles also print the words "First Edition" on the copyright page alongside the number line First printing = number line ending in 1 AND no mention of a subsequent edition, later date, or different publisher Imprints and series: Bloomsbury; Bloomsbury Children's; Methuen (acquired); A&C Black (acquired); Continuum. Background: Harry Potter is the defining case: 'Philosopher's Stone' (1997) true first = number line 10...1, '1 wand' listed twice on p.53, 'Joanne Rowling' credit, Thomas Taylor cover, print run of only ~500 hardcovers — among the most valuable modern firsts Chamber of Secrets (1998) & Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) firsts: number line 10...1, no later-printing/edition statement Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows firsts say "First Edition" on the copyright page Founded 1986 — a relatively young house, so number-line convention applies throughout


Bluejay Books — first-edition identification

Bluejay Books Inc.
Bluejay Books, Inc.
Bluejay Books (New York)

Bluejay Books (USA (New York); 1983–1986). First-edition identification: A first printing is confirmed by an explicit DATED statement on the copyright page reading 'First Bluejay printing:' followed by a month and year — e.g., 'First Bluejay printing: November 1985' (Dan Simmons, Song of Kali). This dated worded line is the single most reliable point and is consistent across the house's catalogue. Bluejay used a SPELLED-OUT dated printing statement, NOT a descending number line. Do not expect a '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' printer's key ending in 1; there is no evidence Bluejay used number lines. The presence of the worded 'First Bluejay printing: [Month Year]' is what confirms first status. The wording is stable across titles — 'First Bluejay printing: [Month Year]' — verified on multiple titles: Song of Kali (November 1985), The Messiah Choice (May 1985), Nightflyers (December 1985), Benjamin Schutz Embrace the Wolf (March 1985), Jack Williamson Firechild (August 1986), Kate Wilhelm Huysman's Pets (January 1986). Treat 'Stated first Bluejay printing' / '1st Bluejay edition' / 'First thus' as dealer paraphrases, not the exact copyright-page text; confirm the literal 'First Bluejay printing: [Month Year]' line on the book. Cross-check the stated printing month/year against the house's 1983–1986 window and the title's known first-publication date. Because Bluejay operated only about three years and dated each printing, a 'First Bluejay printing' line dated inside that window reliably indicates the first Bluejay printing of that issue. A LATER printing would be flagged by a later month/year in the same 'Bluejay printing' statement or a higher ordinal (e.g., 'Second Bluejay printing'), not by any number-line manipulation. Note the dated line records THIS Bluejay issue's first printing — the same title can have a hardcover and a separate trade-softcover issue, each carrying its own 'First Bluejay printing' date, so match the format in hand before calling it 'the' first. Many Bluejay books are 'First thus' — the first Bluejay appearance of a text published earlier elsewhere (e.g., George R.R. Martin's Nightflyers collects a novella first serialized in Analog in 1980 and issued by Bantam in 1981). The 'First Bluejay printing' line confirms the first Bluejay printing but NOT that the title is the work's true first-anywhere edition. Imprints and series: Bluejay Books Inc.; Bluejay Books, Inc.; Bluejay Books (New York). Background: Distribution/ISBN trap: Bluejay Books were distributed by St. Martin's Press, so nearly all carry St. Martin's 0-312- ISBNs (Song of Kali 0-312-94408-X; Firechild 0-312-94165-9; Huysman's Pets 0-312-94219-2; Messiah Choice 0-312-94301-6). A 0-312 St. Martin's ISBN on a book stating 'First Bluejay printing' is NORMAL for a Bluejay first, not a sign of a St. Martin's reprint. Format trap: Bluejay issued titles in hardcover AND trade softcover (e.g., Nightflyers appeared as a 'First Bluejay printing' trade softcover). A hardcover and a softcover can each be a legitimate first printing of its own format — determine which format you hold before calling it 'the' first. Book-club tell: some Bluejay titles circulated in book-club form (the Gardner Dozois Year's Best Science Fiction annuals had smaller book-club editions). Standard club markers — no jacket price, blind-stamped board dot/gutter code, 'Book Club Edition' on the flap — override a first-printing assumption, so confirm BOTH a stated Bluejay printing line AND a priced jacket / trade binding. Short-lived, undercapitalized house (folded 1986) with a small catalogue (~50+ titles): dated printing statements are unusually informative and are the primary evidence. Trust the copyright-page 'First Bluejay printing: [Month Year]' line rather than looking for a number line, which the house did not use. Watch for dealer typos ('First BluJay printing', 'First Bluejay Books printing') that paraphrase or misspell the actual line.


BOA Editions, Ltd. — first-edition identification

BOA Editions, Ltd. (US; 1976–present). First-edition identification: Modern convention: copyright page states 'First Edition' and/or carries a descending number line (lowest digit present = printing number). Series designation 'American Poets Continuum Series, No. NNN' appears on the copyright/series page and dates/places the title. First with no later-printing notice; later printings add a printing line or advance the number line. Early BOA letterpress chapbooks/broadsides and signed limiteds carry a rear colophon/limitation statement. Imprints and series: American Poets Continuum Series; Lannan Translations Selection Series; BOA Short Fiction Prize; A. Poulin, Jr. New Poets of America Series. Background: Founded 1976 by A. Poulin, Jr. in Brockport/Rochester, New York; nonprofit poetry and translation press. Published Lucille Clifton, Li-Young Lee, W.D. Snodgrass, Dorianne Laux; the American Poets Continuum Series is the flagship numbered line. Early titles were small-run and sometimes letterpress — verify printing statements individually for 1970s–80s items.


Bobbs-Merrill Company — first-edition identification

Bobbs-Merrill Company (US; 1900s-1950s). First-edition identification: Early firsts (pre-1920s): a month only on the copyright page, with no printing statement. Pre-1920s: a bow-and-arrow device (the Bobbs-Merrill colophon) on the copyright page was the era's first-edition signal — but applied inconsistently. Note: standard dealer references (Quill & Brush, ILAB/Biblio) place this device in the PRE-1920s period, not the 1920s as commonly misstated. After ~1920: firsts generally state 'First Edition' on the copyright page, the printed statement having largely superseded the device — still inconsistent. From 1936: firsts state 'First Edition' OR 'First Printing' on the copyright page, and the publisher became markedly more consistent (a statement is generally expected on a true first from this point on). Imprints and series: Bobbs-Merrill; Pegasus (later). Background: Notoriously inconsistent before 1936 — they frequently omitted ANY statement of printing, so absence of a statement is not conclusive either way for pre-1936 titles. The bow-and-arrow device, when present, is a positive first-edition indicator, but its absence does not rule out a first; it belongs primarily to the pre-1920s era rather than the 1920s. Publisher of children's/Americana (Raggedy Ann, the orange/black biographies series) where points vary title-by-title; always cross-check the specific title against a points guide such as FEDPO.


Boni & Liveright / Horace Liveright — first-edition identification

Boni & Liveright / Horace Liveright (US; 1917-1933 (revived 1970s+)). First-edition identification: No statement of printing on the copyright page of firsts; later printings designated 'second printing', etc. Therefore: absence of any later-printing notice = first printing (for the vintage era). From the 1970s (revived Liveright): a number line with '1' present indicates a first. Imprints and series: Boni & Liveright; Horace Liveright Inc.; Liveright Publishing; Modern Library (early, before sale to Random House). Background: Originated the Modern Library series before selling it to Bennett Cerf/Random House in 1925 — a key bibliographic crossover. Major 1920s modernist house (Eliot's 'The Waste Land', Hemingway's 'In Our Time' US, Faulkner, Pound, Hart Crane) — these high-spots have detailed title-level points. Boni & Liveright (1917-1928) → Horace Liveright Inc. (1928-1933) → Liveright Inc.; the imprint name on the title page dates the copy.


Bookcraft — first-edition identification

Bookcraft
Bookcraft Pubs.
absorbed into Deseret Book 1999

Bookcraft (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; 1942-1999 (imprint continued under Deseret Book)). First-edition identification: 1942-1960s: Independent LDS publisher founded in 1942 by John Kenneth Orton (Marvin Wallin became associated later). No number line; identify firsts by copyright year and absence of a reprint or later-printing notice. 1960s-1980s: explicit printing statements and printing-history lines appear; later printings noted by an added line or year. Bruce R. McConkie's 'Mormon Doctrine' (first edition 1958) and its substantially revised second edition (1966) are Bookcraft titles, and the 1958 first versus 1966 revised second is the key collecting distinction. 1980s-1999: standard descending number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a '1' present indicates a first printing. Post-1999: the imprint was absorbed by Deseret Book, and later 'Bookcraft' printings follow Deseret Book conventions. Imprints and series: Bookcraft; Bookcraft Pubs.; absorbed into Deseret Book 1999. Background: Founded in 1942 by John Kenneth Orton; the leading independent (non-Church-owned) LDS publisher for most of the 20th century, a counterpart to the Church-owned Deseret Book. Publisher of Bruce R. McConkie's controversial 'Mormon Doctrine' (first edition 1958; substantially revised second edition 1966); first versus second edition is the signature Bookcraft collecting point. Acquired by Deseret Management Corporation in April 1999 and combined with Deseret Book's publishing division; the Bookcraft name continued for a time as a Deseret imprint. Early titles are catalogued alongside Deseret titles in the Flake-Draper Mormon bibliography.


BOOM! Studios — first-edition identification

BOOM! Box
KaBOOM! (all-ages)
Archaia
BOOM! Studios (main)

BOOM! Studios (USA (Los Angeles, CA); 2005-present). First-edition identification: Floppy issues: a first printing carries no printing statement in the indicia; later printings are explicitly stated ('Second Printing' and higher). Trade paperbacks and hardcovers: the copyright/indicia page states 'First Printing' with month and year (and often a print-run count); a first printing shows the earliest single date and no later-printing line. The 5-digit UPC supplement on floppies is meant to encode the printing in its fifth digit (1 = first printing), but it is populated inconsistently and should be treated only as a weak corroborating clue, not a primary point. Archaia (the prestige hardcover imprint) uses book-trade-style copyright pages with dated first-printing statements and sometimes a number line. Imprints and series: BOOM! Box; KaBOOM! (all-ages); Archaia; BOOM! Studios (main). Background: Founded 2005 by Ross Richie. Archaia (founded 2002 by Mark Smylie) was acquired in 2013 and became a wholly owned imprint known for premium hardcovers (Mouse Guard, Jim Henson properties); these went to multiple printings, making the dated first-printing line decisive. 'Lumberjanes' (BOOM! Box) and various licensed all-ages titles (KaBOOM!, rebranded from BOOM! Kids in 2011) reuse cover art across printings, so the indicia date is the point. Book-trade graphic novels were distributed via Simon & Schuster from 2009; BOOM! was acquired by Random House (Penguin Random House) in 2024, after which book editions follow that group's distribution and printing-statement formatting.


Bowling Green State University Popular Press — first-edition identification

Bowling Green State University Popular Press (Bowling Green, Ohio; 1967-c.2002 (independent)). First-edition identification: 1969-c.1985: Small scholarly press; generally no first-printing statement; later printings noted when they occurred. A first printing is indicated by matching title-page and copyright dates with no later-printing line, with the CIP/ISBN block present. (The press was founded in 1967 to publish the Journal of Popular Culture and began publishing books in 1969.) c.1985-2002: A number line on the copyright page where used; the lowest number present indicates the printing. Many titles were printed only once (popular-culture monographs). Post-transfer (c.2002-2003 onward): The list was acquired by the University of Wisconsin Press; later 'Popular Press' titles carry Wisconsin imprint and number-line conventions. Imprints and series: Popular Press; Popular Culture Press. Background: Founded by Ray and Pat Browne (pioneers of academic popular-culture studies) at Bowling Green State University in 1967 to publish the Journal of Popular Culture; the press began issuing books in 1969. The list was transferred to the University of Wisconsin Press around 2002-2003 (after Pat Browne's 2002 retirement); post-transfer titles are Wisconsin imprints. A foundational publisher for the field of popular-culture studies, with many single-printing scholarly titles.


Boyds Mills & Kane — first-edition identification

Boyds Mills & Kane (US; 1990-present). First-edition identification: First printing: a descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, frequently accompanied by 'First edition [year]' wording; the lowest digit indicates the printing Kane Miller world-picture-book co-editions often state 'First American edition' and may show the foreign original-edition date alongside it Imprints and series: Boyds Mills Press (now Astra Young Readers); Calkins Creek (American history); Wordsong (poetry); Kane Press; Kane Miller (world picture books); Hippo Park; mineditionUS. Background: Boyds Mills Press began in 1990 as the trade imprint of Highlights for Children; in 2019 Highlights sold the book program to Kane Press (owned by Beijing's Thinkingdom), forming Boyds Mills & Kane In September 2021 the children's program was reorganized under the Astra Books for Young Readers division of Astra Publishing House; the former Boyds Mills Press trade imprint specifically was renamed Astra Young Readers (not the company as a whole) Calkins Creek publishes American history; Wordsong is the only US children's poetry imprint; Kane Miller specializes in importing and co-editing world picture books Reliable modern number-line convention


Bradbury & Evans — first-edition identification

Bradbury & Evans
Bradbury, Agnew & Co. (from 1865)
Punch (proprietors)

Bradbury & Evans (London, UK; 1830s–20th c. (Dickens publishing 1844–1858)). First-edition identification: Originally printers who became publishers: 19th-century firsts carry no edition statement — use title-page date, absence of any later-printing notice, and correct imprint. For Dickens novels issued in monthly parts, the true 'first' is the original part-issue (paper wrappers, with the correct inserted advertisements/'Dickens advertiser' and plates in the right states) — the bound first edition is a separate, later object. When collecting parts, completeness of all wrappers, slips, and advertisements and correct plate states are the points that determine value; collate against Hatton & Cleaver for Dickens parts. After 1865 the imprint becomes Bradbury, Agnew & Co. — imprint style helps date the printing. Imprints and series: Bradbury & Evans; Bradbury, Agnew & Co. (from 1865); Punch (proprietors). Background: Publisher/printer of Dickens from 1844 (Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Little Dorrit) and proprietor of Punch and the Daily News. Part-issue collecting (the famous monthly wrappers) is a specialist area with elaborate, plate-state-dependent points — a wrong rule here is costly. Became Bradbury, Agnew & Co. in 1865; continued as printers of Punch into the 20th century. Because the firm was primarily printers, many imprints read as joint publisher/printer lines.


Bradbury Press — first-edition identification

Bradbury Press (USA (Scarsdale, NY early; Englewood Cliffs, NJ from the early 1970s); founded 1968; independent to 1981, then a Macmillan imprint; folded into Simon & Schuster / Aladdin in the early 1990s). First-edition identification: Read the copyright page for a printing statement first. Bradbury's usual first-printing tell across the 1970s and 1980s is an explicit statement such as 'First Printing' (or 'First edition' with no later-printing notice) rather than always a number line. On these titles a first printing carries that wording with no added later-printing line - e.g. 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' (1970) and 'It's Not the End of the World' (1972) are identified by a stated 'First Printing' with no further printings listed. When a title uses a descending number line instead, confirm the line runs all the way down to 1 (…3 2 1). A complete line ending in 1 indicates a first printing; if the lowest number is 2 or higher it is a later printing. This is the reliable tell on many 1980s titles such as 'Hatchet' (1987, Bradbury Press, New York), which shows a full number line to 1 on the copyright page. Do not assume a number line on every book - some titles are identified only by the stated 'First Printing', so apply whichever test the copyright page actually uses. Cross-check the stated copyright year against the known first-publication year of the title (Margaret 1970, Hatchet 1987). A later copyright date, or an added later-printing statement/number line, rules out a first printing. For award-winning titles the FIRST-printing dust jacket predates the award and therefore lacks any printed award medallion or applied seal - a documented point on 'Hatchet', whose first-state jacket carries no Newbery Honor seal because the 1988 Honor came after the September 1987 publication. A printed or applied award seal signals a later jacket state or later printing. Confirm documented binding/publisher points where they exist - e.g. the 1970 first of 'Margaret' is in light blue cloth stamped in yellow, dust jacket by Eros Keith - and confirm the copyright-page imprint reads 'Bradbury Press' rather than a book-club or later-publisher imprint. Match the imprint string on the copyright page to the title's expected first-issue period. Pre-1981 firsts read simply 'Bradbury Press'; after the 1981 Macmillan acquisition the imprint may read 'Bradbury Press, an affiliate/imprint of Macmillan', and later reissues of the same title appear under Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, or Aladdin - none of which are the Bradbury first. Imprints and series: Bradbury Press; Bradbury Press, Inc.; Bradbury Press (an affiliate of Macmillan); Bradbury Press / Macmillan. Background: Do NOT confuse with the Victorian British firm 'Bradbury & Evans' (Bradbury and Evans, est. 1830; publishers of Dickens and Punch) - an entirely different, unrelated house. Book-club and school-market reprints are NOT first editions: watch for Weekly Reader Books editions and other club issues, which carry club branding, cheaper bindings, often no price on the jacket, and lack the trade first-printing points. Bradbury's first-printing practice is title-dependent rather than a clean era rule: most firsts show a stated 'First Printing', while other titles (including some 1970s and many 1980s books) use a complete number line to 1. Read the copyright page and apply whichever test that book uses instead of expecting a number line on every title. Place of publication shifted from Scarsdale, NY (early) to Englewood Cliffs, NJ (from the early 1970s), so the imprint location on the copyright page varies by year - useful for sanity-checking a stated date, not a defect. After the 1981 Macmillan acquisition the same titles were reissued under Macmillan, then (after Macmillan's 1994 sale) under Simon & Schuster / Aladdin; do not mistake a later-imprint reissue for the Bradbury first.


Bradt Travel Guides (Bradt Guides) — first-edition identification

Bradt Travel Guides
Bradt 'Backpacking and Trekking' titles
Bradt Wildlife / Slow Travel guides

Bradt Travel Guides (Bradt Guides) (United Kingdom (Chalfont St Peter / Bath); 1974-present). First-edition identification: Identify by edition number plus copyright-page printing detail; a first printing shows the edition's debut year and no later reprint years. 1974-1980s: founded by Hilary Bradt (with George Bradt); the origin title 'Backpacking Along Ancient Ways in Peru and Bolivia' (1974) was written while travelling in Peru and issued without a spine, more pamphlet than book. Earliest small-run printings are identified by crude production, a single debut year, and the 'Bradt Enterprises' / 'Bradt Publications' imprint. 1990s-2000s: 'Bradt Publications' then 'Bradt Travel Guides Ltd'; standard copyright page with an edition number ('2nd edition' etc.) and number line, with the first printing the earliest listed. 2010s-present: Bradt Guides (Bath); conventional edition and number-line identification. Imprints and series: Bradt Travel Guides; Bradt 'Backpacking and Trekking' titles; Bradt Wildlife / Slow Travel guides. Background: Hilary Bradt's 1974 Peru/Bolivia backpacking guide is the foundational first and is regarded as the first guide to the Inca Trail; Bradt specializes in offbeat and 'first guidebook to' countries (e.g. early Madagascar, Eritrea). Imprint evolution (Bradt Enterprises -> Bradt Publications -> Bradt Travel Guides Ltd) brackets the era. Collected by edition number; pioneer titles to obscure destinations are the prizes. Standard number-line conventions from the 1990s onward.


Brentano's (publishing division) — first-edition identification

Brentano's (publishing division) (New York, USA (also London/Paris bookstores); 1853–1933 (publishing division; bookstores longer)). First-edition identification: Pre-1928: no marking on first editions; subsequent/later printings were noted, so the absence of a later-printing notice indicates a first printing. 1928 onward: began stating 'First printed 19—' (the words 'First printed' followed by the year) on the copyright page of first editions, continuing to note subsequent printings. Background: Long-running bookselling firm (founded 1853 by August Brentano) whose publishing division was active mainly in the 1900s–1933. Published George Bernard Shaw's authorized American editions and Gertrude Stein's 'The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas' (1933). The publishing arm failed during the Depression (1933); the bookstores continued separately. The 1928 shift to 'First printed 19—' is a clean identification boundary.


Brick Books — first-edition identification

Brick Books (Canada (London, Ontario); 1975-present). First-edition identification: Poetry-only small press: first printings show the publication-year copyright with no later-printing statement; many modern titles state 'first edition' and may carry a number line. Small runs mean most titles are single printings, so absence of reprint notes plus the original copyright year is the working rule. Award-shortlisted poetry titles can reprint; verify the printing statement or number line for prize-winner firsts. Imprints and series: Brick Books. Background: Canada's oldest poetry-only press, founded 1975 in London, Ontario by poets Don McKay and Stan Dragland; it grew out of the magazine 'Brick / A Journal of Reviews.' Name disambiguation: the literary magazine 'Brick' (now Toronto-based, associated with the Michael Ondaatje circle) is a SEPARATE entity from Brick Books the poetry publisher; do not conflate. Multiple Governor General's Award winners and Griffin Poetry Prize nominees (with wins); prize-winner firsts are the most desirable points.


Bridget Williams Books — first-edition identification

Bridget Williams Books
BWB
BWB Texts (short-book series)

Bridget Williams Books (New Zealand (Wellington); 1990-present). First-edition identification: 1990-present: Independent Wellington publisher founded in 1990 by Bridget Williams, who bought the New Zealand list she had developed as managing director of Allen & Unwin NZ when its parent was sold. First editions are identified by a 'First published 19xx/20xx by Bridget Williams Books' statement on the copyright/imprint page; reprints add 'Reprinted' lines, so a first printing carries no reprint history below the 'First published' line. From 1995 to 1998 some titles appeared under a joint imprint with Auckland University Press before the house returned to fully independent status; check the imprint line for this period. From 2013, BWB Texts (a series of short books, issued first as e-books then as paperbacks) each constitute a single first printing unless a reprint line is added — identify by the series and the 'First published' year. Where a number line appears on trade titles, the lowest number indicates the printing. Imprints and series: Bridget Williams Books; BWB; BWB Texts (short-book series). Background: Leading New Zealand publisher of history, politics and Treaty of Waitangi / Maori scholarship, with strengths in women's history (authors include Anne Salmond and Judith Binney). The BWB Texts series (from 2013) is a distinctive short-book line, launched first as e-books. Founder Bridget Williams co-founded Port Nicholson Press (1981) and was managing director of Allen & Unwin NZ before establishing this eponymous house in 1990.


Bull Thistle Press — first-edition identification

Bull Thistle Press (Vermont, USA (letterpress poetry); late 20th c. (c.1980s-2000s)). First-edition identification: Late 20th c.: small hand-letterpress poetry chapbooks and broadsides. Identification = a COLOPHON limitation statement giving a small numbered edition; the first is the stated edition with no later-printing notice. There is no number line. Signed and numbered limited copies are noted on a colophon where issued; broadsides are identified by the stated limitation and any signature. Single-edition fine-press production, so a copy matching the colophon's stated limitation and the physical collation is the first; reprints are rare to nonexistent. Identify by the imprint name on the colophon and, where possible, by the printer's or associated poet's bibliography. Imprints and series: Bull Thistle Press. Background: A Vermont long-tail letterpress poetry imprint, lightly documented; its publications are held in the Small Press Collection at the University at Buffalo Poetry Collection. Follows conventional small hand-press practice: numbered runs, wrappers or broadsides, and colophon-stated limitations. Identification relies on collation and the colophon rather than any printing line.


Burning Deck Press — first-edition identification

Série d'Ecriture (translation series)
Dichten= (German translation series)
Lost Roads Publishers (associated)

Burning Deck Press (USA (Providence, Rhode Island); 1961–2017). First-edition identification: Letterpress craft house: identification is colophon-driven. A rear colophon typically states the edition size and distinguishes signed/numbered copies from the trade run; number lines are not the relevant signal for the early titles. Many titles were printed in a single small edition with no reprint statement; the colophon's stated edition size, combined with the absence of any later-printing notice, identifies the issue. Signed/numbered limitation copies are a distinct state from the unsigned trade copies of the same edition. Imprints and series: Série d'Ecriture (translation series); Dichten= (German translation series); Lost Roads Publishers (associated). Background: Founded 1961 by Keith and Rosmarie Waldrop while graduate students; the press closed in 2017 after roughly 247 publications. Central to experimental American poetry and to French and German poetry in translation. All Burning Deck titles were hand-set and printed on the Waldrops' own letterpress until 1985, after which the press moved to offset. The early letterpress titles are the most collected and are identified by their colophons rather than number lines. Série d'Ecriture and Dichten= are translation sub-series; the series leaf dates the title. Lost Roads Publishers (associated with C.D. Wright and Forrest Gander) is a distinct press, not a Burning Deck imprint proper.


C&T Publishing — first-edition identification

C&T Publishing
Stash Books
FunStitch Studio
Kansas City Star Quilts (acquired)

C&T Publishing (Lafayette / Concord, California, USA; 1983-present). First-edition identification: 1983-present (independent, founded by Carolie & Tom Hensley): Quilting, sewing and fiber-craft specialist. First printing is identified by a descending number line, commonly '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1', with the lowest digit present giving the printing. C&T also frequently prints a 'Printed in [year]' and a 'First Printing' or edition statement on the copyright page. Spiral-bound and lay-flat formats are common but do not affect first-state identification. 2010-present: Added Stash Books (modern sewing, launched 2010) and FunStitch Studio (children's craft) sub-imprints, and acquired the Kansas City Star Quilts list in 2015 (with its My Stars and Star Stitch imprints). The number-line convention is unchanged; revised editions carry an explicit 'Second Edition' or similar statement and a new number line. Imprints and series: C&T Publishing; Stash Books; FunStitch Studio; Kansas City Star Quilts (acquired). Background: Founded 1983 by Carolie and Tom Hensley (the 'C' and 'T'), owners of The Cotton Patch quilt shop in Lafayette, CA; their first book was An Amish Adventure. Sons Todd and Tony Hensley bought the company in 1990; it remains independent. Launched Stash Books (2010) and FunStitch Studio sub-imprints, and acquired Kansas City Star Quilts (2015). Pattern and technique books often include tip-in or pull-out pattern sheets — confirm the pattern sheets are present for a complete first state. Explicit printing and edition statements make first printings relatively easy to confirm.


C. V. Mosby Company — first-edition identification

C. V. Mosby
Mosby
Mosby-Year Book
Mosby Elsevier
Times Mirror / Mosby (parent era)
Elsevier (current)

C. V. Mosby Company (United States (St. Louis, MO); 1906-present (imprint continues under Elsevier)). First-edition identification: 1906-c.1950: Incorporated 1906 by Charles Vernon Mosby in St. Louis as a medical, dental, nursing, allied-health and veterinary publisher. Texts are identified by the numbered EDITION on the title page and spine. The first printing of an edition is indicated by the absence of a later-printing or reprint notice on the copyright page. c.1950-c.1985: Edition-driven identification continues; later impressions appear as dated reprint lines. First printing = the edition's original dated line with no later 'Reprinted' lines. 1989 (Mosby-Year Book): Times Mirror merged C. V. Mosby with Year Book Medical Publishers (and Wolfe Publishing and PSG Publishing) to form the 'Mosby-Year Book' imprint; copyright pages from this period reflect that name. A number line becomes increasingly common (lowest digit = printing). c.1990-present (Mosby/Elsevier): Number line on the copyright page, lowest digit = printing, under Elsevier house style; the EDITION number remains the primary identification and value unit for continuously revised clinical and nursing references. Ownership: independent, acquired by Times Mirror in 1967, then Harcourt General in 1998, then Reed Elsevier in 2001; now an Elsevier imprint. Imprints and series: C. V. Mosby; Mosby; Mosby-Year Book; Mosby Elsevier; Times Mirror / Mosby (parent era); Elsevier (current). Background: Leading nursing and allied-health publisher (e.g., 'Mosby's' nursing references and 'Mosby's Medical Dictionary') collected and used by edition. The 'Mosby-Year Book' imprint dates specifically from the 1989 Times Mirror merger with Year Book Medical Publishers. Now Mosby/Elsevier; modern titles carry Elsevier coded printing lines.


Cambridge University Press — first-edition identification

Cambridge University Press (trade). First-edition identification: Edition statement on title/copyright page Number line (modern era) Absence of later-printing notice (older titles) Background: Academic-press conventions; printing distinctions matter less to scholarly buyers than to literary collectors.


Candlewick Press — first-edition identification

Walker Books (UK sister company)
Templar Books
Nosy Crow (distributed)
Big Picture Press
Candlewick Studio
MIT Kids Press

Candlewick Press (US; 1992–present). First-edition identification: Full descending number line on copyright page; first printing ends in 1 (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) — the number-line position of '1' is the authoritative first-printing signal Often states 'First edition' or 'First U.S. edition' on the copyright page (Candlewick is the US arm of UK Walker Books, so many titles are 'First U.S. edition' of a prior UK Walker printing) Library binding / reinforced trade editions exist; check copyright page number line not binding Imprints and series: Walker Books (UK sister company); Templar Books; Nosy Crow (distributed); Big Picture Press; Candlewick Studio; MIT Kids Press. Background: Founded 1992 (Somerville, MA) as the US arm of Walker Books UK; employee/independent-owned Major titles: Guess How Much I Love You, the Mega/Maisy line, Kate DiCamillo (Because of Winn-Dixie, Tale of Despereaux — Newbery), Judy Moody, M.T. Anderson A US 'First U.S. edition' is NOT the true world first if a Walker Books UK edition preceded it — distinguish first-printing-of-this-edition from first-in-the-world


Canongate Books — first-edition identification

Canongate Books (Scotland (Edinburgh); 1973-present). First-edition identification: Modern trade titles (1990s onward) carry a British-style number line on the copyright page; a first printing has the digit 1 present, e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' or '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'. Copyright page also states 'First published in [year] by Canongate Books Ltd' (Edinburgh address); a first state has no later-impression notice and a number line that still includes the 1. For high-spot modern firsts such as Yann Martel's 'Life of Pi', confirm both the 1 in the number line and the 'First published in Great Britain by Canongate' statement, and beware book-club and export states. Early Canongate (1970s-80s) titles predate consistent number lines; rely on the stated 'First published' year and the absence of any reprint notice. Imprints and series: Canongate; Canongate Classics; Payback Press; Rebel Inc.; Pocket Canons; Black Thorn (crime, launched 2019); Severn House (separate company acquired by Canongate in 2017). Background: Founded 1973 by Stephanie and Angus Wolfe Murray; near-collapse and a 1994 management buyout led by Jamie Byng revitalised it. 'Life of Pi' (Canongate) is the famous Canongate modern first and won the 2002 Booker Prize; dealers most commonly catalogue the UK Canongate first as 2002, though the date is easily confused with the 2001 Knopf Canada original edition, so verify the copyright-page statement rather than assuming a year. Pocket Canons (1998, Bible books with new introductions), Payback Press (1995), and Rebel Inc. (1996) are collectible 1990s imprints. Production and number-line consistency differ between the pre-1994 Wolfe Murray era and the post-Byng era, so identify the era before relying on a number line.


Carnegie Mellon University Press — first-edition identification

Carnegie Mellon University Press (USA (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); 1972–present). First-edition identification: Number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing. Series designation ('Carnegie Mellon Poetry Series') appears on the title or copyright leaf; firsts may also state 'First edition' with a year. Classic Contemporary Series titles are REISSUES of previously published collections — the CMU printing is not the world first edition; verify the original publisher and date before treating a CMU copy as a first. Imprints and series: Carnegie Mellon Poetry Series; Carnegie Mellon Classic Contemporary Series. Background: University-press poetry program established in 1972 (initially as Three Rivers Press; founder and director Gerald Costanzo). The Classic Contemporary Series specifically brings out-of-print collections back into print, a common 'false first' trap. For a true first edition of a Classic Contemporary title, confirm the original publisher; the CMU reissue carries reprint or first-CMU-printing language rather than world-first priority.


Cassell & Co. — first-edition identification

Cassell & Co. (UK; 1848-present). First-edition identification: Pre-early-1920s: year printed on the TITLE PAGE of the first edition with the copyright page left blank; later printings carry a later copyright-page date or reprint note Early 1920s onward: "First published [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year]" stated on the copyright page of firsts; subsequent printings noted First printing = era-appropriate (title-page date pre-1920s / copyright statement after) with no reprint notation Modern Cassell uses number lines Imprints and series: Cassell; Cassell Military; Ward Lock (sibling); Weidenfeld & Nicolson (later corporate group, Orion). Background: Published Winston Churchill ('The Second World War', 'A History of the English-Speaking Peoples'), H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson ('Treasure Island' in book form, 1883) The pre-1920s blank-copyright-page / title-page-date practice mirrors early Heinemann and is a common confusion Now part of the Orion/Hachette group


Catapult — first-edition identification

Counterpoint (sibling)
Soft Skull Press (sibling)

Catapult (New York, NY (US); 2015–present). First-edition identification: First printings state 'First Edition' (or 'First hardcover edition') on the copyright page. A descending number line ending in 1 accompanies it; the lowest digit indicates the printing. Reprints update the line and typically drop the 'First Edition' statement. Imprints and series: Counterpoint (sibling); Soft Skull Press (sibling). Background: Founded 2015; Catapult, Counterpoint, and Soft Skull operated together as a single house and have been distributed by Penguin Random House since 2021 (Counterpoint had merged into Catapult in 2016). The trade book program (as distinct from the Catapult online magazine and classes) carries the standard 'First Edition' plus number-line convention. Modern, standard convention — reliable but confirm per title for a brand-new house.


Celadon Books — first-edition identification

Celadon Books (US (New York); 2017-present). First-edition identification: First printing shows a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; the number line is the reliable tell Imprints and series: Celadon. Background: Standalone literary and commercial imprint, a Macmillan division launched in 2017 Published the US first edition of Delia Owens's Where the Crawdads Sing (2018); first printings show a full number line to 1 (later Reese's Book Club paperbacks were issued separately and are not the Celadon first)


Celestial Arts — first-edition identification

Celestial Arts (San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA (later a Berkeley-based Ten Speed Press imprint); 1969-c.2011). First-edition identification: 1969-1983 (independent, founded by Hal Kramer in the San Francisco Bay Area): began with rock posters and broadsides, then new-age, health, cookery, and self-help how-to. First printings: earliest copyright year; number lines are variable and often absent in the 1970s and early 1980s, so identify by the absence of any later-printing notation together with the stated cover price. 1983-c.2011 (Ten Speed Press imprint, Berkeley CA): Ten Speed Press acquired Celestial Arts in 1983 and ran it as a subsidiary imprint. From that point Celestial Arts follows Ten Speed's number-line convention ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1', lowest digit present = printing), and after Random House/Crown acquired Ten Speed in 2009, the Penguin Random House/Crown conventions. Vegetarian and whole-foods cookery is a core line. The imprint wound down around 2011. Imprints and series: Celestial Arts. Background: Founded 1969 by Hal Kramer in the San Francisco Bay Area; began with rock posters and broadsides, then moved into health, cookery (notably vegetarian/whole-foods), and new-age titles. Acquired by Ten Speed Press in 1983 and run as a subsidiary imprint, not around 2000. Followed Ten Speed into Random House/Crown when Ten Speed was acquired in 2009; the imprint ceased issuing new titles around 2011. The Ten Speed number-line tell applies from 1983 onward; earlier independent titles need earliest-copyright and cover-price verification.


Cemetery Dance Publications — first-edition identification

Cemetery Dance
CD Publications
Graveyard Editions

Cemetery Dance Publications (US; 1988–present). First-edition identification: Limited states identified by a signature/limitation sheet near the front, e.g. 'This is one of 1000 signed Limited copies' Traycased LETTERED editions run either 26 (A–Z) or 52 (AA–ZZ) signed copies; there are NO second printings of lettered editions Numbered signed editions state the run on the limitation sheet; trade hardcovers follow standard number-line-with-1 / no-later-printing practice Imprints and series: Cemetery Dance; CD Publications; Graveyard Editions. Background: Founded 1988 by Richard Chizmar; the leading modern horror specialty press (Stephen King, Bentley Little, Bradbury) Tiered releases (Trade / Signed Numbered Limited / Signed Lettered Traycased) — identify state by the limitation sheet, not just the copyright page Frequent very long lead times mean some announced limiteds differ from delivered states; verify the actual limitation leaf


Cengage Learning (reference/technical, incl. Course Technology) — first-edition identification

Cengage
Course Technology
Gale (reference; see separate entry)
Delmar (technical/trade)
South-Western
Wadsworth
Thomson Learning (former name)

Cengage Learning (reference/technical, incl. Course Technology) (United States (Boston / Stamford, CT); 2007-present (lineage to Thomson Learning)). First-edition identification: Pre-2007 (as Thomson Learning): Technical and reference titles are identified by edition statement plus copyright year; a number line, where present, indicates the printing (lowest surviving digit = printing). 2007-present (Cengage): The number line is standard on the copyright page (lowest surviving digit = printing). For continuously revised technical and reference texts the EDITION number is the identification unit. Course Technology (computing/certification) and Delmar (trades) follow this convention. The Gale reference imprint under Cengage is identified by edition, volume, and year — see the separate Gale entry. Imprints and series: Cengage; Course Technology; Gale (reference; see separate entry); Delmar (technical/trade); South-Western; Wadsworth; Thomson Learning (former name). Background: Formed when a private-equity consortium bought Thomson Learning's education assets and renamed it Cengage Learning in July 2007; it houses the Gale reference line. Technical, certification, and trades focus — currency of edition is the practical value driver, not first-printing points. The number line is the printing tell; the edition number is the identification unit.


Center for Western Studies (Augustana University) — first-edition identification

CWS Press
The Center for Western Studies

Center for Western Studies (Augustana University) (Sioux Falls, South Dakota; 1978–present (Center founded 1964)). First-edition identification: 1978–c.2000: Small academic/regional press; first printings generally carry no 'first edition' statement. Later printings are noted when they occur (uncommon given small runs). A first printing shows a single copyright date matching the title page with no later-printing line; a Library of Congress CIP block is present on most titles. c.2000–present: A number line appears on many titles on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing. CIP/ISBN block standard. Where no number line is present, treat a single un-annotated copyright date as the first printing. Limited/signed states and conference-proceedings volumes (the Dakota Conference series) exist — check for limitation or series statements. Imprints and series: CWS Press; The Center for Western Studies. Background: Founded 1964 by Herbert Krause; formally established by Augustana's board in 1970; publishing books on South Dakota and the Northern Plains since the late 1970s (more than 75 titles). Affiliated with Augustana University (formerly Augustana College), Sioux Falls; it is both an archive/repository and a publisher, and is the only continuously operating academic press in South Dakota. Small print runs mean most titles never reach a second printing, so the absence of later-printing notation is a reliable first-printing indicator. Publishes the Dakota Conference proceedings and Northern Plains regional history and Native American studies.


Centipede Press — first-edition identification

Centipede Press (USA (Lakewood, Colorado); 2001–present). First-edition identification: Ultra-limited fine press: a printed limitation page (often at the rear) states a small numbered run, with the copy number and signatures identifying the issue; runs are usually in the low hundreds States are distinguished by binding and enclosure — cloth-bound copies in a slipcase are numbered in Arabic numerals, while full-leather deluxe copies in a traycase are designated with Roman numerals or letters and carry additional signed material Most titles appear in a single deluxe edition, so the presence of the limitation leaf and completeness of signed plates and enclosure are the identifiers; note that limitation pages occasionally contain errors Imprints and series: Millipede Press (trade-paperback sister imprint); Cocytus Press (early imprint). Background: Founded 2001 by Jerad Walters; renowned for oversized, heavily illustrated fine-press horror and weird/SF books (Masters of the Weird Tale series, Thomas Ligotti) and winner of the HWA Specialty Press Award in 2013 Print runs are tiny and most titles exist in a single state, so the first is effectively the only edition; completeness (slipcase or traycase, signed plates) and condition drive collectibility Millipede Press was the press's trade-paperback arm rather than an old name that was simply rebranded; Cocytus Press was another early imprint


Chapman & Hall — first-edition identification

Chapman & Hall
Chapman and Hall, Limited (from 1880)

Chapman & Hall (London, UK; 1830–1930 (Dickens era 1836–1870)). First-edition identification: No edition statement on early firsts: identify by title-page date, absence of later-printing wording, and (for serialized novels) by the original part-issue versus the bound volume. For Dickens part-issues (Pickwick, Nicholas Nickleby, Martin Chuzzlewit, Our Mutual Friend, Edwin Drood), correct plates/etchings, advertisement slips, and wrapper states are the diagnostic points; Pickwick is the classic plate-state minefield (Buss versus Phiz plates, etc.). Bound first editions: complete plates in correct states, half-titles, and original cloth; collate against Eckel and Hatton & Cleaver for Dickens. 'Chapman and Hall, Limited' imprint (after incorporation in 1880) dates a printing to 1880 or later. Imprints and series: Chapman & Hall; Chapman and Hall, Limited (from 1880). Background: Dickens's principal early publisher (Pickwick Papers 1836–37 onward) and publisher of Carlyle, Trollope (later), Thackeray, and Meredith (who was a reader for the firm). Pickwick Papers in parts is among the most point-laden books in English collecting (plate states, text points, address slips). Incorporated as a limited company in 1880 (the year Edward Chapman retired); imprint style is a reliable dating aid. Both Chapman & Hall and Bradbury & Evans published Dickens at different periods — which firm's imprint appears helps place the title.


Charles Scribner's Sons — first-edition identification

Scribner
Scribner Library
Scribner Classics

Charles Scribner's Sons (US; 1846-1978 (vintage convention 1930-1973)). First-edition identification: Pre-1930: Scribner seal/device plus month-and-year of publication on copyright page; first printings either carry matching dates on title page and copyright page or show no later printings noted. The famous capital 'A' on the copyright page denotes a first printing. Introduced late 1929 and used 1930-1973. Classic form 'A-3.64[H]': A = printing (A=1st, B=2nd...), 3.64 = March 1964 date, [H]=hardcover / [P]=paperback. Presence of leading 'A' = true first. Later printings drop the 'A' or advance it to B, C, etc. After 1973 the letter code was abandoned in favor of a descending number line ending in 1. Imprints and series: Scribner; Scribner Library; Scribner Classics. Background: The single 'A' is the single most reliable Scribner point for 1930-1973 and is widely faked/misread — verify it is a standalone 'A' tied to the date code, not a random letter. Hemingway's 'The Old Man and the Sea' (1952): first issue has the 'A' on the copyright page plus the Scribner seal; absence of the 'A' = later printing. Some pre-1930 firsts have no statement at all — rely on matching title/copyright dates and absence of any 'reprinted' notice. Distinct from the modern Scribner imprint (now part of Simon & Schuster) which uses a Random-House-style number line.