Shambhala Publications — first-edition identification

Shambhala Publications (US (founded Berkeley, California, 1969; now Boulder, Colorado, with a longtime Boston, Massachusetts office); 1969-present (stated-printing practice changes at 1987/1988)). First-edition identification: On books from 1988 onward, a first printing is identified by the words 'First Edition' on the copyright page, typically paired with a descending number line whose lowest digit is 1. On books through 1987, the copyright page of a first printing reads either 'First Printing' or 'First Edition', or simply carries no later-printing notice at all; absence of any added printing statement on a pre-1988 copy indicates the first. On the number line, the lowest digit present equals the printing, so a line ending in 1 confirms a first printing. Imprints and series: Shambhala; Snow Lion; Roost Books; Trumpeter Books; Shambhala Pocket Library / Pocket Classics; New Science Library (historical). Background: Leading Western publisher of Buddhism, Taoism, mindfulness, and contemplative and yoga titles; the 1987/1988 shift in stated-printing practice is the key era caveat collectors must apply (this convention is documented in Biblio's by-publisher first-edition guide). Snow Lion (Tibetan Buddhism, originally of Ithaca, New York) was an independent press acquired by Shambhala in May 2012; pre-2012 Snow Lion titles follow their own independent copyright-page conventions, not Shambhala's. Roost Books (cooking, parenting, home), Trumpeter, and the Shambhala Pocket series are in-house imprints following the post-1987 'First Edition' convention. Chogyam Trungpa first editions such as 'Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism' (1973) are sought after and should be verified with the pre-1988 stated-printing rules.


Shasta Publishers — first-edition identification

Shasta Publishers (US; 1947–c.1957). First-edition identification: Shasta first editions are identified by an explicit 'First Edition' statement printed on the copyright page (a positive notation), NOT by the absence of later-printing language. Standard reference: the copyright page reads 'First Edition' (so stated). Example: the three Heinlein Future History titles (The Man Who Sold the Moon, The Green Hills of Earth, Revolt in 2100) all carry this statement, making Shasta easier to verify than Fantasy Press. Confirm physical issue points where documented per title (e.g., boards with cloth shelf back on the Heinlein titles) and a correct-state first-issue dust jacket with the original printed price; jacket art alone is not a reliable first-edition test. It is true that Shasta rarely reprinted, so most titles exist in a single print run — but treat this as corroboration, not the primary identification method. Verify the explicit copyright-page statement first and cross-check against a title-specific bibliography. Imprints and series: Shasta Publishers. Background: Founded 1947 by Erle Korshak, T. E. Dikty, and Mark Reinsberg, Chicago-area SF fans (this point is accurate). First book was E. F. Bleiler's reference work The Checklist of Fantastic Literature (1948); operated to c.1957, ~19 titles. Shasta published Heinlein's early Future History FICTION collections (The Man Who Sold the Moon 1950, The Green Hills of Earth, Revolt in 2100) — these are fiction, not 'nonfiction.' The claim it published the Bleiler/Dikty 'Best Science Fiction Stories' anthologies is WRONG: those annuals were published by Frederick Fell (1949 onward). Shasta's Bleiler link was the 1948 Checklist, a separate reference book. The 'L. Ron Hubbard Kingslayer project' as the collapse-era debacle is WRONG. The notorious episode was the 1953 Shasta/Pocket Books novel CONTEST won by Philip Jose Farmer's 'I Owe for the Flesh' — the prize money was never paid and the winning book was never published, contributing to Shasta's financial demise. 'Kingslayer' is a 1949 Hubbard collection published by Fantasy Publishing Company (FPCI), not Shasta. (Shasta separately turned down a Hubbard Dianetics book.) The claim that ALL early Shasta titles featured Hannes Bok jackets is overstated/incorrect. Bok illustrated several prominent early jackets (The Wheels of If, Slaves of Sleep, Kinsmen of the Dragon), and Shasta was noted for fine multicolor jackets, but other artists were also used. Bok art is NOT a reliable blanket attribution aid.

New Mexico Literacy Project (newmexicoliteracyproject.org)


Sheed & Ward — first-edition identification

Sheed & Ward
Stagbooks (paperback)
Sheed Andrews and McMeel (post-1973 US)

Sheed & Ward (London (1926) / New York (US, 1933), USA & UK; 1926-present (classic era 1926-1973)). First-edition identification: 1926-c.1950: first editions generally carry no printing statement; identify a first by the absence of any later-printing notice and by matching the earliest UK or US (1933+) imprint state. Distinguish the UK first from the US first, since both exist for many titles; UK firsts commonly add a 'First Published [month, year]' line while US firsts typically show no statement. c.1950-1973: later printings are noted on the copyright page, so the absence of a later-printing notice indicates a first printing; some titles add 'First published in [year]'. 1973 onward (US, under Universal Press Syndicate as Sheed Andrews and McMeel / Sheed & Ward): follows Andrews McMeel number-line conventions, with the lowest digit (1) present indicating a first printing. Imprints and series: Sheed & Ward; Stagbooks (paperback); Sheed Andrews and McMeel (post-1973 US). Background: Catholic publishing house founded 1926 in London by Frank Sheed and Maisie Ward; the head office moved to New York City in 1933. Key collectible authors include Chesterton, Ronald Knox, Christopher Dawson, and other mid-century Catholic intellectuals. The US arm was acquired by Universal Press Syndicate in 1973 and became the base of Andrews McMeel; the Sheed & Ward name continued on a religious-publishing list under later owners and was acquired by Rowman & Littlefield in 2002.


Sheldon and Company — first-edition identification

Sheldon, Lamport & Blakeman (1854–1856)
Sheldon, Blakeman & Co. (1856–1859)
Sheldon & Company (1859–1897)

Sheldon and Company (New York, NY (USA); 1854–1897). First-edition identification: 1854–1859 (Sheldon, Lamport & Blakeman; then Sheldon, Blakeman & Co.): no first-edition statement or code; date the book by the multi-partner imprint name and the 115 Nassau Street address. First printing inferred from agreement of title-page and copyright dates and absence of a later-printing notice. 1859–1897 (Sheldon & Company): no systematic first-edition designation. First printing identified by the title-page date matching the copyright date, no later printings listed, and (for heavily reprinted textbooks) by edition/printing or stereotype-plate notices when present. Because schoolbooks were reprinted from stereotype plates for years, the copyright date often understates the actual printing date — corroborate with binding, advertisements, and catalog-list datable content. General rule for the house: points-based only; no printing code was ever adopted. Imprints and series: Sheldon, Lamport & Blakeman (1854–1856); Sheldon, Blakeman & Co. (1856–1859); Sheldon & Company (1859–1897). Background: Founded by Smith Sheldon, who came to New York and bought out Mr. Law's interest in Lamport, Blakeman & Law; 'Sheldon, Lamport & Blakeman' established spring 1854 at 115 Nassau Street. Lamport retired in 1856 (firm became Sheldon, Blakeman & Co.); Blakeman left in 1859 to form Blakeman & Mason, at which point the firm became Sheldon & Company. Acquired Lewis Colby & Co.'s religious list and the Lamport, Blakeman & Law schoolbook list — became a major textbook/schoolbook, religious, and juvenile-series publisher. Stereotype-plate reprinting means copyright date does not equal actual printing date on many readers and spellers; treat dating cautiously. The firm stopped publishing in 1897.


Sheridan House — first-edition identification

Sheridan House (Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA (now an imprint of Globe Pequot / Rowman & Littlefield); 1940-present (independent through the Lothar and Jeannine Simon era; an imprint thereafter)). First-edition identification: Independent era (mid-twentieth century): first printings typically state 'First edition' or carry no later-printing notation; subsequent printings add 'Second printing'. Sailing and voyage narratives dominate. Later independent era (Lothar and Jeannine Simon as publishers): a number line appears on the copyright page; the lowest digit indicates the printing, so the presence of '1' signals a first printing. Many titles also state 'First published ... by Sheridan House' with year. As a Globe Pequot / Rowman & Littlefield imprint: Globe Pequot house style governs, a number line whose lowest digit indicates the printing. 'Sheridan House Maritime Classics' are explicitly reprints of earlier voyaging classics, NOT first editions of the original text. Imprints and series: Sheridan House Maritime Classics (reprint line); Nathaniel Drinkwater nautical-fiction line. Background: Sheridan House was a principal US sailing-narrative publisher; firsts of voyaging accounts (e.g. titles by Hal Roth and Tristan Jones) are collected. Maritime Classics reissues carry a new ISBN and later date, distinct from the original first printing. Distribution moved between NBN and other distributors over time; distributor changes do not affect printing identification.


Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd — first-edition identification

Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd (UK (London); 1908-2015 (imprint dissolved)). First-edition identification: 1908-c.1930: First impressions carry a dated 'First published (year)' statement (or the date on the title page) with no notice of a later printing; reprints add dated 'Reprinted' lines. Absence of any reprint listing indicates a first impression. This follows standard British copyright-page practice of the period rather than a publisher-specific code. c.1930-c.1970: 'First published 19xx' on the copyright page; a first impression carries no additional impression statement, while reprints are listed by date. c.1970-present (within Macmillan): A descending number line may appear on the copyright page, with the lowest digit present indicating the printing (1 = first), alongside a dated 'First published' line. Confirm against the specific title, as practice varied across the Macmillan-era list. Imprints and series: Sidgwick & Jackson; Sidgwick & Jackson (within Macmillan / Pan Macmillan from the mid-1980s). Background: Founded in London in November 1908 by Frank Sidgwick (1879-1939), a poet and literary editor, and Robert Cameron Jackson (1882-1917), who handled the business side as company secretary. Published the Georgian Poetry anthologies (edited by Edward Marsh, 1912-1922) and Rupert Brooke's poetry, including the posthumous 1914 and Other Poems (1915) - key WWI-era poetry firsts. Later a general trade, biography and music publisher; acquired by Macmillan from Trusthouse Forte in the mid-1980s and run as a Pan Macmillan imprint until it was dissolved in 2015.


Sierra Club Books — first-edition identification

Sierra Club Books (US (San Francisco); 1960s-2000s). First-edition identification: Standard descending number line on the copyright page; presence of '1' indicates a first printing. Many titles also carry explicit 'First Edition / First Printing' wording on the copyright page. A number line can mark the first printing of a specific format (e.g. a trade-paperback first printing distinct from an earlier hardcover); read it in the context of the stated binding/edition. Background: Conservation/nature publisher famous for the large-format Exhibit Format photographic series, begun with 'This Is the American Earth' (1960) and including Eliot Porter's 'In Wildness Is the Preservation of the World' (1962, the first color title); these oversized photo books are the prime first-edition collectibles, valued on condition, jacket and reproduction quality. Distribution partners varied over the decades (including Random House/Ballantine and Scribner), which can affect imprint and copyright-page presentation; the Sierra Club Books colophon identifies the line. For the photographic titles, watch for early-printing photo-reproduction quality and the presence of the original price and dust jacket.


Signet / New American Library (NAL) — first-edition identification

Signet
Signet Classics
Mentor
Plume
Meridian
NAL
Onyx
Roc

Signet / New American Library (NAL) (US; 1948-1990s). First-edition identification: First printing: the copyright page states 'First Printing' (often as 'First Signet printing, Month Year') with no later-printing lines; later printings stack the printing history. This explicit statement is the most reliable tell. Signet/NAL adopted a descending number line; a complete line ending in 1 indicates a first printing. From roughly the 1970s on the 'First Signet printing, Month Year' line plus the number line appear together. The catalog-number prefix encodes the price/format era (early Signet 25-cent numbers, then letter-price prefixes such as D-, T-, Q-); useful for dating, not a printing count. Imprints and series: Signet; Signet Classics; Mentor; Plume; Meridian; NAL; Onyx; Roc. Background: NAL was formed in 1948 from the US branch of Penguin; Signet was the mass-market line, Mentor the nonfiction/quality line, and Plume and Meridian the trade lines. Signet was primarily a reprint house but issued many important paperback originals (notably Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer novels) where the Signet is the true first or first paperback. Onyx and Roc are later NAL genre imprints (Roc for science fiction and fantasy) using standard modern number-line firsts. Distinguish 'Signet Classic' (reprints of public-domain or established works, never a true first) from Signet genre originals.


Simon & Schuster — first-edition identification

Scribner
Touchstone
Fireside
The Free Press
Atria Books
Gallery Books
Pocket Books

Simon & Schuster (USA (New York); 1924–present). First-edition identification: ERA 1 — Founding era (1924–1936): Identify by absence, not by a positive statement. A true first has NO printing or edition notice on the copyright page; later printings are the ones that carry information — a printing date and, on some titles, the quantity printed. (A few 1930s titles instead used a row of dots or asterisks on the copyright page to flag additional printings.) Cross-check that the title-page year and the copyright year agree with the known publication year; a later date on either points away from a first. ERA 2 — Mid-century, pre-number-line (1937–mid-1973): Still negative identification — a first printing carries no later-printing notice, while second and subsequent printings are consistently marked (dated, sometimes with quantity). IMPORTANT correction: unlike some guides claim, S&S DID print positive first-issue statements in this window, and BOTH wordings occur — 'FIRST PRINTING' (e.g. Heller's Catch-22, 1961) and, on other titles, the literal words 'First Edition' (e.g. Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day, 1959, states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page). Do not assume the phrase must be 'First Printing.' A common tradition dates the onset of a routine first-issue statement to about 1952; treat that as an approximate, imperfectly-documented boundary, not a hard rule. Absence of a later-printing notice remains the most reliable single tell. ERA 3 — Number-line introduction (mid-1973–1980): S&S adopted a copyright-page number line. Read the lowest number present: a line whose lowest digit is 1 is a first printing (e.g. '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' or the descending '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). Some titles in this window instead spell out a first-issue statement ('First Printing,' occasionally with a date) in place of, or alongside, the line. S&S clarified in 1976 that 'edition' referred to binding/format or a revised text — NOT the impression — so rely on the number line for impression, and never read 'edition' language as proof of a first printing. ERA 4 — The signature non-sequential line (1981–present): S&S's hallmark line is the scrambled sequence '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2'. The rule is presence-of-lowest-number, NOT last-digit: if 1 is present (as the lowest number), it is a first printing — even though the line ends in 2, not 1. For each later printing the printer strips the lowest surviving number, so a second printing reads '3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2', a third '5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2', and so on. Straight ascending '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' and descending '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' lines also appear as firsts across this period; in every variant, look for 1 as the lowest number rather than at the final digit. CROSS-CHECK across all number-line eras: A 1-bearing number line is frequently paired with a spelled-out first-issue statement (which may read 'First Printing' OR 'First Edition' — both occur at S&S). When a positive statement AND a 1-bearing number line are present and agree, the first-printing attribution is essentially settled. If they disagree (e.g. a 'First Printing' line survives but the number line's lowest digit is 2), trust the number line — the text was likely left un-stripped in error. IMPRINTS — apply the same house grammar imprint-by-imprint, but confirm each imprint's own boilerplate: Touchstone and Fireside (S&S trade paperback lines), The Free Press, Atria, Gallery, Pocket Books, and Scribner each carry a copyright-page number line under the parent convention. Scribner in particular retains its own device and bibliographic history and should be identified against the Scribner record, not assumed identical to the S&S trade line. DEVICE/LOGO caution: The S&S 'sower' colophon (a figure sowing seed, from the firm's early logo) appears across many printings and editions and is NOT a first-printing point — it identifies the publisher, not the impression. Ignore it when dating a copy and rely solely on copyright-page evidence (number line and/or the spelled-out first-issue statement). Imprints and series: Scribner; Touchstone; Fireside; The Free Press; Atria Books; Gallery Books; Pocket Books. Background: The most persistent error is treating S&S like Random House and demanding a number line that ENDS in 1. From 1981 on the signature S&S line ends in 2 ('1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2'); the test is whether 1 is the lowest number present anywhere in the line — not the final digit. (Straight ascending and descending lines also occur as firsts.) Do NOT over-correct into the opposite myth that S&S 'never says First Edition.' Documented firsts exist with the literal words 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page (Cornelius Ryan, The Longest Day, 1959) AND with 'FIRST PRINTING' (Joseph Heller, Catch-22, 1961). Both wordings are genuine; verify the exact phrase on the copyright page rather than assuming which one S&S 'always' used. The commonly-cited claim that S&S 'began using a first-edition statement around 1952' comes from the older publisher-guide tradition (Bookman's / qbbooks lineage) and is NOT contradicted by the primary ILAB guide, which simply omits a year. Treat 1952 as a soft, approximate onset for routine first-issue statements — useful context, not a hard cutoff to test a book against. Do not confuse the S&S sower DEVICE (a publisher colophon on all printings) with a book-club tell. S&S-content book-club editions are identified the normal way — blind-stamped dot/square on the rear board, no price on the jacket flap or a 'Book Club Edition' notice, and cheaper bulk paper/binding — NOT by presence or absence of the sower logo. (This is the same category error people make with Knopf's Borzoi device; both are house colophons, not impression or book-club marks.) In the mid-1973–1980 transition both systems coexist: some firsts carry a number line, some spell out a first-issue statement, and a few carry both. Absence of a number line on an early-1970s S&S title does not by itself mean a later printing — check for a spelled-out statement before concluding. On marquee titles, jacket points and priority states can override copyright-page evidence, so verify against a title-specific point record.


Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (S&S Children's) — first-edition identification

Margaret K. McElderry Books
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Aladdin
Beach Lane Books
Paula Wiseman Books
Saga Press (YA crossover)
Salaam Reads
Little Simon
Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (S&S Children's) (US; 1924–present (children's division mid-20th c. onward)). First-edition identification: S&S house convention: full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page (S&S has long relied on the number line rather than always wording 'First Edition') Many S&S children's firsts state 'First Edition' AND carry a number line to 1; the line is authoritative Beach Lane / Paula Wiseman / McElderry sub-imprints all use the parent S&S number-line convention Imprints and series: Margaret K. McElderry Books; Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Aladdin; Beach Lane Books; Paula Wiseman Books; Saga Press (YA crossover); Salaam Reads; Little Simon; Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. Background: S&S Children's absorbed Atheneum and Margaret K. McElderry; those imprint names persist on title pages but printing is determined by the S&S number line Little Simon (board books) and Aladdin (paperback reprints) are generally not where trade firsts originate Beach Lane Books (Allyn Johnston) is a notable contemporary picture-book imprint


Skira Editore — first-edition identification

Skira Editore (Switzerland (Lausanne/Geneva, historic) / Italy (Milan, modern); 1928–present). First-edition identification: The colophon states the year and edition; a first shows 'First edition' / 'Prima edizione' or the first-published year with no reprint line. Historic Albert Skira art books (mid-20th-century, famous for tipped-in color plates) are identified by the 'Editions d'Art Albert Skira, Genève' imprint, the year, and the printing colophon; many were printed once, and completeness of the mounted plates is essential. Where a number line appears on a modern Skira title, apply standard rules (lowest number = printing); number lines are not a consistent Skira convention, so rely chiefly on the colophon year and edition wording. Multilingual editions (French / Italian / English) of the same title are separate issues; match the original language and market. Imprints and series: Skira; Skira Editore; Editions d'Art Albert Skira (historic, Geneva); Skira Rizzoli (former US JV, c.2006–2015); Skira / Flammarion (historic JV/distribution); Skira paperbacks / Skira Mini Artbooks. Background: Founded by Albert Skira in 1928 (originally Lausanne, soon relocated to Geneva); the classic Skira art books with tipped-in color plates are collected for those mounted plates, so completeness and the original imprint matter. Skira Rizzoli was a New York joint venture established around the end of 2006 and wound down by roughly 2015; a Skira Rizzoli copy is a distinct issue from a Milan Skira edition of the same title. The modern Skira Editore (Milan, since 1995) is a different corporate entity and era from the historic Editions d'Art Albert Skira (Geneva); the imprint and city date the issue.


Small Beer Press — first-edition identification

Small Beer Press (USA (Easthampton, Massachusetts); 2000–present). First-edition identification: Trade first printing states 'First edition' on the copyright page with a number line whose lowest digit is 1; a missing 1 indicates a later printing Big Mouth House and Peapod Classics use the same parent conventions with the imprint name on the title or copyright page Chapbooks and the LCRW zine line are saddle-stitched and identified by issue number rather than an edition statement Imprints and series: Big Mouth House (all-ages fiction imprint, launched 2008); Peapod Classics (reprint imprint). Background: Founded 2000 by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant; publishes literary SF and fantasy (Kelly Link's own collections, Ursula K. Le Guin reissues) A trade publisher, so the number-line and stated-edition method applies; it is not a multi-state limited house Also publishes the zine 'Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet' (LCRW), identified by issue rather than edition


Smith & Haas — first-edition identification

Smith & Haas (New York, USA; 1932–1936). First-edition identification: 1932–1936: Identical practice to Harrison Smith & Robert Haas — 'Smith & Haas' is the same firm in its short title-page/spine form. The first-edition statement is inconsistent; a first printing is shown by the absence of any later-printing notice on the copyright page (subsequent printings were noted). Treat the spine/title-page wording 'Smith & Haas' as a 1932–1936 dating bracket; after the 1936 Random House merger the imprint disappears. Imprints and series: Smith & Haas (shortened form of Harrison Smith and Robert Haas). Background: Not a separate company — the colloquial/short imprint form of Harrison Smith & Robert Haas; cataloged separately because the spine often reads only 'Smith & Haas.' Same Faulkner-era list and same 1936 Random House merger; deduplicate downstream against the Harrison Smith & Robert Haas entry.


Smith, Elder & Co. — first-edition identification

Smith, Elder & Co.
Cornhill (magazine imprint, related)

Smith, Elder & Co. (London, UK; 1816-1917 (peak Victorian fiction 1840s-1890s)). First-edition identification: No explicit edition statement in the Victorian era: first printings are identified by the date on the title page and by the ABSENCE of any 'second edition' / 'new edition' wording on the title page or half-title. Publisher's catalogue or advertisements bound in (usually at the rear, sometimes the front): on a true first the inserted ads are dated at or before the title-page year; later catalogue dates indicate a later printing or a remainder binding. Original publisher's cloth binding (blind- and gilt-stamped), correct half-titles present, and an uncut or unopened text block support a first-issue state. Collate against the standard bibliography for the author (Bronte, Thackeray, Browning, Gaskell), since most value rests on textual and binding points rather than a house rule. Imprints and series: Smith, Elder & Co.; Cornhill (magazine imprint, related). Background: Most famous as publisher of the Brontes (Jane Eyre, 1847, 3 vols, 'by Currer Bell'), Thackeray, Mrs Gaskell, the Cornhill Magazine, and the Dictionary of National Biography. Jane Eyre first: three-volume, 1847, half-titles present, no publisher's adverts; the second edition (January 1848) is explicitly stated as such and adds Charlotte Bronte's dedication to Thackeray plus a preface — these are diagnostic. The three-decker (3-vol) format is the norm for fiction before the mid-1890s; mixed or odd volumes and rebound sets are common, so binding integrity matters. Firm absorbed into John Murray in 1917; later 'Smith, Elder' reissues exist.


Smithsonian Institution Press / Smithsonian Books — first-edition identification

Smithsonian Institution Press / Smithsonian Books (Washington, D.C., USA; 1840s-present (trade program strongest 1970s-present)). First-edition identification: Mid/late 20th c.-present (trade titles): standard academic-press practice — the copyright page carries a descending number line (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest digit indicates the printing, a line ending in 1 indicating a first printing. Many also state 'First edition' or give the year. Scholarly numbered series (Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge/Anthropology/Zoology/Astrophysics, etc.): institutional monograph series identified by series title and issue/volume number plus issue date rather than a trade printing key; each is effectively issued once, so the series number and year define it. 2000s co-publishing (Smithsonian Books with HarperCollins, later Smithsonian/Collins; now distributed by Penguin Random House): follow the trade partner's number-line convention and look for the partner's first-edition statement together with the number line. 19th-early 20th c. Smithsonian / Bureau of American Ethnology and Annual Report material: government-style imprints identified by the report year and Congressional/document-series designation, not by a printing key. Imprints and series: Smithsonian Institution Press; Smithsonian Books; Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press; Smithsonian Contributions / Studies series; Smithsonian Books with HarperCollins/Collins (2000s co-imprint). Background: Two parallel streams: trade books (number line) versus scholarly numbered series (series/issue number). Older BAE / annual-report material is effectively government documentary publishing — dated by report year and document number. Co-imprint years require checking which trade partner's convention applies. Distribution and ISBN prefixes shifted across the HarperCollins and later Penguin Random House arrangements.


Snow Lion Publications — first-edition identification

Snow Lion Publications (USA (Ithaca NY; now an imprint of Shambhala, Boulder CO); 1980-present). First-edition identification: 1980-2012 (independent, Ithaca NY, co-founder Sidney Piburn with Jeffrey Cox as president): the copyright page states 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' with the copyright year; later titles carry a descending number line whose lowest number indicates the printing. The Ithaca NY imprint and address confirm an independent-era first printing. 2012-present (imprint of Shambhala): follows Shambhala house convention, where a 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page is the authoritative tell; a Boulder/Boston address and joint Shambhala/Snow Lion branding signal a post-acquisition printing. Imprints and series: Snow Lion. Background: Founded in 1980 in Ithaca NY, inspired by a meeting with the Dalai Lama, and became the largest English-language press devoted to Tibetan Buddhism, politics, and culture, including many Dalai Lama titles. Acquired by Shambhala Publications in 2012, so an Ithaca NY imprint marks the independent first editions while post-2012 books carry the Shambhala imprint. Many first English translations of Tibetan texts are Snow Lion firsts, and the independent Ithaca printing is the collectible form.


Soft Skull Press — first-edition identification

Soft Skull Press (New York, NY (US); 1992–present). First-edition identification: When a printing statement is present, first printings read 'First Edition' (sometimes 'First Soft Skull edition') on the copyright page. A number line, when present, identifies the printing by the lowest number shown rather than by the line's direction; a '1' anywhere in the row indicates a first printing. The row need not run strictly descending and need not literally end in 1. Later printings drop the lowest number (and may revise the printing statement). Background: Founded 1992 by Sander Hicks (DIY photocopied/tape-bound runs); Richard Nash took it over around 2001 and sold it to Counterpoint in 2007. Counterpoint merged into Catapult in 2016; the Catapult/Counterpoint/Soft Skull group has been distributed by Penguin Random House in recent years. Earliest 1990s items often lack any formal number line — for those, rely on stated printing, format, and known issue points rather than a number row. No per-house first-printing convention is documented in the standard bibliographic references (Zempel & Verkler, McBride, Ahearn); treat the above as the modern US trade default applied to this house, not a house-specific rule. Medium confidence.


Soho Crime / Soho Press — first-edition identification

Soho Press (parent)
Soho Crime
Soho Teen

Soho Crime / Soho Press (US; 1986-present). First-edition identification: Modern descending number line on the copyright page; a first printing shows the full line ending in '1' (e.g., '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). Lowest digit present = the printing. Often accompanied by a 'First published in the United States ...' or 'First edition' statement; rely on the number line as the controlling signal. Soho Crime hardcovers typically carry a matching price on the jacket flap; price-clipped or remainder marks indicate handling, not state. Imprints and series: Soho Press (parent); Soho Crime; Soho Teen. Background: Founded 1986 (Soho Press); Soho Crime line specializes in international/atmospheric crime (Cara Black, Qiu Xiaolong, Peter Lovesey reprints). Some Soho Crime titles appeared first in the UK or originating country; the US 'first' is then a first US/first-thus, not the true world first — note the copyright-page 'first published' wording. Trade-paperback originals exist for parts of the list; a paperback original is its own first, not a 'reprint' of a hardcover.


Soho Press — first-edition identification

Soho Crime
Soho Teen
Soho Constellation
Hera (UK partner line)

Soho Press (US (New York, NY); 1986–present (Soho Crime launched 1999)). First-edition identification: First printings carry 'First U.S. edition' or 'First edition' on the copyright page together with a full descending number line ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a retained '1' marks the first. If the '1' has been stripped from the number line the book is a later printing, even where the 'First edition' wording was left standing in error. Soho Crime's signature compact small-trim hardcovers follow the same copyright-page convention as the parent Soho Press line. Imprints and series: Soho Crime; Soho Teen; Soho Constellation; Hera (UK partner line). Background: Soho Crime is an imprint, not a separate company; copyright pages read 'Published by Soho Press, Inc.' regardless of the Soho Crime branding on the spine and jacket. Many Soho Crime titles are the first U.S. appearance of a translated or foreign author, so a 'First U.S. edition' can post-date a true first publication abroad — flag this for points-conscious collectors. Distinctive small-trim hardcovers; book-club editions are rare for this house, so a stated first with an intact number line is generally the true first.


Solaris Books — first-edition identification

Abaddon Books (sister imprint)
Solaris Satellites (novella line)

Solaris Books (UK (part of Rebellion Publishing, Oxford; founded under BL Publishing / Games Workshop); 2007–present). First-edition identification: Trade paperback and hardcover originals state the 'First published' year and carry a number line on the copyright page; the first printing is the state retaining the lowest number ('1'). UK printings often use a split-style line such as 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2, but the exact sequence varies by printer, so identify the first by the lowest digit present rather than a fixed string. Originally under BL Publishing (a Games Workshop division), then Rebellion from 2009 — the parent name on the copyright page dates the edition. Abaddon Books (shared-world/franchise fiction) is the sister imprint and carries its own title-page branding. Imprints and series: Abaddon Books (sister imprint); Solaris Satellites (novella line). Background: Founded February 2007 under BL Publishing (Games Workshop) to serve genre midlist alongside Black Library; acquired by Rebellion (publisher of 2000 AD) in September 2009 — the ownership change is a copyright-page tell. Sister imprint Abaddon Books handles original shared-world series; both follow the standard UK number-line convention. A trade publisher, not a limited-edition house.


Sounds True — first-edition identification

Sounds True (US (Boulder, then Louisville, Colorado); 1985-present (audio first; print-book program began in 2005)). First-edition identification: The collectible-first logic applies only to the print-book line; for audio and spoken-word products the concept of a 'first edition' is largely inapplicable. On a first printing of a print book, look for a descending number line on the copyright page whose lowest digit is 1; the lowest digit present equals the printing. The copyright page typically reads 'Published ... by Sounds True' with the first-printing year, which on a first printing matches the title-page year. Imprints and series: Sounds True (books); Sounds True Audio. Background: Founded in 1985 by Tami Simon in Boulder, Colorado, beginning as a real-time audio and spoken-word publisher (cassettes, then CDs and digital); now headquartered in Louisville, Colorado. The print-book program began in 2005 and is distributed by Macmillan; the list covers mindfulness, somatics, psychology, and contemporary spirituality. Because the modern print program is recent, the number line is the reliable first-printing signal and there is little deep collectible backlist in print form.


South Dakota State Historical Society Press — first-edition identification

South Dakota State Historical Society Press (Pierre, South Dakota; c.1997–present). First-edition identification: c.1997–present: Small historical-society press (established 1997). First printings generally carry no explicit 'First Edition' statement; rely on the number line on the copyright page where present, with the lowest number indicating the printing (a '1' present indicates a first printing). A standard CIP/ISBN block appears on most titles. Where no number line is present, a single un-annotated copyright date with no later-printing line is consistent with a first printing. High-profile titles ran through MULTIPLE rapid printings: 'Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography' of Laura Ingalls Wilder (2014) sold out an initial run quickly and went into a second printing within months, reaching many printings since. Read the number line or printing statement carefully, as later printings of the first edition are common and are frequently mistaken for true firsts. Imprints and series: Pioneer Girl Project. Background: Publishing arm of the South Dakota State Historical Society, established 1997; focus on Plains/Dakota history and Western Americana. Publisher of the bestselling annotated 'Pioneer Girl' (2014), which had several quick printings, so the printing line is decisive for first-printing collectors. Small press: most scholarly titles see a single printing, which makes the absence of a later-printing line a reasonable indicator of a first printing.


Southern Illinois University Press — first-edition identification

Southern Illinois University Press (Carbondale, Illinois; 1956–present). First-edition identification: 1956–c.1975: No explicit first-printing statement on scholarly first editions; later printings/impressions noted, so a first printing is consistent with matching title/copyright dates and no later-impression line. c.1975–present: Number line on the copyright page (lowest number present indicates the printing; a '1' present indicates a first printing); standard CIP/ISBN block. Shawnee Classics (regional Illinois reprint series): a Shawnee Classics edition is a REPRINT with its own series page, not the original first edition. Crab Orchard Series in Poetry (began 1998): prize and first-printing poetry volumes; check the number line to confirm a first printing. Imprints and series: Shawnee Classics (regional reprint series); Crab Orchard Series in Poetry. Background: Founded by SIU president Delyte Morris in the mid-1950s; first book published October 20, 1956. Major lists in rhetoric/composition, First Amendment and theatre studies, and Illinois/Midwest regional studies; publisher of 'The Collected Works of John Dewey' and 'The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant'. Shawnee Classics revives out-of-print Illinois titles; the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry (begun 1998) produces award-winning first printings. One of several Illinois university presses, so verify the imprint against the University of Illinois Press and Northern Illinois University Press.


Southern Methodist University Press — first-edition identification

Southern Methodist University Press (US (Dallas, TX); 1937-c.2010 (new trade publishing; press later closed 2015)). First-edition identification: Modern: full descending number line; '1' present indicates a first printing First printing copyright page without later-printing notices Later printings add printing statements Background: SMU Press, established 1937; notable for literary fiction and Southwest/Texas literature before it suspended new trade publishing on June 1, 2010 Briefly reorganized in 2011 on a smaller budget before closing in 2015, so its active literary trade era was relatively short and many titles exist only in first printing — but verify via number line Distinct from TCU Press and Texas A&M Press


Specialty Press (Specialty Press Publishers and Wholesalers) — first-edition identification

WarbirdTech series
X-Planes / experimental aircraft line
Specialty Press

Specialty Press (Specialty Press Publishers and Wholesalers) (North Branch, Minnesota, USA; c.1985-present). First-edition identification: 1980s-2000s (founded in the 1980s as a US aviation publisher and wholesaler): first printings carry a number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' ending in '1' is a first printing. Many titles also state 'First edition' explicitly. 2000s-present: the number-line convention continues; revised or expanded editions are stated ('Revised edition') and reset the line — a reset line beneath a revised-edition statement is the first printing of that revised edition. All eras: distinguish the Minnesota aviation house from generic 'specialty press' imprint wording on unrelated publishers' copyright pages; because this house also distributed other publishers, a distribution line naming Specialty Press on a third-party book does not make it a Specialty Press edition. Imprints and series: WarbirdTech series; X-Planes / experimental aircraft line; Specialty Press. Background: A leading US source for detailed jet, experimental and Cold War aviation monographs (WarbirdTech, X-Planes). Also acted as the US distributor for other aviation publishers (including AIRtime, Airlife, Crécy, Midland and Hikoki), so distribution lines on third-party books are not Specialty Press editions. Color-heavy references issued in multiple printings — rely on the number line rather than appearance.


Sphere Books — first-edition identification

Sphere Books Limited
Sphere Books Ltd
Sphere
Abacus (associated Sphere imprint)
Cardinal (associated Sphere imprint)

Sphere Books (UK (London); 1966–1990 (original imprint; revived 2006 as a Hachette/Little, Brown imprint)). First-edition identification: Read the copyright/imprint page, not the back cover. Like nearly all British mass-market paperback houses of its era, Sphere did NOT use an American-style printer's number line (e.g. '10 9 8 7 ... 1'). Do not look for a line ending in 1 - its absence is normal and is not evidence against a first printing. Identify by the printing-history block. A Sphere first printing typically carries a statement such as 'First published in Great Britain by Sphere Books Ltd [year]' (for a Sphere paperback original) or 'First Sphere Books edition [year]' / 'First published by Sphere Books [year]' (for a title Sphere took over in paperback) - with NO subsequent 'Reprinted' line beneath it. A later printing adds one or more dated reprint lines under the first-published statement (e.g. 'Reprinted [year]' or 'Reprinted [year], [year]'). If any 'Reprinted' line appears, the copy is not the first printing regardless of the earliest date shown. Distinguish a Sphere paperback ORIGINAL from a Sphere paperback edition of a title first issued in hardcover. If the page reads 'First published in Great Britain by [a hardcover house] [earlier year]' followed by 'First published by Sphere Books [later year]' or 'This edition published by Sphere Books [year]', the true first edition of the WORK is the earlier hardcover and the Sphere printing is only the first PAPERBACK edition - describe it as such, not as 'the first edition.' Watch for the reverse case too: some Sphere paperbacks ARE the true first edition of the work, with a hardcover following later. Clive Barker's Books of Blood vols 1-3 (Sphere, 1984) were paperback originals; the Weidenfeld & Nicolson hardcover appeared afterward (1985). Here the Sphere paperback is the genuine first edition, so read the printing history rather than assuming Sphere = reprint. Bracket the date by imprint form and era. Genuine vintage copies carry the 'Sphere Books Ltd' imprint and predate the 1990 retirement of the name; a post-2006 'Sphere' book is the revived Hachette/Little, Brown imprint and a different entity, so a 'Sphere' colophon alone does not date a book to the vintage house. For Books of Blood vols 1-3 (Sphere, 1984): the earliest issue used PHOTOGRAPHIC covers and a later issue switched to Clive Barker's own artwork covers. The photo-cover state is the earlier one - but confirm a true first printing from the copyright-page printing history (no 'Reprinted' line), since cover art alone does not establish the printing. Imprints and series: Sphere Books Limited; Sphere Books Ltd; Sphere; Abacus (associated Sphere imprint); Cardinal (associated Sphere imprint). Background: No number line: absence of a printer's-key number line is expected on Sphere paperbacks and must not be read as a red flag - rely on the 'First published' / 'Reprinted' wording. Reprint trap (both directions): Sphere was largely a reprint house, so many desirable Sphere paperbacks are only the first PAPERBACK edition of a work first issued in hardcover elsewhere - but a minority (e.g. Books of Blood) are genuine paperback-original first editions. The copyright page, not an assumption about the house, decides which. Cover-state trap on Books of Blood: both the photo-cover and the Barker-artwork covers can be first editions but are different states/printings; the copyright-page printing history, not the cover art alone, decides whether a given copy is a true first printing. Imprint-era ambiguity: 'Sphere' books after the 2006 Hachette revival are unrelated to the 1966-1990 original imprint. Note also the ownership path (Thomson 1966; Pearson/Penguin 1985; Macdonald & Co. April 1989 with Abacus/Cardinal; name retired 1990) - match imprint string and date carefully so modern reissues are not catalogued as vintage Sphere firsts.


Spiegel & Grau — first-edition identification

Spiegel & Grau (US (New York); 2005-2019 (within Random House / PRH), 2021- (independent)). First-edition identification: For the PRH-era titles, first printing carries a full number line descending to 1, typically with a "First Edition" statement, following Random House practice Imprints and series: Spiegel & Grau. Background: Founded by Celina Spiegel and Julie Grau in late 2005, launched within Random House's Doubleday division and later moved to Random House proper; shuttered by Penguin Random House in January 2019 Relaunched by the same founders as an INDEPENDENT publisher (announced late 2020, first title in 2021) - so current titles are NOT a Big Five imprint The ownership/era split is the load-bearing caveat: only the original PRH-era titles follow Random House first-edition conventions


Springer (Springer-Verlag / Springer Science+Business Media) — first-edition identification

Springer (Springer-Verlag / Springer Science+Business Media) (Germany / United States (Berlin, Heidelberg, New York); 1842-present). First-edition identification: 1842-c.1960 (German tradition): German-language scientific works denote edition by 'Auflage' (for example '1. Auflage' is the first edition, '2. Auflage' the second). A first edition is the one stating '1. Auflage' or, on earliest issues, carrying no Auflage statement at all. The printing-versus-edition distinction is carried by 'Auflage' (edition) versus occasional reprint notes. c.1960-c.1990 (US/English titles): Springer-Verlag New York and the yellow-spine 'Graduate Texts in Mathematics' and 'Lecture Notes' series. A first printing is often denoted by a printing line or coded statement, and many English titles state the edition. Series volumes (GTM, and Lecture Notes in Mathematics from 1964) are identified by SERIES NUMBER plus edition. c.1990-present: number line on the copyright page for English-language trade and textbook titles, with the lowest digit indicating the printing; German titles continue the 'Auflage' system. Modern Springer copyright pages frequently print a DOI alongside a coded printing/year line. For STM the edition number is the primary identification unit. Birkhäuser, Plenum and Kluwer (merged imprints): retain their own legacy copyright-page styles before merger and conform to Springer house style afterward. Imprints and series: Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer New York; Springer US; Birkhäuser (subsidiary); Apress (technical, subsidiary); Copernicus; Plenum (merged 1998); Kluwer Academic (merged into Springer 2004); Humana Press; Spektrum Akademischer Verlag (German trade-science). Background: Distinguish Springer-Verlag (the German STM science house, founded 1842 by Julius Springer) from Springer Publishing Company (a separate U.S. health/medical/nursing house founded in New York in 1950/1951 by a Springer descendant) — the two are commonly conflated. The yellow 'Gelbe Reihe' and numbered series (GTM, LNM) are collector touchstones; track the series number. 'Auflage' (edition) is the single most important German-language identification tell.


Springer Publishing Company — first-edition identification

Springer Publishing
Demos Medical Publishing (acquired)
Demos Health

Springer Publishing Company (United States (New York); 1950-present). First-edition identification: 1950-c.1985: Independent US house, founded 1950 by Bernhard Springer (great-grandson of Julius Springer of the German firm), specializing in nursing, gerontology, psychology, social work, counseling, and rehabilitation texts. Early titles carried edition statements; a first printing is identified by the absence of any later-printing notice on the copyright page. c.1985-present: Number line on the copyright page, lowest digit present = the printing. For its heavily revised nursing and medical references, the edition number on the title page or spine is the practical identification unit rather than the printing. Imprints and series: Springer Publishing; Demos Medical Publishing (acquired); Demos Health. Background: Entirely separate company from Springer-Verlag (now Springer Nature) despite the shared family surname; the two have always been independent firms. Long-standing strength in gerontology and aging references and in nursing test-prep titles.


Squadron/Signal Publications — first-edition identification

Squadron/Signal Publications (Warren, Michigan, then Carrollton, Texas; later Ellijay, Georgia, USA; 1968-2021 (original run); relaunched 2022-present under new ownership). First-edition identification: Squadron/Signal published saddle-stitched and softcover military aircraft, armor, and ship monographs; the first 'In Action' title appeared in 1971. A first printing carries a single original copyright year and no reprint notation; later printings typically add a revised printing date or a 'Second printing' line. Many numbers were reprinted over the years, sometimes with updated cover art but the same series catalog number. The series number (e.g. 'Aircraft No. 1 in Action') is a catalog designation, not an edition state; identify a true first by the original copyright/printing date rather than the series number. The line was relaunched in 2022 under new ownership. A relaunched edition is not the original first printing even when it bears the same series number, so verify the original 1970s-1980s copyright date for an early first. Imprints and series: In Action series; Walk Around series; On Deck (ships); Detail & Scale (closely associated/distributed). Background: Series numbers are catalog numbers, not edition states. The company suspended publishing in January 2021 and the line was relaunched in May 2022; the original-vs-relaunch ownership split is the key collectibility divider. Detail & Scale was a closely associated line with its own numbering.


St. Martin's Press — first-edition identification

Minotaur Books (mystery)
Thomas Dunne Books
Griffin (trade paper)
St. Martin's Essentials
Wednesday Books (YA)
Truman Talley Books
SMP Swerve

St. Martin's Press (US; 1952–present). First-edition identification: States 'First Edition' on the copyright page WITH a descending number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). Reliable test: explicit 'First Edition' statement together with the number-line 1. Pre-modern St. Martin's: first printings identified by absence of later-printing statements plus any 'First Edition' wording. Minotaur and Thomas Dunne (imprints) carry their own imprint name on the title page but use the same SMP/Macmillan convention. Imprints and series: Minotaur Books (mystery); Thomas Dunne Books; Griffin (trade paper); St. Martin's Essentials; Wednesday Books (YA); Truman Talley Books; SMP Swerve. Background: Founded 1952 as the US arm of UK's Macmillan; now part of Macmillan (Holtzbrinck) trade group. Minotaur is the flagship mystery/crime imprint; Thomas Dunne Books was a prominent editor imprint (wound down 2020). Griffin is the trade-paperback REPRINT line — usually NOT a first. Watch for book-club editions of SMP mysteries: BCEs lack the number line / price and have a blind stamp or dot on the rear board.


Stackpole Books — first-edition identification

Stackpole Books (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA (founded in Harrisburg); 1930-present). First-edition identification: Trade publisher founded by Edward J. Stackpole in Harrisburg in 1930; the Stackpole Books name dates from a 1959 merger. Modern titles: a descending number line on the copyright page with 1 present indicates a first printing; later printings drop the low digits. Many titles also state 'First edition' explicitly; revised editions are labeled (Second edition, Revised and expanded). Earlier mid-century titles without a number line: a single copyright/title-page date with no added printing statement indicates a first printing. A number line may be printed left-to-right or right-to-left; the presence of 1, not the direction, signals a first printing. Imprints and series: Stackpole Classics; Lyons Press (sister imprint under Globe Pequot / Rowman & Littlefield). Background: Included here for its large outdoors, natural history, military history, and Americana lists rather than for a regional focus. Now part of the Globe Pequot / Rowman & Littlefield group (acquired 2015); sister imprint Lyons Press overlaps in subject matter, so check the actual imprint on the copyright page. Outdoor/how-to and military titles were frequently revised and reprinted, so the number line plus any edition statement is the reliable tell.


Stamperia Valdonega — first-edition identification

Stamperia Valdonega (Verona, Italy; 1948-present). First-edition identification: First and only edition is established by the COLOPHON. From 1948 Giovanni Mardersteig ran a mechanized (machine) press he named the Stamperia Valdonega, alongside the hand-press Officina Bodoni, to produce larger editions more quickly while keeping the same typographic standards. Because Valdonega books are machine-printed rather than hand-pressed, the colophon naming Stamperia Valdonega is the key tell that distinguishes them from Officina Bodoni hand-press work. Identify by the Valdonega imprint or colophon and the Mardersteig-associated types (including Dante). The firm often printed for outside publishers, so the Valdonega name commonly appears as printer in the colophon. After Giovanni Mardersteig's death in 1977 his son Martino Mardersteig ran the press, occasionally still using the Officina Bodoni imprint for genuine hand-press work. Imprints and series: Officina Bodoni (sister hand-press). Background: Critical pairing with the Officina Bodoni: Valdonega is the machine press, Officina Bodoni is the hand press; collectors must not conflate the two. Continued the Mardersteig typographic standard into the present under Martino Mardersteig. Frequently printed for outside publishers, with the Valdonega name appearing as printer in the colophon.


Stanford University Press — first-edition identification

Redwood Press
Stanford Briefs
Stanford Business Books
Stanford Law Books

Stanford University Press (US; 1925–present). First-edition identification: Copyright page notes later printings/editions; a first printing shows only the copyright line (no later-printing statement). Modern titles carry a number line where '1' = first printing. Stanford copyright pages often print 'Last figure below indicates year of this printing' followed by a year line and/or a separate printing-number line — read both. Revised editions are explicitly numbered and dated. Imprints and series: Redwood Press; Stanford Briefs; Stanford Business Books; Stanford Law Books. Background: The dual 'year line + printing line' on the copyright page is a common academic format; the lowest figures present indicate the first printing. Standard convention: later printings marked rather than the first affirmatively stated for older books.


Stark House Press — first-edition identification

Stark House Press
Black Gat Books
Stark House Film Noir / Noir Classics

Stark House Press (US (Eureka, CA); 1999–present (Black Gat line from May 2015)). First-edition identification: Because the house overwhelmingly reprints earlier works, the operative point is the first-thus statement: copyright pages read 'First Stark House Press Edition,' 'First Edition,' 'First Thus,' or 'First Ed. Thus' with the month and year. The spine tail typically carries the Stark House (or Black Gat) imprint name — a standard reprint-house tell that the volume is a Stark House issue rather than an original-publisher copy. Two-novels-in-one trade paperbacks with a new introduction and bibliography are the characteristic Stark House format; the dated 'First Stark House edition' line identifies that specific reissue. Imprints and series: Stark House Press; Black Gat Books; Stark House Film Noir / Noir Classics. Background: Reprint specialist founded in 1999 by Greg Shepard in Eureka, CA — most titles are NOT true first editions of the text; collectors value them as the first available/affordable reissue ('first thus'), and occasionally for first-ever-collected or restored content. Black Gat Books is the mass-market-sized (about 4.25 by 7 inch) paperback sub-line launched in May 2015 with Harry Whittington's 'A Haven for the Damned'; the Noir Classics / Film Noir series pair a novel with film-related material. When two reissues exist, the dated 'First Stark House Press Edition' statement distinguishes the original reissue printing from a later one.


State Historical Society of North Dakota / North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies — first-edition identification

State Historical Society of North Dakota / North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies (Fargo / Bismarck, North Dakota; c.1950–2015 (NDIRS Press imprint); succeeded by North Dakota State University Press in January 2016). First-edition identification: c.1950–c.1985: Small institutional/regional publisher (North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies at NDSU, founded 1950, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota, Bismarck). No explicit first-printing statement; later printings noted when they occur, so a first printing is consistent with matching title/copyright dates and no later-printing line. c.1985–2015: Number line on the copyright page where used (lowest number present indicates the printing); standard CIP/ISBN block on most titles. Many titles are single-printing regional monographs, so the absence of later-printing notation is consistent with a first printing. From January 2016: the NDIRS publishing program was renamed North Dakota State University Press. Titles bearing the 'North Dakota State University Press' imprint are 2016-or-later editions and follow that press's number-line conventions; do not treat them as the original NDIRS-imprint issues. Imprints and series: North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies Press (NDSU; renamed North Dakota State University Press in January 2016); State Historical Society of North Dakota. Background: The North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies (North Dakota State University, Fargo, founded 1950) is the oldest Plains-studies center in the US and housed the state's only university-based press; it published as the NDIRS Press until renaming to North Dakota State University Press in January 2016. The State Historical Society of North Dakota (Bismarck) separately issues regional publications and the journal 'North Dakota History'. Very small print runs; institutional imprints sometimes appear in place of a conventional publisher line, so identify by matching dates and the absence of reprint notation. Grouped together because catalog records inconsistently attribute North Dakota regional titles to one body or the other; the NDSU-affiliated press and the Bismarck society are distinct organizations.


State Historical Society of Wisconsin / Wisconsin Historical Society Press — first-edition identification

Wisconsin Historical Society Press
State Historical Society of Wisconsin

State Historical Society of Wisconsin / Wisconsin Historical Society Press (Madison, Wisconsin; 1855–present (society chartered 1846; first book published 1855)). First-edition identification: Pre-2001 (State Historical Society of Wisconsin imprint): no explicit first-printing statement; later printings/impressions noted, so a first printing is consistent with matching title/copyright dates and no later-impression line. The society's book publishing dates to 1855 (Volume I of the Wisconsin Historical Collections). 2001–present (Wisconsin Historical Society Press): the institution rebranded its public-facing name from 'State Historical Society of Wisconsin' to 'Wisconsin Historical Society' in 2001, and books carry the 'Wisconsin Historical Society Press' imprint. Use the number line on the copyright page (lowest number present indicates the printing; a '1' present indicates a first printing), with a standard CIP/ISBN block. Reprints of Wisconsin classics carry a new copyright/printing line and are not the original first edition. Imprint name is a dating aid: 'State Historical Society of Wisconsin' on the title/copyright page generally indicates a pre-2001 issue; 'Wisconsin Historical Society Press' generally indicates 2001 or later. Imprints and series: Wisconsin Historical Society Press; State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Background: Publishing arm of the Wisconsin Historical Society (founded 1846, chartered 1853); the society rebranded its name from 'State Historical Society of Wisconsin' to 'Wisconsin Historical Society' in 2001, though the older name remains its official statutory name. Wisconsin's oldest book publisher: its first title, Volume I of the Wisconsin Historical Collections, appeared in 1855. Strong list on Wisconsin and Upper-Midwest history, including some reprints of regional classics. Distinct from the University of Wisconsin Press, though both are in Madison.


Steidl — first-edition identification

Steidl (Germany (Göttingen); 1968–present (international photobook program from 1994/1996)). First-edition identification: The colophon (usually at the rear of the book, Steidl's signature placement) is the key page: a true first carries 'First edition' or 'First printing' (often in English and German) with the year and no reprint line. Reprints are explicitly stated: 'Second printing 20xx', 'Reprinted 20xx', or a revised colophon. Steidl reprints successful titles freely, so checking for these lines is essential. There is no conventional descending number line on most Steidl trade photobooks; rely on the printed edition statement and year, not a printer's key. Limited/special editions carry a numbered limitation in the colophon, often with a signed tipped-in print or special binding/box. Imprints and series: Steidl; Steidl Dangin; SteidlMACK (imprint c.2004–2010, while Michael Mack was at Steidl; Mack left to found MACK in 2010); Edition 7L / Steidl (Karl Lagerfeld imprint); Steidl co-editions with museums and galleries. Background: Founded 1968 by Gerhard Steidl in Göttingen (initially a screen-printing/graphic-art workshop); the internationally oriented photobook program began in the mid-1990s (commonly dated 1994 or 1996). Because Steidl reprints liberally and the design is often unchanged between printings, the colophon edition-line and any printer/date change are the only reliable tells; a second printing can look identical to a first. SteidlMACK was the imprint created (c.2004) for Michael Mack's list within Steidl; Mack left in 2010 to found MACK, and titles were later reissued under MACK alone, so the imprint name dates the issue. Co-published museum catalogs may show both Steidl and the institution; the institutional co-edition can be a distinct issue. Steidl colophons frequently credit the specific paper, ink, and printing supervised by Gerhard Steidl; a change in those credits can flag a later printing.


Stein and Day — first-edition identification

Stein and Day
Scarborough House (successor)

Stein and Day (New York / Briarcliff Manor, New York, USA; 1962-1989). First-edition identification: 1962-c.1987: Most first printings carry a number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit (1) present indicates the first printing (dealer-confirmed examples show lines such as '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). Where no number line appears, identify the first by the absence of any later-printing statement, treating that as supporting rather than conclusive evidence. Beware UK/US co-editions: Stein and Day frequently issued American editions of British books, so the true world first may be the British printing rather than the Stein and Day issue — confirm before calling a Stein and Day copy 'the first.' Imprints and series: Stein and Day; Scarborough House (successor). Background: Founded 1962 by Sol Stein and Patricia Day; an independent trade house known for fiction, true crime, and commercial non-fiction. Went bankrupt in 1987 and ceased operating by 1989; assets reorganized under the Scarborough House name. Co-edition status matters: confirm whether a Stein and Day printing is the world first or an American reprint of a British original.


Sterling Publishing — first-edition identification

Sterling Innovation
Sterling Children's Books
Union Square & Co. (post-2022 rebrand)
Sterling Ethos
Puzzlewright Press
Lark Books
Hearst Books (distributed)

Sterling Publishing (US (New York); 1949-present). First-edition identification: Standard descending number line on the copyright page (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a terminal '1' marks a first printing. A consistent number-line user; read the lowest digit in the line rather than looking for prose wording. Usually no separate prose 'First Edition' statement, so the number line is the operative key. Imprints and series: Sterling Innovation; Sterling Children's Books; Union Square & Co. (post-2022 rebrand); Sterling Ethos; Puzzlewright Press; Lark Books; Hearst Books (distributed). Background: High-volume publisher of how-to, puzzles and games, reference, gift, and nature/field-guide-adjacent titles. Owned by Barnes & Noble for many years; the business rebranded as Union Square & Co. in 2022, so newer printings carry the Union Square & Co. or Union Square Kids imprint, which helps date them. Most titles are commodity nonfiction, so collectible interest is title-specific rather than house-wide.


Stone & Kimball — first-edition identification

Stone & Kimball (Cambridge, Massachusetts, then Chicago, Illinois (with a New York phase, 1895-1896); 1893-1896 (Stone & Kimball); Herbert S. Stone & Co. successor 1896-1905). First-edition identification: 1893-1894 (Cambridge, Mass.): earliest imprints read 'Stone & Kimball, Cambridge'; first editions carry no 'First Edition' statement. Identify by the Cambridge imprint, the dated title page, and the firm's distinctive book design, often including a colophon naming the press and any limitation. 1894-c.1896 (Chicago, after relocation): imprint reads 'Stone & Kimball, Chicago'; many titles are limited editions with a colophon or limitation statement giving the number of copies printed, which serves as the primary first-issue tell. 1895-1896 (New York / partnership split): when Kimball left, he took the book business and the Stone & Kimball name to New York, where the imprint appears briefly before the business failed and was reorganized as the Cheltenham Press; Herbert Stone continued in Chicago as Herbert S. Stone & Co. Distinguish the successor firms by imprint name and city. There is no printed 'First Edition' statement; rely on imprint form, dated title page, and bibliography points. Authoritative reference: Sidney Kramer, 'A History of Stone & Kimball and Herbert S. Stone & Co., with a Bibliography of Their Publications, 1893-1905' (1940), which supplies issue points title by title. Imprints and series: Stone & Kimball; Herbert S. Stone & Co. (successor, 1896-1905); The Chap-Book (periodical); Green Tree Library; Carnation Series. Background: Landmark 1890s aesthetic-movement trade publisher founded by Herbert Stuart Stone and Hannibal Ingalls Kimball while Harvard undergraduates. Published The Chap-Book, an influential little magazine, and elegantly designed editions with colophons and limitation statements. At the split, Kimball took the Stone & Kimball book business to New York (it soon failed and became the Cheltenham Press) while Herbert Stone formed Herbert S. Stone & Co. in Chicago, publisher of House Beautiful; the Stone firm dissolved by 1905. Distinctive typography and press colophons are design tells, not edition statements.


Stone Wall Press (Kim Merker) — first-edition identification

Stone Wall Press (Kim Merker) (Iowa City, Iowa, USA; 1957-1970). First-edition identification: First and only edition is established by the COLOPHON limitation statement. Kim (K.K.) Merker founded the Stone Wall Press in Iowa City in 1957 as his own private press, after working with Harry Duncan at the Cummington Press. Books were hand-composed and hand-printed on hand-presses, then hand-bound; the colophon states the limitation, types, paper, and date. Documented edition sizes generally run roughly 200 to 300 copies (not as small as a hundred). Verify the Iowa imprint and the colophon. Distinguish from the WINDHOVER PRESS, Merker's later University of Iowa sponsored imprint begun in 1967, and from the unrelated Washington, D.C. 'Stone Wall Press' (a trade natural-history publisher). The Iowa Stone Wall Press is the fine-press one. Merker's running keepsake numbering reserved numbers 1-199 for Stone Wall Press, so a low series number with an Iowa colophon supports the attribution. Background: Merker's foundational private press; early fine-press poetry titles including work by Donald Justice, Mark Strand, Philip Levine, W.S. Merwin, and reprints of Pound and Roethke. Name-clash with an unrelated Washington, D.C. trade publisher of the same name; verify by the Iowa imprint and the colophon. All books are limited firsts, controlled by the colophon limitation.


Storey Publishing — first-edition identification

Storey Publishing (US (North Adams, Massachusetts); 1983-present (as Storey)). First-edition identification: Number-line based: the first printing carries a line ending in 1, with the low digits dropping out on later printings. As a Workman imprint, modern titles commonly also carry a printing statement; confirm the number line ends in 1. Earlier (pre-Workman, Storey Communications) titles are less consistent in their copyright-page formatting, so rely primarily on the number line. Background: Country-skills, homesteading and food-preservation lifestyle publisher (canning, gardening, livestock, fermentation). Became a Workman imprint in 2001 when Workman acquired a majority stake; now part of Hachette Book Group via the 2021 Workman acquisition. Many titles run through multiple revised editions (for example the 'Storey's Guide to...' series) -- distinguish a new EDITION from a new PRINTING by reading the edition statement on the title and copyright pages.


Story Line Press — first-edition identification

Story Line Press (USA (Santa Cruz/Brownsville, OR; Ashland, OR); 1984-c.2008). First-edition identification: First printing identified by 'First edition' or 'First printing' on the copyright page, and/or a number line whose lowest digit is 1. Absence of any later-printing notice indicates a first printing. Many poetry titles are single-printing; when a title is reprinted, the copyright page states the later printing. Number lines appear more consistently on 1990s-2000s titles than on the earliest releases; a line ending in 1 indicates the first printing. Imprints and series: Story Line Press; The Reaper (associated magazine, not a book imprint). Background: Founded 1984 by Robert McDowell (with Mark Jarman and Lysa McDowell); McDowell served as cofounder and executive director. Central press of the New Formalism / New Narrative movement; grew out of the magazine The Reaper, which Mark Jarman and Robert McDowell started in 1980 to promote narrative and formal verse (The Reaper ran 1980-1989). Recognized by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation among influential independent literary publishers; published New Formalist poets and ran prize series. The McDowell era is the collectible window; backlist/assets were later transferred within Red Hen Press circles.


Subterranean Press — first-edition identification

Subterranean Press (US; 1995–present). First-edition identification: Trade first edition: copyright-page number line with '1' present and no additional printings listed Limited states identified by a signed limitation/signature sheet near the front giving the print run; issued in NUMBERED (signed, e.g. /250, /500, /1000) and more-exclusive LETTERED states (typically 26 copies A–Z), often with slipcase or traycase Lettered copies are the top state; the limitation statement text and the hand-applied letter/number are the definitive tell Imprints and series: Subterranean Press; Earthling Publications (distinct house, often confused). Background: Founded 1995 (Bill Schafer); high-end SF/F/horror collectibles (King, Gaiman, Martin, Joe Hill) Many releases are simultaneous trade + numbered + lettered — 'true first' depends on which state collectors seek; the trade hardcover is the textual first, the lettered is the prestige first No second printings of lettered editions


Sun & Moon Press — first-edition identification

Sun & Moon Classics
Green Integer (successor press)

Sun & Moon Press (US; 1980s–late 1990s (Green Integer 1999–)). First-edition identification: Late-20th-century convention: copyright page states 'First Edition' and frequently carries 'Sun & Moon Classics' series number; a descending number line may be present on later titles. First has no later-printing notice; series number fixes the title in the Classics line. Successor Green Integer titles bear that imprint and a separate numbered-series scheme. Imprints and series: Sun & Moon Classics; Green Integer (successor press). Background: Founded by Douglas Messerli (with Howard N. Fox) in 1976 as a magazine, becoming Sun & Moon Press in the 1980s (College Park, MD / Los Angeles); avant-garde/Language poetry and translation. Published Language poets (Bernstein, Hejinian's My Life, Coolidge) and modernist reprints; the numbered 'Sun & Moon Classics' series is the key bibliographic spine. After Sun & Moon wound down (~late 1990s), Messerli founded Green Integer (1999) — do not conflate the two imprints; a Green Integer copy is not a Sun & Moon first.


Sunbelt Publications — first-edition identification

Sunbelt Publications (Southwest / Southern California — San Diego area (El Cajon, later Chula Vista), California; 1984-present). First-edition identification: 1984/1988-present: First printings carry a descending number line on the copyright page (for example '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest digit present indicates the printing. Many titles add a 'First edition' or 'First printing' statement. Separate edition from printing: frequently revised regional guidebooks carry edition statements (new copyright year, 'Second edition,' etc.); the first printing of the first edition is the collectible point. Imprints and series: Sunbelt Publications; Sunbelt Natural History Guides; Adventures in the Natural and Cultural History of the Californias (series). Background: Founded by Diana and Lowell Lindsay; began informal operations as Sunbelt Books in 1984 and was incorporated as Sunbelt Publications in 1988 in the San Diego area (El Cajon, California). The house dates its own founding to 1984. Headquarters later moved from El Cajon toward Chula Vista, and ownership has since passed to longtime employees. Specializes in the natural and cultural history of the Californias, Baja California, the desert Southwest, and outdoor recreation guides. Also operates as a regional distributor and wholesaler, so some listed titles are distributed rather than published — check the imprint, not just the spine.


Sunstone Press — first-edition identification

Sunstone Press (southwest). First-edition identification: Sun-stone petroglyph logo Stated “First edition” or negative-evidence Number line on later titles Offset vs. print-on-demand paper stock Background: Original offset printings (c.1970s–2005) feel different from later print-on-demand reissues, which use brighter, thicker, toner-printed stock even when the cover and copyright page look identical.


Swallow Press — first-edition identification

Alan Swallow
Sage Books
Big Mountain Press
Swallow Press/Ohio University Press

Swallow Press (Chicago, Illinois / Athens, Ohio (originally Denver, Colorado); 1940s-present (Alan Swallow 1940s-1966; Swallow Press Inc. 1966-1979; licensing with Ohio University Press from 1979; OUP trade imprint from 2008)). First-edition identification: 1940s-1966 (Alan Swallow, Denver): No 'first edition' statement on first printings; later printings noted on the copyright page when reprinted. Identify a first printing by the absence of any later-printing notation. Many wartime and early titles are stapled or saddle-stitched pamphlets and chapbooks with the date matching the copyright. Sage Books imprint (Swallow's Western/regional line, 1950s-1960s): same practice — no first-printing statement; later printings noted. 1967-1979 (Swallow Press Inc., Chicago, after Alan Swallow's 1966 death): generally no explicit 'First Edition' line; later printings or 'Second printing' stated on the copyright page. Number lines begin appearing on some trade titles in the 1970s. 1979 onward (licensing agreement with Ohio University Press; Athens, OH): transitional; copyright pages increasingly use a number line, lowest digit present (for example '...3 2 1') = first printing. Modern Swallow Press/Ohio University Press titles: full number line on the copyright page; presence of '1' = first printing, alongside a Library of Congress CIP block. Imprints and series: Alan Swallow; Sage Books; Big Mountain Press; Swallow Press/Ohio University Press. Background: Alan Swallow (1915-1966) was a one-man literary press championing Yvor Winters, J.V. Cunningham, Janet Lewis, Anais Nin, Frank Waters, Vardis Fisher, and Western/Mountain-West writers; he also ran the University of Denver Press (1947-1953). After Swallow's death the firm moved to Chicago (Swallow Press Inc.). Ohio University Press entered a licensing agreement with Swallow Press in 1979 and formally acquired the imprint and its back catalog of 276 titles in 2008, operating it as the trade imprint Swallow Press/Ohio University Press. Early Denver imprints (Swallow & Critchlow, The Swallow Press, Big Mountain Press, Sage Books, Alan Swallow) overlap and are sometimes conflated; check the imprint name against the date. Book Club editions are essentially nonexistent for this literary press; scarcity comes from small print runs, not from book-club-edition risk.


Sydney University Press — first-edition identification

Sydney University Press
Sydney Studies (series, original-era)

Sydney University Press (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; 1962-1987 (original Press); imprint of Oxford University Press to mid-1990s; revived 2003-present). First-edition identification: 1962-1987 (original Press): Copyright page reads 'First published [year] by Sydney University Press' with '© [year]' and 'Printed in Australia'; a first printing is identified by the matching year and the absence of any reprint note. After closure in 1987 the name became an imprint of Oxford University Press until the mid-1990s, when OUP relinquished it. 2003-present (revived Press): Re-established under the University of Sydney Library as a digital and print-on-demand publisher. The copyright page carries 'First published [year]', a full ISBN block (often separate print and ebook ISBNs), and an Australian CIP entry; because of POD, 'printing' state is generally immaterial and first issue is keyed by the edition statement and ISBN. A distinct ISBN signals a distinct edition. Imprints and series: Sydney University Press; Sydney Studies (series, original-era). Background: Original press operated 1962-1987; after it closed, the name was carried as an imprint of Oxford University Press until the mid-1990s, then re-established in 2003 under the University of Sydney Library. The 1962-1987 imprint and the post-2003 imprint share a name but are effectively two eras, so a 21st-century ISBN/POD title cannot be a 1960s-70s first. Modern output is largely open-access and print-on-demand, so collectible 'first printings' chiefly concern original-era titles.


Sylvester & Orphanos — first-edition identification

Sylvester & Orphanos (Los Angeles, California, USA; c.1978-1990s (firm originated earlier, c.1972)). First-edition identification: Ralph Sylvester and Stathis Orphanos's press: fine signed limited editions; the colophon states the limitation with numbered and lettered states, signed by the author. Identify by elegant letterpress design, often with a photographic frontispiece (Orphanos was a photographer), and a colophon naming paper, type, and limitation. A single fixed printing per title; confirm via the numbered/lettered colophon and the author signature. Background: The firm originated c.1972 in Los Angeles (with George Fisher); after Fisher left, Sylvester & Orphanos specialized in signed limited press books from the late 1970s into the 1990s. Issued signed limited titles by Tennessee Williams, Graham Greene, Paul Bowles, Nadine Gordimer, James Merrill, John Cheever, John Updike, Gore Vidal, and others. Lettered copies (a small run) are the premium state; the press's catalogue and photographs were given to the Library of Congress in 2015.


Syracuse University Press — first-edition identification

Syracuse University Press (US (Syracuse, NY); 1943-present). First-edition identification: Modern: full descending number line; '1' present indicates a first printing First printing copyright page free of reprint history Later printings add impression statements Background: Founded 1943; notable Middle East studies, Irish studies, Jewish studies, and Indigenous/Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) studies lists As with most university presses, older titles may lack explicit first-printing wording; judge by the absence of reprint notices


T. Fisher Unwin — first-edition identification

T. Fisher Unwin
The Pseudonym Library
The Autonym Library
The Mermaid Series
Children's Library

T. Fisher Unwin (London, UK; 1882–1920s (this slice = 1880s–1900)). First-edition identification: Late-Victorian house that stated editions more explicitly than the earlier three-decker firms: many firsts carry a printed title-page date, and a first shows the original date with no later-impression notice and no reprint listing in the ads. Series volumes (Pseudonym Library, Autonym Library, Mermaid Series) carry series numbering; the series setting is the first appearance for many original titles but a reprint for classics — verify which for each book. Dated rear advertisements / catalogue support the printing order; a first should not advertise titles issued after its own year. Conrad's Almayer's Folly (Unwin, 1895) is the marquee first: the first-issue point is the dropped type in the bottom two lines of page 110 (Wise 1; Cagle A1a). An Outcast of the Islands (1896) follows; collate both against Cagle for binding and ad points. Imprints and series: T. Fisher Unwin; The Pseudonym Library; The Autonym Library; The Mermaid Series; Children's Library. Background: Published Joseph Conrad's first two novels (Almayer's Folly 1895; An Outcast of the Islands 1896) and early W. B. Yeats, Olive Schreiner, and the Pseudonym / Autonym series. The Pseudonym Library (small-format anonymous or pseudonymous fiction) is a distinctive collectible series; Conrad's manuscript was submitted toward it but published under his own name on Edward Garnett's recommendation. Operated from 1882 into the 1920s; Stanley Unwin (later of Allen & Unwin) was an early employee and nephew of T. Fisher Unwin. Transitional house — closer to modern firsts in printing dated title pages than the earlier three-decker houses.


T.B. Peterson & Brothers — first-edition identification

T.B. Peterson
T.B. Peterson & Brothers
Peterson's (paper-cover series)

T.B. Peterson & Brothers (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic US); c.1845–c.1898). First-edition identification: 1840s–1850s (T.B. Peterson): no first-edition statement; a cheap-literature and reprint house, so first printing is identified by the dated title page and the single-name imprint. Many titles are American reprints of British novels, where 'first edition' means first American printing. 1850s–1890s (T.B. Peterson & Brothers): identify the period by the '& Brothers' imprint, and judge first issue by title-page date, copyright date, and bound-in advertisement/catalog dates. The inserted publisher's catalog (often dated or listing the newest titles) is a key issue tell because plates were reused for years. Paper-cover/cheap editions: priority between cloth and wrappers issues is determined by advertisements and the price on the wrappers, not by any printed statement. Charles Dickens and popular-fiction reprints: Peterson issued many simultaneous and competing American editions, so the first American printing is established by advertisement state and catalog dating rather than by a statement. Imprints and series: T.B. Peterson; T.B. Peterson & Brothers; Peterson's (paper-cover series). Background: Major Philadelphia popular-fiction and cheap-reprint publisher; issued Mrs. E.D.E.N. Southworth, early American Dickens editions, and sensational fiction. Heavy plate-reuse means catalog/advertisement dating is essential for distinguishing first from later printings. Distinct from Peterson's Magazine (Charles J. Peterson) — watch the imprint carefully.


TAB Books (Tab Books Inc.) — first-edition identification

TAB Books
Aero (acquired aviation imprint)
TAB/Aero
TAB/McGraw-Hill (post-acquisition)

TAB Books (Tab Books Inc.) (Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, USA (later McGraw-Hill); 1964-present (independent to 1990, then McGraw-Hill)). First-edition identification: Founded in 1964 (as Technical Author's Bureau) by Verne M. Ray and Malcolm Parks Jr., and reorganized as TAB Books Inc. in 1980, TAB published technical and hobby how-to titles in electronics, aviation, marine, and automotive subjects. Independent-era first printings carry no later-printing notation; subsequent printings note additional printings. After McGraw-Hill acquired TAB, titles follow McGraw-Hill's number-line convention: the copyright page shows a number line, often flanked by a two-letter printer/binder code (for example a 'DOC/DOC' Donnelley code). The presence of '1' in the number line indicates a first printing; the letter codes are printer codes, not edition indicators. In all eras, distinguish a first printing from a first/second/third EDITION on revised technical manuals: a stated new edition resets the number line, so the first printing of a later edition carries '1' but is not the original first edition of the work. Imprints and series: TAB Books; Aero (acquired aviation imprint); TAB/Aero; TAB/McGraw-Hill (post-acquisition). Background: The Aero imprint reflects TAB's 1986 acquisition of Aero Publishers (Fallbrook, California), a general-aviation and aircraft-history house; later titles appeared under joint Aero/TAB imprints widely collected by pilots. McGraw-Hill acquired TAB in 1990; the line later became 'TAB/McGraw-Hill' and folded into McGraw-Hill's professional list, following McGraw-Hill's number-line rule. Heavily reprinted reference titles; judge state by the number line rather than the cover.


Tachyon Publications — first-edition identification

Tachyon Publications (USA (San Francisco, California); 1995–present). First-edition identification: Trade hardcover and paperback house: a first printing typically states 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carries a number line whose lowest digit is 1; a missing 1 indicates a later printing Many titles are reprints, anthologies, or first-collected/first-U.S. editions, so the Tachyon volume may be a first printing of that edition without being the first appearance of the contents — read the copyright page and any acknowledgments for prior publication Background: Founded 1995 in San Francisco by Jacob Weisman; a literary SF/fantasy/horror trade press publishing originals, reprints, anthologies, and award-winning novellas (authors include Peter S. Beagle and Nancy Kress) A trade publisher rather than a multi-state limited press, so printing-state identification by number line and edition statement is the standard method Some titles are first U.S. or first collected editions rather than the first appearance of the work


Talonbooks — first-edition identification

Talonbooks (Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia); 1967-present (book publishing; magazine origins 1963)). First-edition identification: Small literary-press convention: first printings typically show only the publication-year copyright with no later-printing statement; many modern titles state 'first edition' and/or carry a number line with '1' present. Early Talonbooks (late 1960s-1970s, poetry-magazine origins) frequently lack number lines; rely on the absence of any reprint note and the original copyright year. Talonbooks is Canada's leading drama publisher and reprints successful playscripts; always verify the printing statement because reprints of popular plays are common. Imprints and series: Talonbooks; Talon Books (early styling); very stone house (predecessor co-publisher, 1967-1968). Background: Grew out of the Vancouver poetry magazine 'Talon' (founded 1963 at Magee High School, later UBC); began book publishing in 1967, initially co-publishing poetry with the small press 'very stone house' before issuing books under the Talonbooks imprint alone from 1968. Major publisher of Canadian drama (George Ryga, Michel Tremblay in translation, George F. Walker) and West Coast poetry. Tremblay translations and frequently-staged plays are heavily reprinted; the named-author first printing is the collecting point, not later reprints. Name styling shifted from 'Talon Books' to 'Talonbooks', which can serve as a rough dating tell.


TarcherPerigee — first-edition identification

TarcherPerigee (US (New York; originally Los Angeles); Tarcher founded 1973; Tarcher and Perigee merged into TarcherPerigee in 2015). First-edition identification: First printing is identified by a complete descending number line on the copyright page ending in 1; the lowest digit present marks the printing As a Penguin Publishing Group imprint, do not rely on a printed "First edition" statement — many titles carry only the number line Imprints and series: TarcherPerigee; Tarcher (the imprint was rebranded back to Tarcher in 2025). Background: Self-help and personal-growth imprint within Penguin Publishing Group, part of Penguin Random House Formed by merging Jeremy P. Tarcher (founded 1973 in Los Angeles, bought by Putnam in 1991) with Perigee in 2015


Tartarus Press — first-edition identification

Tartarus Press (UK (Coverdale, North Yorkshire); 1990–present). First-edition identification: Hardcovers are typically issued as a stated limited edition (commonly a few hundred copies) with a printed limitation statement in the colophon; the limitation number and the absence of any reprint notice identify the first Distinctive house style of cream cloth with a matching dust jacket; a first printing carries the stated limitation and year with no later-printing or reprint statement Several titles have been reprinted in matching format or later issued as paperback or ebook, so the earliest limited hardcover (lowest stated limitation and earliest year) is the true first Background: Founded 1990 by R. B. (Raymond) Russell and Rosalie Parker; a leading press for supernatural and strange/weird fiction (Arthur Machen, Robert Aickman, Walter de la Mare, Oliver Onions) and a multiple World Fantasy Award winner Some titles have been reprinted several times in matching format, so collectors should confirm the earliest limited run rather than rely on the house style alone Began in 1990 with Russell publishing work by and about Arthur Machen


Taschen — first-edition identification

Taschen (Germany (Cologne); 1980-present). First-edition identification: Trade editions: the copyright page carries the year of publication. Because Taschen reissues, revises and reprints heavily, a true first edition of a trade title is identified by the original year of first publication and the absence of any 'revised'/'new edition'/reprint wording, plus the original ISBN, rather than by a number line. Limited editions are the clearest cases: the colophon/justification page gives an explicit numbered limitation and signature. Numbering ranges are title-specific (for example a Collector's Edition numbered within a band such as 501-1,947, and an Art Edition numbered 1-250 or 1-1,000) and the artwork that accompanies the book is part of the issue. SUMO and oversized limiteds (since Helmut Newton's SUMO, 1999) are signed and numbered, usually with a bookstand or clamshell; the numbered, signed justification page is definitive. Bibliotheca Universalis and the Basic Art series are mass-market reprints/repackagings and are explicitly NOT firsts of the original title; their copyright page states the new compact-edition year. Imprints and series: Taschen (trade); Taschen Collector's Edition; Taschen Art Edition; Taschen SUMO / oversized editions; Bibliotheca Universalis (compact reprints); Basic Art Series / Basic Architecture / Basic Genre (trade series). Background: Taschen is a reprint-heavy mass house: many titles run through numerous printings under the same ISBN, and trade titles rarely state printings, so first-edition status hinges on the first-publication year and original format, not a number line. Art Edition, Collector's Edition and trade are three distinct objects of the SAME title; identify which one a copy is by the limitation/justification page and any accompanying artwork, not by the cover. Art Editions are often split into lettered/numbered sub-runs (for example 'Art Edition A' and 'Art Edition B', each with a different signed print); the specific sub-run is recorded in the justification. Multilingual and country-specific editions exist; a later-language edition is not the first.


Templar Publishing / Templar Books — first-edition identification

Templar Books (UK)
Templar Books (US, via Candlewick)
Big Picture Press

Templar Publishing / Templar Books (UK/US; 1978-present). First-edition identification: UK firsts: a complete descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page (standard British convention), frequently with no explicit 'First edition' statement US co-editions (published by Candlewick Press in North America): number line plus a 'First U.S. edition' statement Imprints and series: Templar Books (UK); Templar Books (US, via Candlewick); Big Picture Press. Background: UK illustrated/novelty children's house founded in 1978, best known for the Dragonology / 'Ology' series (the series began with Dragonology in 2003), Jonny Duddle's Gigantosaurus titles, and the Amazing Baby novelty range Now an imprint of Bonnier Books UK (Templar was acquired by Bonnier Publishing); the copyright-page publisher can change by era, so verify it against the imprint named in the book For the 'Ology' titles, condition hinges on the completeness of bound-in novelties and inserts in addition to the first-printing number line


Ten Speed Press — first-edition identification

Ten Speed Press
Lorena Jones Books
Watson-Guptill (acquired)
Celestial Arts (former sister imprint)
Tricycle Press (former, children's)

Ten Speed Press (US; 1971–present (PRH/Crown-owned 2009–)). First-edition identification: Independent era (1971–2009): number line on copyright page, first printing shows the full descending line ending in 1; many titles also state 'First Edition' or 'First printing' Post-2009: acquired by Crown / Random House (now Penguin Random House); identification follows PRH/Crown conventions — number line ending in 1 plus stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page Berkeley, CA, founded 1971 by Phil Wood; cookbooks, reference, humor, the famous 'What Color Is Your Parachute?' annual For annual/serially revised titles, edition/year statement matters more than printing Imprints and series: Ten Speed Press; Lorena Jones Books; Watson-Guptill (acquired); Celestial Arts (former sister imprint); Tricycle Press (former, children's). Background: Ownership change is the key era caveat: pre-2009 = independent Berkeley imprint, 2009+ = Crown/PRH imprint — title page and copyright-page boilerplate change accordingly 'What Color Is Your Parachute?' is revised annually; a 'first edition' means little without the year — collect by content year Sister imprints Celestial Arts and Tricycle Press (children's) used the same conventional identification No idiosyncratic house point of issue


Texas A&M University Press — first-edition identification

Texas A&M University Press (US; 1974–present). First-edition identification: University-press convention: copyright page typically states the printing via a number line (often the printing-and-year double line, e.g., a row of printing numbers over a row of years), first printing = lowest numbers present including 1 Frequently 'First edition' is stated; scholarly/regional titles emphasize the EDITION (content) over the printing College Station, TX, founded 1974; Texas/Western Americana, natural history, military history Operates the Texas Book Consortium distributing other Texas regional presses — those carry their own imprint names but similar conventions Imprints and series: Texas A&M University Press; and consortium member presses it distributes. Background: University-press double number line (printings over years) is common — read the printing row, not just a single descending line Regional natural-history and Texana titles get revised; distinguish 'second edition' (revised) from later printings No idiosyncratic house point beyond standard scholarly-press practice