Charles Scribner's Sons (USA (New York); 1846–present (independent trade house until the 1978 Atheneum merger and 1984 absorption into Macmillan; the trade list became a Simon & Schuster imprint, "Scribner," from 1994)). First-edition identification: PRE-1930 (seal + date convention): First printings carry the Scribner seal (the round press device) on the copyright page together with the month-and-year date of publication; the title-page date generally matches the copyright date, and later printings were usually — though not invariably — noted. There is no 'A' in this era, so its absence on a pre-1930 book is normal and does not condemn the copy. 1930–c.1973/74 (the classic Scribner 'A'): A capital letter 'A' printed on the copyright page is Scribner's first-printing designator throughout this period. It is frequently accompanied by the Scribner seal and, on many titles, by a code giving the month/year of publication and the book's manufacturer. Later printings drop the 'A' or advance the letter (a 'B', etc.), so a bare copyright page or a 'B' means it is not a first printing. (Sources bracket the end of 'A' use variously as 1973 or 'sometime before 1976' — treat the exact cutoff as soft and settle borderline titles per-title.) 1930–c.1973/74 (the 'A' is necessary but NOT always sufficient): For at least some high-demand titles the 'A' alone does not prove a Scribner first, because a book-club run could reproduce an 'A'-marked copyright page. The safe test is BOTH the 'A' AND the Scribner seal on the copyright page, with no book-club tells on the boards (see notablePoints for the Old Man and the Sea case). c.1974–1980s (number line replaces the 'A'): Scribner retired the 'A' in the mid-1970s and adopted a copyright-page number line. The lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a '1' still in the line signals a first printing; a missing '1' means a later printing. Some titles in the transition may still carry a seal. 1970s–1990s (the distinctive Scribner line with an EMBEDDED manufacturer code): Scribner's number line is idiosyncratic — it carries a letter/slash manufacturer-and-binding code set in the MIDDLE of the digits (e.g. 'F/C', 'H/C'), as in '1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 F/C' (the pattern seen on Barry Lopez's Arctic Dreams). The '1' at the head = first printing; the embedded code is a Scribner house fingerprint, NOT a printing indicator. Mid-1990s–present (post Simon & Schuster integration, singular 'Scribner'): First printings show a number line that still CONTAINS the '1' — commonly the ascending-odd/descending-even form '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (verified on Angela's Ashes, Falling Man, Jarhead, All the Light We Cannot See). When the '1' is gone, the copy is a later printing. From this era Scribner also pairs the line with an explicit statement such as 'First Scribner edition [Month Year]' or 'First Scribner hardcover edition [Month Year]' (e.g. 'First Scribner hardcover edition May 2014' on All the Light We Cannot See); the statement plus a '1'-bearing line together confirm the first printing. CROSS-CHECK RULE (Zempel/McBride): Establish the era first (pre-1930 seal+date; 1930–c.1973/74 'A'; mid-1970s-on number line), then verify the specific title's known first-printing points in Zempel & Verkler, 'First Editions: A Guide to Identification,' and Bill McBride's 'A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions.' Scribner is one of the harder houses because its practice was never perfectly regular, so the house convention sets the printing state and the per-title bibliography settles edge cases and boundary years. Imprints and series: Scribner (modern Simon & Schuster imprint spelling, singular, 1994–present); Scribner Classics; Scribner Paperback Fiction. Background: THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA trap (1952): The Book-of-the-Month-Club copy is bound in similar blue cloth AND its copyright page also carries the 'A' — so the 'A' alone does NOT make it a Scribner first. Distinguish the true first by the PRESENCE of the Scribner SEAL below the 'A' on the copyright page and the ABSENCE of a book-club tell: the BOMC copy lacks the seal and shows a small (~1mm) circular blind stamp on the rear board (lower corner near the spine). Note this is the ONE identifier where the club device is a blind stamp and the Scribner mark (the seal) is the house press device — do not swap the two. The seal alone is NOT proof of a first: the Scribner press device (seal) can appear on the copyright page of later printings and reprints as a house mark. For 1930–c.1973/74 books the seal must be paired with the 'A'; for pre-1930 books it must be paired with matching title/copyright dates. A lone seal is not a first-printing point. Do not read the embedded number-line code as a printing or book-club mark: the mid-line letter/slash code (e.g. 'F/C', 'H/C') is Scribner's manufacturer-and-binding designator and says nothing about which printing you hold — the printing is read only from whether the '1' (or the lowest digit) is still present in the line. Era-boundary ambiguity (early-to-mid 1970s): the change from the 'A' to the number line was gradual, not instantaneous, and sources bracket it differently (1973 vs. 'before 1976'). For a book straddling the boundary, treat EITHER a lone 'A' (older plates/stock) OR a '1'-bearing number line as a candidate first and settle it against the title's entry in McBride/Zempel. Ownership shifts change the imprint line, not the point system: after the Atheneum merger (1978), absorption into Macmillan (1984), and becoming a Simon & Schuster imprint (1994), the copyright-page convention remained the number line (lowest digit = printing), now usually with a 'First Scribner edition/First Scribner hardcover edition' statement — so modern singular-'Scribner' (S&S) firsts are read by the number line + statement, not by the old 'A'.


Charlesbridge Publishing — first-edition identification

Charlesbridge Publishing (US; 1989-present). First-edition identification: First printing: a descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; the lowest digit indicates the printing Many titles also state 'First edition [year]' Imprints and series: Charlesbridge; Charlesbridge Teen (YA, launched 2016); Imagine (adult trade/nonfiction); Charlesbridge Moves (middle-grade, from 2024). Background: Watertown, Massachusetts independent founded in 1989; known for STEM-rich nonfiction picture books Charlesbridge Teen launched in 2016; Imagine (acquired 2010) is the adult trade/nonfiction imprint; Charlesbridge Moves, built from the acquired Move Books and led by Eileen Robinson, debuted titles in 2024 as a high-interest middle-grade line that blends prose with graphic-novel inserts rather than a pure graphic-novel imprint Reliable modern number-line convention; little legacy ambiguity given the 1989 founding

New Mexico Literacy Project (newmexicoliteracyproject.org)


Chatto & Windus — first-edition identification

Chatto & Windus (UK; 1855-present). First-edition identification: No first-edition statement is the norm. Per the authoritative QBbooks/Bookman's and ILAB publisher guides: 'In general, no statement on first editions, although sometimes states "Published by Chatto & Windus" (without a date); subsequent printings noted.' Identify a first printing by the ABSENCE of any later-printing/reprint statement, not by any positive device. The sometimes-present statement is 'Published by Chatto & Windus' WITHOUT a date, plus the printer's imprint (often R. & R. Clark, Edinburgh, in the early-mid 20th c.). Treat the claimed 'First published in Great Britain [Year]' formula as a general modern-British convention, not a verified Chatto-specific point. Chatto may have added a descending number line in the early 1990s; under Random House (purchased 1987) / Vintage (Penguin Random House), a number line ending in 1 indicates a first printing. First printing = no later-printing statement present (the key test for this publisher), corroborated where applicable by a number line ending in 1 on post-1990 titles. Imprints and series: The Hogarth Press (acquired/merged); Chatto & Windus; Vintage (later sibling under Random House). Background: CORRECTION: The 'encircled-R on first editions, removed on reprints' device is NOT a Chatto & Windus practice. It is the documented convention of RINEHART & CO. (an American publisher), per the ILAB and QBbooks publisher guides. Attributing it to Chatto & Windus is a fabrication; do not use it as a Chatto identification point. Published Aldous Huxley ('Brave New World', Chatto & Windus, 1932 — verified), Iris Murdoch (her UK publisher; e.g. 'An Unofficial Rose', 1962), Wilfred Owen ('Poems', Chatto & Windus, 1920), and Richard Hughes. In 1946 Chatto & Windus took over the running of the Hogarth Press (founded 1917 by Leonard and Virginia Woolf) — a takeover, not a merger of equals; some titles carry the Hogarth imprint. Ownership: purchased by Random House in 1987; as of recent years an imprint of Vintage Publishing UK under Penguin Random House.


Cheloniidae Press — first-edition identification

Cheloniidae Press (US; c.1979–1990s). First-edition identification: Small letterpress limited editions with hand-numbered, often-signed colophons; original Robinson wood engravings/etchings (natural-history/animal subjects — the press name is the sea-turtle family) Deluxe states typically add an extra suite of signed prints and a special binding, stated in the colophon at a lower number range Signed by Alan James Robinson and collaborating writers; no number line — colophon is definitive Imprints and series: Alan James Robinson (founder/artist). Background: Founded c.1979 by Alan James Robinson (Easthampton, MA); known for finely illustrated natural-history and literary titles (e.g., works on Poe's 'The Raven', Aesop, bestiaries) Wood-engraved animal imagery is the house hallmark Very limited output; deluxe vs. standard distinction is the main state question Often confused only with other Pioneer Valley (MA) presses (Gehenna, Pennyroyal) due to shared engraving milieu


Chilton Book Company — first-edition identification

Chilton (trade)
Chilton Books
Chilton's (automotive manuals)

Chilton Book Company (Philadelphia / Radnor, Pennsylvania, USA; c.1958-c.1990 (trade)). First-edition identification: c.1958-c.1970: trade first printings generally state 'First Edition' on the copyright page with no later-printing statement; a stated later printing rules out a first. c.1970s onward: a number line appears on the copyright page; the lowest digit (1) present indicates the first printing. Automotive and technical manuals: numbered by EDITION/YEAR of coverage, not by a printing line — do not apply trade first-printing logic to the repair-manual series. Imprints and series: Chilton (trade); Chilton Books; Chilton's (automotive manuals). Background: Best known for Chilton automotive repair manuals; the trade division (Chilton Books) published Frank Herbert's 'Dune' first edition (1965), the marquee Chilton collectible. True 'Dune' first: Chilton Books, 1965, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page, 1965 as the only date, and NO number line; book-club and later printings printed from the same plates are commonly confused with it. Trade publishing later wound down while the manuals line continued under subsequent owners (Haynes/Cengage).


Chin Music Press — first-edition identification

Chin Music Press (Seattle, Washington (Pacific Northwest); 2002-present). First-edition identification: 2002-present: Independent literary press (Seattle, Pike Place Market) known for design-driven, finely produced books. First printings carry a descending number line on the copyright page (lowest digit indicates the printing) and often an explicit 'First edition, YEAR' statement. Because the press emphasizes physical bookmaking (special bindings, slipcases), verify the binding and production details against the format described for the stated first edition. Era tell: founders Bruce Rutledge and Yuko Enomoto established the press in 2002 while living in Tokyo, so early titles focus on contemporary Japan; the Pike Place Market storefront opened in 2014, which helps date later imprint states. Imprints and series: Chin Music Press. Background: Founded in 2002 by Bruce Rutledge and Yuko Enomoto while based in Tokyo; later relocated to Seattle, with a Pike Place Market store opening in 2014. Began with books on contemporary Japan and expanded to other subjects; the name plays on a Mark Twain phrase and a baseball term. Design-forward production (special bindings and slipcases) means production format is itself a first-edition point to verify. Acts as a small Pacific Northwest literary publisher and has worked with designers drawing on Japanese book aesthetics.


ChiZine Publications (CZP) — first-edition identification

ChiZine Publications (CZP) (Canada (Toronto, Ontario); 2008–c.2019). First-edition identification: Trade first printings state 'First edition' on the copyright page, typically with a number line where the lowest digit present marks the printing; CZP is a trade house, so the number-line / stated-edition method is the primary tell. Imprint branding on the title page (ChiTeen for YA, ChiGraphic for comics/graphic work) identifies the line; otherwise the parent CZP copyright-page conventions apply. Imprints and series: ChiTeen (YA); ChiGraphic. Background: Originated 1997 as the webzine 'Chiaroscuro' / ChiZine.com (Brett Savory, joined 1999 by Sandra Kasturi); the book-publishing line dates from 2008. The press effectively collapsed following the November 2019 controversy over nonpayment and workplace conduct; few if any new printings followed, so the original CZP printing is generally the first and only state. A trade publisher rather than a limited-edition house — expect stated-edition/number-line identification, not hand-numbered limitations.


Chronicle Books — first-edition identification

Chronicle Books
Chronicle Prism
Chronicle Chroma
Princeton Architectural Press (owned)

Chronicle Books (US; 1967–present). First-edition identification: Number line on copyright page; first printing shows the complete descending line ending in 1 Stated 'First Edition' / 'First published in [year]' appears on many titles, but high-design gift/illustrated titles often rely on the number line alone San Francisco publisher founded 1967; design-forward illustrated nonfiction, gift, and cookbooks — conventional modern identification Reprint/printing notes sometimes include manufacturing country and date but those are not edition points Imprints and series: Chronicle Books; Chronicle Prism; Chronicle Chroma; Princeton Architectural Press (owned). Background: Gift and stationery-adjacent titles are reprinted heavily; the number line is the most reliable printing indicator since stated-firsts are inconsistent across the catalog Owns Princeton Architectural Press (which carries its own imprint name on the title page but uses the same number-line convention) No proprietary house key


Chronicle Books (children's) / Levine Querido — first-edition identification

Chronicle Books (children's) / Levine Querido (US; 1967–present (Chronicle); Levine Querido 2019–present). First-edition identification: Chronicle: full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; frequently states 'First edition' and the year Levine Querido (founded 2019 by Arthur A. Levine): number line to 1; states 'First edition' — a distinct company from the former Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic First printing requires number line reaching 1 Imprints and series: Chronicle Kids; Levine Querido (distributed by Chronicle); Handprint Books (historical). Background: Chronicle is a design-forward independent (San Francisco) with heavily collected picture books and novelty formats IMPORTANT distinction: 'Arthur A. Levine Books' at Scholastic (1996–2019, Harry Potter US) vs 'Levine Querido' (2019–, independent, Chronicle-distributed) are different entities — do not conflate when attributing firsts Levine Querido has rapidly accrued Newbery/Printz honors (e.g. Pura Belpré, Printz)


Cinco Puntos Press — first-edition identification

Cinco Puntos Press (southwest). First-edition identification: Stated “First Edition” (primary method) Number line when present ISBN prefix Distinguish from post-2021 Lee & Low reprints Background: Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Joe Hayes, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Dagoberto Gilb are flagship Cinco Puntos authors. Watch for Lee & Low reprints sold as firsts.


Citadel Press — first-edition identification

Citadel Press (New York / Secaucus, New Jersey, USA; 1942-present (independent and Lyle Stuart era to 1989)). First-edition identification: Earlier independent era (c.1942-c.1960): a first printing is indicated by a stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page or by the absence of any later-printing statement; a stated later printing rules out a first. Under Lyle Stuart (c.1970-1989): firsts are commonly identified by the absence of a later-printing notice, and some titles add a number line, in which case the lowest digit (1) present indicates a first printing. Under Carol Publishing (1989-2000) and Kensington (2000 onward): standard number-line conventions apply, with the lowest digit (1) present indicating a first printing. Imprints and series: Citadel Press; The Citadel Press; Lyle Stuart, Inc. (parent, from c.1970); Citadel (under Carol Publishing, then Kensington). Background: Founded 1942 as an independent New York house; known for film books (the 'Films of...' series), reference, and popular non-fiction. Became associated with Lyle Stuart, Inc., with Lyle Stuart serving as president from 1970 to 1989; the imprint then passed to Carol Publishing (Steven Schragis), with the sale of Lyle Stuart, Inc. and its imprints effective January 1989. After Carol Publishing's bankruptcy, Citadel Press was acquired by Kensington Publishing in 2000, which still runs it as a non-fiction imprint. Because the imprint persisted through several owners, the parent name on the copyright page (Lyle Stuart vs. Carol vs. Kensington) helps fix the era.


City Lights Books / City Lights Publishers — first-edition identification

Pocket Poets Series
City Lights Spotlight (poetry)
Open Media
City Lights/Grey Fox
Sister Spit

City Lights Books / City Lights Publishers (US; 1955–present). First-edition identification: Early titles: a first has no additional printings listed on the copyright page (no number line in the early Beat era). Later titles: copyright page either states 'First Edition' or simply shows no later-printing notice; modern titles add a descending number line (1 present = first). Pocket Poets cover-state points: Nos. 1–6 have the pasted-on wraparound printed paper label tipped to the wrapper; from No. 7 a printed cover simulating that label design was used; from No. 21 (1967) illustrated covers begin — wrong cover state flags a later printing/issue. Original price on the rear wrapper is a state point on early issues (e.g., Howl, Pocket Poets No. 4, priced 75¢ at upper-left of rear panel on the first printing). Pocket Poets series number (printed on the cover) fixes the title's place in the series. Imprints and series: Pocket Poets Series; City Lights Spotlight (poetry); Open Media; City Lights/Grey Fox; Sister Spit. Background: Founded 1953 (bookstore) by Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin; publishing arm launched 1955 with the Pocket Poets Series. Ginsberg's HOWL AND OTHER POEMS (Pocket Poets No. 4, 1956) is the landmark point-of-issue title: the genuine first printing was printed by Villiers in England, 1,000 copies; later printings are common — distinguish by printer statement, price, and absence of later-printing notice. Pictures of the Gone World (Pocket Poets No. 1, 1955, 500 copies) is the scarce series debut. Saddle-stapled printed wrappers are normal for the series; condition of the tipped-on label matters on Nos. 1–6.


Clarion Books — first-edition identification

Clarion Books (USA (New York, editorial; Houghton Mifflin corporate parent in Boston); Children's program began 1964 / imprint publishing from 1965 (Seabury Press); Houghton Mifflin imprint from 1979 — the collectible-era convention below is the Houghton Mifflin house practice, applicable from the 1979 acquisition onward). First-edition identification: Primary tell for the Houghton Mifflin era (1979 onward, which covers essentially all collected Clarion titles): a full descending number line on the copyright page whose lowest digit is 1 — e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'. Presence of the 1 = first printing. Clarion adopts the Houghton Mifflin house convention because it became an HM imprint in 1979. Later printings drop the low digit(s): '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2' (no 1) is a second printing, '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3' a third, and so on. If the line does not end in 1 it is NOT a first printing, regardless of any 'First Edition' words elsewhere. The Houghton Mifflin number line usually carries a letter/manufacturer (printer or plant) code — commonly a single letter set off from the digits, and it may appear either before the line (e.g. 'W 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') or after it. This code identifies the printing plant, not the edition; judge the printing solely by whether the digit 1 survives in the number line and ignore the letter. Clarion first printings are typically identified by the number line alone — dealers describe the first edition simply as 'number line 10 to 1 on the copyright page,' with no separate printed 'First Edition' phrase required. Verified against Tuesday (David Wiesner, Clarion, 1991; Caldecott Medal 1992) and The Midwife's Apprentice (Karen Cushman, Clarion, 1995; Newbery Medal 1996), whose first-printing points are the 10-to-1 number line. Cross-check the copyright date against the printing: for a genuine first printing the copyright year should match the stated first publication year (e.g. a Tuesday copyrighted 1991). A title with an earlier copyright but a shortened number line, or a later stated date, indicates a reprint. Earliest Clarion years (1965 to 1979, under Seabury Press ownership before Houghton Mifflin) predate the Houghton Mifflin number-line era and are less standardized; Seabury-era first-edition practice is poorly documented, so for that narrow early window rely on an explicit 'First Edition' / 'First Printing' / 'First published' statement or title-page dating rather than assuming a number line. Imprints and series: Clarion Books; A Clarion Book; Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin Company; Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Clarion Books (an imprint of HarperCollins). Background: Clarion does NOT rely on the printed words 'First Edition' for the Houghton Mifflin era — the operative point is the number line ending in 1. Do not treat the absence of a 'First Edition' phrase as disqualifying, and do not treat its presence as sufficient if the number line has already dropped the 1. Ownership/imprint history matters: children's program started at Seabury Press (1964/65), Clarion became a Houghton Mifflin imprint in 1979, then Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2007), and is now under HarperCollins (HMH trade acquisition completed May 2021; children's books published as Clarion Books under HarperCollins from July 2021). The documented number-line convention is the Houghton Mifflin-era practice, which covers the collected titles (Wiesner, Cushman, etc.). Book-club editions (BOMC / Scholastic / Weekly Reader) are the main reprint trap for popular Clarion picture books and Newbery/Caldecott winners: they typically lack a number line entirely, may carry a blind-stamp dot on the rear board, are often smaller/lighter with cheaper paper, and frequently show no price on the jacket flap — none of these is a Clarion first printing. Later Houghton Mifflin Harcourt reissues and paperback editions of award winners are common; verify the number line ends in 1 AND that the jacket matches the first-printing state, since award seals ('Newbery Medal'/'Caldecott Medal') printed on the jacket appear only on printings issued after the award and are a reprint tell (the true first printing of a title predates its medal).


Clarke, Irwin & Company — first-edition identification

Clarke Irwin
Irwin Publishing (successor, from 1984)

Clarke, Irwin & Company (Canada (Toronto, Ontario); 1930-1983). First-edition identification: 1930 to 1950s: founded 1930 by William H. Clarke and John C. W. Irwin (with Irene Irwin Clarke). First editions are identified by a dated copyright page with no later-printing notice; some carry 'First published' statements. Many titles are Canadian co-editions or licensed issues of UK/US books, so establish whether a copy is a true first or a licensed Canadian issue. 1950s to 1970s: trade, educational, and literary publishing; printing histories are sometimes listed, with later printings adding notices. No fully consistent number line. 1970s to 1983: some later titles adopt a number line, lowest number indicating the first printing. The firm was forced into receivership in 1983; assets passed to the Book Society of Canada, which became Irwin Publishing Inc. in 1984. Imprints and series: Clarke Irwin; Irwin Publishing (successor, from 1984). Background: A respected Toronto literary and educational house, 1930 to 1983. Published the abridged 1951 school edition of Emily Carr's Klee Wyck; note the 1941 first edition and Governor General's Award winner was Oxford University Press (Toronto), not Clarke Irwin, so the Clarke Irwin Carr collectible is the later abridged text, not the prize-winning first. Forced into receivership in 1983; the trade backlist and educational lists passed to successor Irwin Publishing. Distinct from Irwin-Dorsey and other unrelated 'Irwin' imprints.


Clarkson Potter — first-edition identification

Clarkson Potter
Potter Style
Potter Craft

Clarkson Potter (US (New York); 1959–present). First-edition identification: Modern (Crown / Penguin Random House) convention: a true first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries a full number line whose lowest digit is 1; both signals normally appear together. The lowest digit of the number line is the decisive tell. On heavily reprinted cookbooks the words "First Edition" can persist into later printings, so rely on a number line ending in 1, not the wording alone. Early independent Clarkson N. Potter era (1959–1970s): less consistent. Subsequent printings were typically noted while firsts often were not, so treat the absence of any later-printing notice plus the earliest stated copyright year as the first. Imprints and series: Clarkson Potter; Potter Style; Potter Craft. Background: Premier US cookbook and lifestyle imprint: titles by Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa), Martha Stewart, Yotam Ottolenghi (US editions), and Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen). Founded 1959 by Clarkson N. Potter; later absorbed into the Crown Publishing Group and now Penguin Random House. Because flagship cookbooks reprint many times, the number line ending in 1 is more reliable than the 'First Edition' wording alone.


Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger — first-edition identification

Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic US); c.1869–1880). First-edition identification: c.1869–1880: first editions carry the full three-partner 'Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger, Philadelphia' imprint; there is no printed 'First Edition' statement, so identify by imprint form, the dated title page, and the absence of any later-printing notice. Dating tell: the three-partner imprint name is itself a date bracket. After George Remsen's death in 1880 the firm continued as E. Claxton & Co. (to its 1884 failure), so copies bearing the E. Claxton imprint from the same plates are later issues, not the original three-partner first. Address changes provide a finer date bracket: 819–821 Market Street (c.1868–1872), then 624–626–628 Market Street (1873–1880). For gift books and juveniles, the first issue is often judged by binding/gilt and by bound-in advertisement-catalog dates, which should not postdate the title page. Imprints and series: Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger; J.A. Bancroft & Co. (predecessor); E. Claxton & Co. (direct successor, c.1880–1884). Background: Mid-1870s Philadelphia trade, gift-book, and juvenile house publishing literature, illustrated gift books, and series for the young; it corresponded with Walt Whitman in 1877–1878. Part of a chain of Philadelphia imprint successions; the firm-name change (three partners, then E. Claxton & Co. after Remsen died in 1880) is the main dating handle. No formal first-edition statement, so standard 19th-century date and issue-point identification applies.


Clear Light Publishers — first-edition identification

Clear Light Publishers (southwest). First-edition identification: ISBN prefixes 978-0-940666 and 978-1-57416 Negative-evidence (no reprint language) Number line when present Background: Native American cultural documentation, Pueblo history, and Southwest photography.


Coach House Press / Coach House Books — first-edition identification

Coach House Press (1965-1996)
Coach House Books (1997-present)
Coach House Printing

Coach House Press / Coach House Books (Canada (Toronto, Ontario); 1965-1996 (Press); 1997-present (Books)). First-edition identification: Fine-press / small-press model: identification is colophon-driven. Check the back-of-book colophon for printing details, type and paper notes, and any limitation statement; a stated single printing with no later-printing note indicates a first. Many early Coach House titles were letterpress and produced in-house under the Coach House Printing device; signed or limited issues carry numbered or lettered colophons, and the limitation statement establishes the point. Most titles did not go to second printings (small literary runs), so the absence of any reprint statement plus the first-appearance copyright year is the working rule. Modern Coach House Books (post-1997) usually states 'first edition' on the copyright page and may carry a number line. Imprints and series: Coach House Press (1965-1996); Coach House Books (1997-present); Coach House Printing. Background: Founded 1965 by Stan Bevington; a landmark experimental and concrete-poetry CanLit press associated with bpNichol, early Michael Ondaatje, Christian Bök ('Eunoia'), and early Anne Carson. Critical era break: in 1991 the operation split into Coach House Printing (Bevington) and the trade publisher Coach House Press, which declared bankruptcy in 1996; the successor Coach House Books was founded in 1997. The pre-1997 Press and the post-1997 Books are bibliographically distinct, so date the imprint name carefully when attributing a 'first'. Known for elaborate designed colophons and occasional unconventional formats (fold-outs, unusual bindings); these design points are themselves issue points for collectors. Bök's 'Eunoia' (2001, Coach House Books) is a notable modern collectible with multiple printings; a first printing must lack later-printing indicators.


Coffee House Press — first-edition identification

Coffee House Press (US; 1984–present (Toothpaste Press antecedent 1970s)). First-edition identification: Stated 'First Edition' / 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page on early printings is common for literary titles Descending number line ending in 1 indicates first printing (contemporary standard) Nonprofit literary press, Minneapolis, founded 1984 (grew out of Allan Kornblum's Toothpaste Press); fine-press lineage means some titles have notably designed copyright/colophon pages Letterpress/limited or signed states exist for some early titles — distinguish a trade first from a signed/limited issue Imprints and series: Coffee House Press. Background: Toothpaste Press (Kornblum's earlier West Branch, Iowa letterpress imprint, 1970s) is the antecedent and uses true fine-press colophons with limitation statements — a separate identification regime from the trade Coffee House line For Coffee House trade titles, rely on stated-first + number line; no idiosyncratic house point Watch for absent number line indicating later printing on reprinted award winners


Colin Smythe — first-edition identification

Colin Smythe (UK (Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire); founded 1966; sole-imprint Pratchett first editions 1971–1986). First-edition identification: No printer's number line on the Colin Smythe hardbacks. On its 1970s-80s first editions (The Carpet People 1971, Strata 1981, The Colour of Magic 1983, The Light Fantastic 1986) Smythe relied on a stated 'First published in [year] by Colin Smythe [Ltd/Limited], Gerrards Cross' line on the title verso, not a numeral string. Absence of a number line is normal for a Smythe first, never a red flag. A true first impression shows the 'First published in [year]...' statement and carries NO 'Reprinted 19XX' line. The presence of a 'Reprinted 19..' line on the copyright page marks a later impression; a first has none. (Convention documented in Discworld collectors' guides, data credited to Colin Smythe.) Confirm the ISBN and stated year on the copyright page match the recorded first values: The Carpet People 0-900675-49-7 / 1971; Strata 0-901072-91-5 / 1981; The Colour of Magic 0-86140-089-5 / 1983; The Light Fantastic 0-86140-203-0 / 1986. A wholly different ISBN generally signals a later or revised edition (e.g. the 1992 rewritten Carpet People). Note one Smythe-specific trap: unsold 1981 Strata sheets were re-issued in 1985 with a pasted title-verso label bearing a NEW ISBN (0-86140-232-4) over the original 0-901072-91-5 - a label-over-original is a later issue, not the 1981 first. Check the 'By the same author / By this author' list in the front matter: if it lists titles published AFTER the book in hand, the copy is a later impression regardless of the title-page date. US-distributed copies of the UK sheets carry a Dufour Editions distributor label affixed to the title page (documented on The Carpet People; L.W. Currey). A verso instead bearing Library of Congress CIP data, a US printer/binder credit, or a reworded/deleted 'First published' line is a US reprint, not the UK first. Title-specific first-issue points: The Carpet People (1971, ~3,000 copies) has a tipped-in corrected leaf carrying pp.33-34 because the p.34 illustration was first printed upside down - all published copies have the correction. The Colour of Magic (1983, 506 copies, ~400 to libraries) normally carries a pasted label on the dust-jacket front flap correcting the inaccurate US-supplied blurb; the labeled state IS the standard first issue, and the uncorrected state lacking the label is the rarest, earliest state (only a handful known). Imprints and series: Colin Smythe Ltd; Colin Smythe Limited; Victor Gollancz in association with Colin Smythe; Colin Smythe (US distribution via Dufour Editions). Background: Publisher succession: after The Light Fantastic (June 1986, the last sole-Smythe Discworld first) the next three titles - Equal Rites (Jan 1987), Mort, Sourcery - appeared as 'Victor Gollancz in association with Colin Smythe,' then under Gollancz's sole imprint (later Doubleday/Transworld for hardcovers). A Gollancz-only or Doubleday copyright page on any title is identified by that house's convention, not Smythe's; a Gollancz-imprint copy of a title Smythe first published is a later edition. Official facsimile editions of Colin Smythe firsts exist (e.g. The Light Fantastic and The Colour of Magic facsimiles sold via Discworld.com) that are identical to the original in almost every respect except for a small added notice on the copyright page - inspect the verso closely before calling a copy a first. US Science Fiction Book Club editions of The Colour of Magic carry a Colin Smythe copyright line yet state 'Printed in the United States of America,' have a book-club code instead of an ISBN, and are reset to fewer pages (184pp vs 206pp in the Smythe/St Martin's setting) - these are never firsts, though after the UK first sold out Smythe imported 400 of them for UK sale (bearing a Smythe price sticker). Do not confuse these 400 imported book-club copies with the 400 of the 506-copy first printing that went to libraries. Number lines are a red herring for this house: they appear only on the much later Gollancz/Doubleday-era Pratchett hardbacks, never on a Colin Smythe first. Do not look for a '1' in a number line on a Smythe title.


Collins Crime Club — first-edition identification

William Collins, Sons (parent)
Collins Crime Club
Collins White Circle (paperback line)

Collins Crime Club (UK; 1930-1994). First-edition identification: Collins (UK) generally did NOT use 'First Edition' statements or number lines in the classic era; firsts are identified by the absence of later-printing/reprint notices on the copyright/verso page combined with a publication date matching the jacket. For collected authors (Agatha Christie etc.), identification is point-driven: jacket price, rear-panel advertisements, and the famous Crime Club 'gunman' device on the jacket. 'A Crime Club Sixpenny' lettered in the gunman's arm dates the cheaper line. First-state jacket points are documented title-by-title (e.g., specific rear-panel ads — OXO, H. Samuel, Bravingtons — on early-1930s sixpenny issues). Cross-reference gadetection's Collins Crime Club UK first-editions list and Christie bibliographies (nocloo, collectingchristie). Imprints and series: William Collins, Sons (parent); Collins Crime Club; Collins White Circle (paperback line). Background: Ran 6 May 1930 to April 1994; ~2,012 titles. Pre-war firsts in jacket are the prize, with vivid gunman-device jacket art. Easy to confuse the cloth Crime Club hardback first with the Collins White Circle paperback reprint — White Circles are paperbacks and never the true first. US Dodd, Mead / Dell Mapback editions of the same Christie titles are separate publications, not the UK Collins first; dating and points differ entirely. Date-matching is essential: Collins reprinted popular titles quickly with no obvious printing statement, so a copy must be tied to first-state jacket points, not just the verso.


Columbia University Press — first-edition identification

Columbia University Press (US; 1893–present). First-edition identification: Copyright page states later printings/editions; a first printing carries the copyright line with no subsequent-printing notice. Modern titles add a number line where '1' = first printing. Revised and expanded editions are explicitly dated and numbered on the copyright page. Many translation series (e.g., Translations from the Asian Classics) are reprinted/revised — check the printing history line. Imprints and series: Columbia Classics in Asian Literature; Wallflower Press (film); Woodrow Wilson Center Press (distributed). Background: Standard academic convention: later printings noted rather than the first affirmatively marked (pre-number-line era). Wallflower Press (film studies) and other acquired imprints may show their own pre-Columbia printing history.


Concordia Publishing House — first-edition identification

Concordia (CPH)
Concordia Academic Press

Concordia Publishing House (St. Louis, Missouri, USA; 1869-present). First-edition identification: 1869-1920s: official publisher of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, with much early output in German. No number line; identify firsts by copyright year, German vs. English text, and absence of a reprint or 'Auflage' notice. German editions may state 'Auflage' (edition/printing) numbering as the printing tell. 1920s-1960s: English output grows; explicit printing statements appear inconsistently. Copyright year plus absence of a later-printing notice indicates a first. The American Edition of 'Luther's Works' (CPH with Fortress, from the mid-1950s) has volume-by-volume firsts identified by first copyright year and absence of a 'reprinted' line. 1960s-1980s: printing statements and printing-history lines, with later printings noted by an added line or year. 1980s-present: standard number line on the copyright page; lowest digit present equals the printing. CPH typically prints a year line plus a 1-through-n impression line; presence of 1 indicates a first printing. Imprints and series: Concordia (CPH); Concordia Academic Press. Background: Founded 1869; the publishing house of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) — conservative/confessional Lutheran, distinct from the ELCA/predecessor bodies' Augsburg Fortress. The oldest publishing company west of the Mississippi. Co-publisher (with Fortress/Muhlenberg) of the 55-volume American Edition of Luther's Works (planning began in the early 1950s, publication mid-1950s onward); CPH produced a substantial share of the volumes, which are heavily reprinted, so firsts require care. Large body of German-language Lutheran material from the 19th to early 20th c.; 'Auflage' numbering is the German-era printing tell. Publisher of 'The Lutheran Hymnal' (1941) and Synod catechetical/liturgical materials with their own printing histories, plus 'Portals of Prayer'.


Constable & Co. Ltd — first-edition identification

Constable
Archibald Constable & Co.
Constable & Company
Constable & Robinson (from 1999)
The Westminster Library

Constable & Co. Ltd (UK (London; historic predecessor Edinburgh); c.1890-present (modern firm); historic Edinburgh house from 1795). First-edition identification: Late 1890s to about 1920 (the modern London Archibald Constable & Co.): firsts typically carry the date on the title page with no later-printing notice; subsequent printings remove the title-page date or add an impression note. Dated rear advertisement catalogs assist with dating. About 1920 to about 1960: 'First published (year)' on the copyright page; a first impression lists no reprints, while later printings add dated reprint lines. About 1960 to about 1999: 'First published in Great Britain 19xx by Constable & Co. Ltd' on the verso, with a first printing showing no additional impression statement. 1999 onward (as Constable & Robinson, later under Little, Brown / Hachette from 2014): a descending number line typically appears, with the lowest digit indicating the printing (1 = first). Use the dated 'First published' statement as the primary confirmation. Imprints and series: Constable; Archibald Constable & Co.; Constable & Company; Constable & Robinson (from 1999); The Westminster Library. Background: The firm traces to the Edinburgh bookseller-publisher Archibald Constable (in business from 1795), Walter Scott's publisher, whose business suffered the 1826 financial collapse; the twentieth-century collected list is published by the modern London firm Archibald Constable & Co. (e.g. early George Bernard Shaw, the Constable edition of Conrad, Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1897). Distinguish the historic Edinburgh house from the modern London firm when dating early issues. Became Constable & Robinson in 1999; now Constable, an imprint of Little, Brown (Hachette UK), which acquired Constable & Robinson in 2014.


Conway Maritime Press — first-edition identification

Conway Maritime Press (London, United Kingdom; 1972-present). First-edition identification: 1972-c.2000 (founded 1972, UK naval and maritime specialist): the copyright page states 'First published [year] by Conway Maritime Press' with no reprint line on a first; later printings add 'Reprinted [year]' lines. A sole 'First published' statement indicates the first. Reference series such as 'Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships' are issued in dated volumes by coverage span (e.g. 1860-1905, 1906-1921); the volume's coverage period and first-published date identify the first, with later impressions noting reprints. c.2000s-present (under Anova, then Bloomsbury from 2014): the 'First published'/reprint-line convention continues; 'Anatomy of the Ship' titles are occasionally reissued in revised form, stated explicitly. Imprints and series: Conway Maritime Press; Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships (reference series); Anatomy of the Ship series. Background: An authoritative naval reference publisher ('All the World's Fighting Ships', 'Anatomy of the Ship'); firsts of out-of-print Anatomy volumes are collected. The 'Anatomy of the Ship' series was published in conjunction with the US Naval Institute Press, which issued its own American editions of many titles. Acquired by Bloomsbury from Anova in 2014, joining its Adlard Coles Nautical list; the Conway imprint persists for naval titles.


Copper Canyon Press — first-edition identification

Copper Canyon Press (US; 1972–present). First-edition identification: Modern convention: first printing typically stated as 'First Printing' or 'First Edition' on the copyright page, frequently accompanied by a descending number line (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) — lowest digit 1 present indicates the first printing. Absence of any later-printing line on the copyright page, combined with the stated first/number line, confirms a first. Letterpress / fine-press limited editions exist for some titles with a rear colophon stating the limitation and any signing — these are a separate, more valuable issue identified by the colophon. Background: Founded 1972 (Denver) by Sam Hamill, Tree Swenson, Bill O'Daly, Jim Gautney; since 1974 in Port Townsend, Washington. Nonprofit, poetry-only. Publishes W.S. Merwin, Pablo Neruda (translations), Ted Kooser, Jim Harrison, Ocean Vuong; strong design/letterpress heritage (Hamill/Swenson were printers). Because it is a small nonprofit press, number-line/stated-first practice has been fairly consistent in the modern era but verify per title — some early-1970s titles predate uniform copyright-page conventions.


Cormorant Books — first-edition identification

Cormorant Books (Canada (Toronto, Ontario; founded Dunvegan, Ontario); 1986-present). First-edition identification: Literary fiction/nonfiction/translation house: modern titles state 'first edition' and carry a descending number line ('1' present = first printing) on the copyright page. Award-attention titles (Giller / Governor General's) reprint — verify the number line retains '1' and there is no later-printing statement. Older (pre-2000, Dunvegan-era) titles: rely on the original copyright year and the absence of reprint notes. Imprints and series: Cormorant Books; Stoddart (related, historic distribution); Cormorant / Bayeux Arts (historic association). Background: Founded 1986 by Jan and Gary Geddes on their farm outside Dunvegan, Ontario; the early program leaned to poetry, then Jan Geddes shifted it toward fiction around 1990. Later relocated to Toronto; known for literary fiction and works in translation from Quebec. Ownership/era changes: Marc Côté became publisher in 2001, and the house passed through the Stoddart/General Publishing distribution collapse era (around 2002) before continuing under new ownership — the corporate history is choppy, so use imprint plus copyright year to pin the era. Published Nino Ricci's 'Lives of the Saints' (1990, Governor General's Award winner); prize-attention firsts are the desirable points.


Cornell Maritime Press — first-edition identification

Cornell Maritime Press (Founded New York City 1938; later operated from Centreville / Cambridge, Maryland, USA (now under Schiffer); 1938-present (independent until 2009)). First-edition identification: 1938-c.1990 (founded 1938 by Felix Cornell to supply U.S. Merchant Marine textbooks): standard merchant-marine, seamanship, and navigation references. A first printing carries no later-printing notation; later printings add a 'Second printing' or revised-edition statement. A first equals the sole copyright date with no reprint line. Long-running professional reference titles (merchant-marine license study guides and seamanship texts) were revised across many editions. For these the EDITION number or date is the key identifier, and a first printing of a given edition has no later-printing line beneath that edition's statement. 2009-present (acquired by Schiffer Publishing of Atglen, Pennsylvania): post-acquisition reissues follow Schiffer's house number-line convention. The original Centreville/Cambridge, Maryland imprint signals the independent Cornell era. Imprints and series: Cornell Maritime Press; Tidewater Publishers (regional Chesapeake line). Background: A standard professional-mariner publisher through much of the 20th century, where revised editions of license-prep and seamanship texts matter more than collector 'firsts'. Tidewater Publishers covered Chesapeake Bay regional maritime subjects and folklore. Now an imprint within the Schiffer Publishing portfolio (Cornell Maritime Press / Tidewater Publishers).


Cornell University Press — first-edition identification

Cornell University Press (US; 1869–present). First-edition identification: First printings carry the copyright line with no later-printing notice; subsequent printings/editions stated on the copyright page. Modern titles add a number line where '1' = first printing. Copyright page prints a printing line ('First published 19xx'); revised editions are dated and numbered. Comstock (natural history/science) and ILR (labor) imprints follow the same conventions. Imprints and series: Comstock Publishing Associates; ILR Press; Three Hills; Northern Illinois University Press (acquired). Background: Founded 1869; among the oldest US university presses. Comstock Publishing Associates is the long-running natural-science imprint — an imprint identifier, not a printing indicator. Standard academic later-printing-noted convention for older books; use the number line for modern reprints with unchanged copyright years.


Cosmopolitan Book Corporation — first-edition identification

Cosmopolitan Book Corporation (New York, USA; 1913–1931 (1913–1919 as Hearst's International Library Co.; renamed Cosmopolitan Book Corporation 1919; sold to Farrar & Rinehart 1931)). First-edition identification: 1919–1931 (as Cosmopolitan Book Corporation): First printings carry the words 'First Edition' on the copyright page. This is the reliable tell — its absence, or a later-printing notice, indicates a reprint. (Reference compilations drawn from Zempel & Verkler list Cosmopolitan as running a stated 'First Edition' line.) 1913–1919 (as Hearst's International Library Co.): No standardized first-edition statement is documented for this earlier imprint; identify by the Hearst's International Library imprint name plus a copyright-page date with no later-printing notice. After the 1931 sale to Farrar & Rinehart: titles continuing on the Cosmopolitan list follow Farrar & Rinehart practice; treat as a successor imprint. Imprints and series: Cosmopolitan Book Corporation; Hearst's International Library Co. (predecessor, 1913–1919); International Magazine Company / Hearst (parent). Background: Hearst's trade-book arm: began 1913 as Hearst's International Library Co., renamed Cosmopolitan Book Corporation in 1919. Sold to Farrar & Rinehart in 1931; the Cosmopolitan list (developed under Saul Flaum) helped launch Farrar & Rinehart — the key ownership-change and dating fact. Distinct from Cosmopolitan magazine, though both Hearst properties.


Counterpoint Press — first-edition identification

Counterpoint
Soft Skull Press
Catapult (former)
Shoemaker & Hoard (antecedent)

Counterpoint Press (US; 1994–present (consolidated 2007)). First-edition identification: Stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page typical for literary titles Descending number line ending in 1 on first printings (modern standard) Originally founded 1994 (Jack Shoemaker / Frank Pearl, Washington DC), reconstituted in Berkeley; complex lineage merging Counterpoint, Shoemaker & Hoard, and Soft Skull — current Counterpoint dates to 2007 consolidation Read stated-first and number line together Imprints and series: Counterpoint; Soft Skull Press; Catapult (former); Shoemaker & Hoard (antecedent). Background: Corporate history is tangled (Perseus-era Counterpoint, Shoemaker & Hoard, then 2007 Berkeley consolidation under Charlie Winton) — the imprint name on the title page dates the era but identification convention is constant Distributes/published with Soft Skull and (formerly) Catapult under the same group; each carries its own imprint name but conventional identification No proprietary house key


Countrysport Press — first-edition identification

Countrysport Press (USA (founded Traverse City, Michigan; backlist later acquired by Down East Enterprise, Rockport, Maine; operations associated at points with New Albany, Indiana and Selma, Alabama); 1980s-2000s). First-edition identification: 1980s-1990s (independent era): Trade firsts generally state 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' on the copyright page, or carry a descending number line in which the lowest digit present indicates the printing ('1' present = first printing). Treat the printed statement, not the binding, as the primary tell. 1980s-2000s: Many flagship wingshooting and fly-fishing titles were also issued in signed, numbered LIMITED editions (often full leather with gilt stamping, top-edge gilt, ribbon marker, and slipcase). Identify these by the limitation/colophon page (e.g., a stated edition of a few hundred copies signed by author and/or illustrator); this limited state is a senior issue distinct from the trade first. 2001 onward (after Down East Enterprise acquired the Countrysport list and folded its own Silver Quill imprint in): copyright pages follow standard number-line practice; cross-check any stated limitation against the trade printing to assign state. Because the list changed hands, copyright-page conventions are not perfectly uniform across the full run. Imprints and series: Countrysport Press; Countrysport, Inc.. Background: Specialist publisher of upland/wingshooting, fine-shotgun, sporting-dog, and fly-fishing literature; associated with authors such as Michael McIntosh and Gene Hill and with sporting wildlife art; known for high production values (leather bindings, ribbon markers, illustrated plates). Frequently issued the same title in two parallel states: an affordable trade first and a signed/numbered deluxe leather limited — a two-tier structure collectors must parse via the colophon. The Countrysport list was acquired by Down East Enterprise (Rockport, Maine), which folded its Silver Quill outdoors imprint into it; the imprint's handling across owners means conventions are not perfectly uniform.


Covici-Friede — first-edition identification

Pascal Covici (predecessor)
Covici-McGee (Chicago predecessor)
The Colt Press (associated)

Covici-Friede (New York, USA; 1928–1937 (predecessors from 1922)). First-edition identification: 1928–1937: First editions carry no statement of printing on the copyright page; every later printing states its printing (e.g. 'Second Printing'). The absence of any printing statement indicates the first printing. The Chicago predecessor Covici-McGee stated 'First Printing' on the copyright page of its first editions; the Pascal Covici imprint (c.1924–1928) followed similar small-press practice. Many Covici-Friede titles were limited or signed editions with explicit limitation statements — check the limitation notice to establish limited-versus-trade priority. Imprints and series: Pascal Covici (predecessor); Covici-McGee (Chicago predecessor); The Colt Press (associated). Background: Founded 1928 in New York by Pascal Covici (formerly Covici-McGee, then Pascal Covici, Chicago) and Donald Friede (formerly vice-president at Boni & Liveright). Published Radclyffe Hall's 'The Well of Loneliness' (1928, US, a censorship cause célèbre) and Hecht & MacArthur's 'The Front Page' (1928). Signed John Steinbeck in 1934; published 'Tortilla Flat' (1935), 'In Dubious Battle' (1936) and 'Of Mice and Men' (1937) — Covici later followed Steinbeck to Viking as his editor. Declared bankruptcy in 1937; the list and editor (Covici) moved to Viking Press. Imprint name dates the book: 'Covici-McGee' = Chicago to roughly 1924; 'Pascal Covici' = c.1924–1928; 'Covici-Friede' = 1928–1937.


Coward-McCann — first-edition identification

Coward-McCann
Coward, McCann & Geoghegan (later)

Coward-McCann (US; 1928-1970s). First-edition identification: Generally inconsistent in marking first editions; subsequent printings were usually noted, so the absence of a later-printing notice is the baseline signal (always cross-check title-level point guides). Until the mid-1930s: a torch-design colophon on the copyright page typically marked first editions; the torch portion of the colophon was removed on subsequent printings. After 1935: 'First American Edition' stated on the copyright page for books first published OUTSIDE the US; NO statement made on books first published in the US (so a US-first book carries no edition statement at all). Imprints and series: Coward-McCann; Coward, McCann & Geoghegan (later). Background: Because the house was inconsistent, specific titles should always be cross-checked against title-level point guides rather than relying on the general convention. Do NOT confuse Coward-McCann with Reynal & Hitchcock. The torch-colophon convention is Coward-McCann's OWN and is NOT shared with Reynal & Hitchcock. Per ILAB/qbbooks, Reynal & Hitchcock made no statement on first editions until 1947 (subsequent printings noted); there is no documented R&H torch colophon. The claim of a 'shared torch-colophon convention / related design lineage' is unsupported and misleading.


Cranium Press — first-edition identification

Cranium Press (San Francisco, California, USA; c.1966-1980s). First-edition identification: c.1966-1980s: First/only edition by the COLOPHON or imprint line; the press of Clifford Burke, a key figure in the San Francisco small-press and poetry scene. The colophon states the limitation, the type, and the date; output is heavy on broadsides and poetry pamphlets. Broadsides: identify by the Cranium Press imprint line and any stated limitation; many were small runs for Bay Area poets (Cranium Press broadsides are documented from at least 1967). Note Clifford Burke's authorship of 'Printing Poetry' (1980) and 'Printing It'; the press is closely tied to the West Coast poetry-printing movement. Background: Clifford Burke's press, central to the Bay Area mimeo and letterpress poetry revival of the late 1960s and 1970s. Output skews to broadsides, pamphlets, and small poetry editions rather than fine folios. Limitation statements can be informal, and the absence of a stated number is common for ephemera, so attribution often rests on the imprint line itself.


CRC Press — first-edition identification

CRC Press
Chemical Rubber Company (origin)
Lewis Publishers (acquired)
Auerbach
Taylor & Francis / CRC (current)

CRC Press (United States (origin Cleveland, OH; later Boca Raton, FL); 1903-present (Taylor & Francis imprint)). First-edition identification: Origin 1903-c.1970: The Chemical Rubber Company was founded in 1903 in Cleveland, Ohio (by the Friedman brothers) as a rubber-laboratory-supply firm; its publishing arm became CRC Press. It is famous for the 'CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics', which grew from a short Rubber Handbook first issued around 1913-1914. The handbook and other reference works are identified by EDITION number and year and are collected or used by edition, not by first-printing points; the first printing of an edition is indicated by the absence of a later-printing notice. c.1970-2003: Expanded into engineering and science monographs and references (acquiring Lewis Publishers and the Auerbach line); a number line where present uses the lowest digit for the printing, while the edition statement governs revised references. The publishing operation moved to Florida (Boca Raton). Post-2003: Acquired by Taylor & Francis (an Informa subsidiary); modern titles carry the CRC/Taylor & Francis imprint and house number-line style, and CRC is now also presented under Routledge/Taylor & Francis branding. Imprints and series: CRC Press; Chemical Rubber Company (origin); Lewis Publishers (acquired); Auerbach; Taylor & Francis / CRC (current). Background: The periodically revised 'CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics' (grown from a Rubber Handbook of c.1913-1914) is a landmark reference; the edition number is the key, and it has reached over 100 editions. Now a Taylor & Francis imprint (Informa). Reference and handbook focus — usefulness and value track edition currency.


Creative Age Press — first-edition identification

Creative Age Press (New York, USA; 1942-c.1951). First-edition identification: 1942-c.1951: First printings generally carry no consistent printed 'First Edition' statement. Identify a first by the absence of any later-printing or reprint notice on the copyright page; later printings, when issued, are typically noted. The title page reads 'Creative Age Press' and is usually dated. After the c.1951 acquisition by Farrar, Straus (then Farrar, Straus & Young), continuing titles follow Farrar, Straus copyright-page practice rather than independent Creative Age practice. Imprints and series: Creative Age Press, Inc.. Background: Founded in 1942 by the Irish medium and parapsychology patron Eileen J. Garrett; published a mix of literary and metaphysical/parapsychology titles in the 1940s. Acquired by Farrar, Straus & Young around 1951, which brought authors such as Robert Graves and Gerald Sykes onto the Farrar, Straus list; this ownership change ends the independent imprint. Wartime paper restrictions affect paper and binding state on 1940s titles, so rely on the reprint-noted convention rather than physical heft for identification.


Crest / Fawcett Crest — first-edition identification

Crest / Fawcett Crest (US; 1955-1980s). First-edition identification: First printing: Fawcett gave no general first-edition statement but DID note subsequent printings, so a first is identified by the ABSENCE of any later-printing line; documented firsts read 'First Crest printing, Month Year' (later 'First Fawcett Crest printing, Month Year'). The catalog number, often with a letter-price prefix, is a title/price-era identifier, not a printing count. A price bump on the same catalog number indicates a reprint. Imprints and series: Crest; Fawcett Crest; Fawcett Premier. Background: Crest, launched September 1955, was Fawcett's paperback-REPRINT imprint, the companion to the Gold Medal paperback-originals line; a Fawcett Crest book is therefore almost always NOT the true first of the work, so locate the prior hardcover. Premier, also launched September 1955, was Fawcett's nonfiction/quality reprint imprint. Collector shorthand: 'Gold Medal' on the spine signals a possible paperback original or true first, while 'Crest' or 'Premier' signals a reprint.


Crippen & Landru — first-edition identification

Crippen & Landru (US; 1994-present). First-edition identification: Most titles issued in TWO simultaneous states: (1) a clothbound edition, signed and numbered (limited, e.g., 'one of 150/300/400 copies'), and (2) a trade softcover. The limitation page/colophon states the number and signature. Limited clothbound copies are numbered (e.g., '16/400') and signed by the author and/or editor; many include a separately printed bonus chapbook/pamphlet laid in — presence of the chapbook is a state point. Trade softcover is the first softcover edition (not a reprint of the cloth); identify by copyright-page edition statement and absence of limitation/signature. Cloth lettered on the spine in metallic ink; binding cloth color and spine lettering are described per title. Imprints and series: Regular Series (current authors); Lost Classics Series (vintage/posthumous authors). Background: Small specialist press (founded 1994, Norfolk VA, later Cincinnati OH) publishing single-author mystery short-story collections — the cloth signed/numbered state is the premium collectible. The laid-in chapbook is frequently separated/lost; a complete signed/numbered copy must include it. Lost Classics titles collect deceased authors, so 'signed' applies to the editor, not the author — read the limitation wording carefully. Douglas Greene (founder); 25th-anniversary 'Silver Bullets' (2019) documents the press.


Crossway — first-edition identification

Crossway Books
Good News Publishers (parent/tract arm)
ESV Bibles

Crossway (Wheaton (Crossway division); parent Good News Publishers founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; 1938-present (Crossway book division established late 1978)). First-edition identification: 1938-1978 (as Good News Publishers): primarily a tract publisher; the book imprint did not yet exist. For the rare early book, rely on copyright year and absence of any reprint or later-printing notice. Crossway division established late 1978 under Lane T. Dennis. From inception, trade titles carry a number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a first printing shows a full line ending in (or otherwise containing) 1. 2001-present: publisher of the English Standard Version (ESV), first released October 2001 (the ESV Classic Reference Bible). Trade titles use a number line, often alongside a year line, with the lowest value indicating the printing. ESV Bibles carry separate textual-edition codes distinct from trade-book printing lines. Imprints and series: Crossway Books; Good News Publishers (parent/tract arm); ESV Bibles. Background: Crossway is the book-publishing arm of Good News Publishers, a nonprofit founded in 1938 by Clyde and Muriel Dennis; the Crossway division was established in late 1978. Reformed/conservative evangelical orientation; publisher of the ESV Bible since 2001 and of authors such as John Piper, R.C. Sproul, and Wayne Grudem. Because Crossway used number lines from the division's start, era-segmentation is simple: number line throughout, lowest digit equals the printing. The ESV text has been revised periodically (2001, 2007, 2011, and the 2016 'permanent text'); collectors track these text editions separately from the printing number.


Crown Publishers — first-edition identification

Harmony Books
Clarkson Potter
Three Rivers Press
Crown Forum
Crown Archetype
Broadway Books (later)
Hogarth (US)
Watson-Guptill (former)
Bell Publishing
Crown Business

Crown Publishers (US; 1933–present). First-edition identification: Pre-1970s: NO first-edition statement; first printings identified by the ABSENCE of any later-printing notation on the copyright page. Later printings were noted. 1970s onward: began using both a number row AND the words 'First Edition'. From c.1980: stated 'First Edition' together with a descending number line ending in 1 — the modern reliable test. Trade imprints (Clarkson Potter, Harmony, Three Rivers) follow Crown/RH-family convention: 'First Edition' + number line to 1. Imprints and series: Harmony Books; Clarkson Potter; Three Rivers Press; Crown Forum; Crown Archetype; Broadway Books (later); Hogarth (US); Watson-Guptill (former); Bell Publishing; Crown Business. Background: Founded 1933 (out of the remainder firm Outlet Book Company); known for affordable trade and reference titles. Acquired by Random House 1988; now the Crown Publishing Group within Penguin Random House. Pre-1970s identification is easy to get wrong — rely on absence-of-reprint-line logic, not on a stated 'First Edition' that won't be there. Three Rivers Press is largely a trade-paperback reprint line — usually NOT a true first.


Cuala Press — first-edition identification

Cuala Press (Ireland; 1902–1946 (Dun Emer 1902–08; Cuala 1908–46, later revivals)). First-edition identification: Hand-press limited editions on Irish handmade paper, printed with Caslon type; printed colophon giving a small stated limitation (often a few hundred) The Cuala (or earlier Dun Emer) device/colophon and the 'Press' statement identify the issue and era — Dun Emer (1902–08) vs. Cuala (1908 on) First Yeats editions: many W. B. Yeats first appearances were issued by Cuala in small limitations — identify by the colophon and the dated Cuala imprint No number line — colophon limitation and the Dun Emer/Cuala imprint distinguish Imprints and series: Dun Emer Press (1902–1908, the original name); Cuala Press (from 1908); run by Elizabeth Corbet 'Lolly' Yeats; editorial by W. B. Yeats. Background: Founded 1902 as the Dun Emer Press by Elizabeth Yeats (part of the Arts and Crafts / Celtic Revival); renamed Cuala Press 1908; central to the Irish Literary Revival Many genuine FIRST EDITIONS of W. B. Yeats, Synge, Lady Gregory, and others — unlike most fine presses, Cuala issued original first appearances, so these ARE collectible firsts Dun Emer (1902–08) vs. Cuala (1908+) is the key dating distinction Also issued hand-coloured prints and broadsides; the press was family-run (Yeats sisters)


Cupples & Leon Company — first-edition identification

Cupples & Leon
Cupples & Leon series books

Cupples & Leon Company (New York, NY; 1902–1956). First-edition identification: 1902–c.1930s: publisher of inexpensive children's series books and early comic-strip reprint volumes. First printings carry no edition statement; the earliest printing is identified by the rear advertised-title list (a list ending with the latest series title dates the printing), the copyright-page state, and binding/jacket art. As with Grosset & Dunlap series books, the advertised-title-list method is the core dating tool. c.1930s–1956: continued series books and comic-strip reprint volumes (Bringing Up Father, Mutt and Jeff, Little Orphan Annie, and others). Later printings are distinguished by expanded ad lists and altered cover art; there is no number line or first-edition statement. Imprints and series: Cupples & Leon; Cupples & Leon series books. Background: Major early-20th-century series-book and comic-strip-reprint publisher, founded 1902 by Victor I. Cupples and Arthur T. Leon. First-printing identification relies on the rear advertised-title list and the format/binding state; there are no edition statements. Left the comic-strip reprint field in 1934 to concentrate on juvenile fiction; the firm was acquired by Platt & Munk in 1956.


Curbstone Press — first-edition identification

Curbstone Press (USA (Willimantic, CT); 1975-2010 independent; 2010-present as Northwestern UP imprint). First-edition identification: Independent era (1975-2010): first printing identified by 'First edition'/'First printing' and/or a number line whose lowest digit is 1. Absence of a later-printing notice indicates a first printing. On bilingual/translation titles, the first English-language Curbstone printing is governed by the Curbstone copyright-page statement, regardless of any prior Spanish-language publication. Northwestern era (2010-present): follows Northwestern University Press house practice — a 'First [Edition]' statement with number line; first printing = line ending in 1. Treat post-2010 titles as Northwestern UP for identification purposes. Imprints and series: Curbstone Press (independent 1975-2010); Curbstone Books (imprint of Northwestern University Press 2010-present). Background: Founded 1975 in Willimantic, Connecticut by Judith Doyle and Alexander 'Sandy' Taylor (who met as students at the University of Connecticut); mission centered on human rights, social justice, and Latin American literature. Published Claribel Alegria, Roque Dalton, Luis J. Rodriguez ('Always Running'), and Ernesto Cardenal in translation. After the founders' deaths (Taylor 2007, Doyle 2009), the roughly 160-title backlist was acquired by Northwestern University Press in 2010 and continues as the Curbstone Books imprint. Era split matters: independent Curbstone (collectible) versus Northwestern-era Curbstone Books (academic-press ID rules).


Custom House — first-edition identification

Custom House (US (New York); 2016–c.2023). First-edition identification: First printing shows a complete number line counting down to 1 (e.g., 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) with no later-printing notice Often accompanied by a printed "FIRST EDITION" statement on the copyright page, following standard HarperCollins/William Morrow practice Imprints and series: Custom House. Background: Literary fiction and nonfiction imprint announced in October 2015 under William Morrow at HarperCollins, with its first titles appearing in spring 2016 (e.g., Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent) Founding editorial director was Geoff Shandler; the imprint later passed to new leadership and has effectively been wound down, so it is primarily relevant to mid-2010s through early-2020s titles Identification follows HarperCollins/Morrow conventions rather than any house-specific rule


D. Appleton & Company — first-edition identification

D. Appleton
Appleton-Century (1933+)
Appleton-Century-Crofts

D. Appleton & Company (US; 1830s-1940s). First-edition identification: Numerical identification in parentheses/brackets at the FOOT OF THE LAST PAGE of text: '(1)' = first printing, '(2)' = second, etc. May occasionally have used a 'First Edition' statement instead of the foot-of-last-page number. Match title-page date with single date on copyright page. Imprints and series: D. Appleton; Appleton-Century (1933+); Appleton-Century-Crofts. Background: The point is at the END of the book (last text page), not the copyright page — a frequent miss for those checking only the front matter. Became Appleton-Century in 1933 (merger with Century Co.), then Appleton-Century-Crofts — the foot-of-page number convention can persist.


D. Lothrop & Co. / D. Lothrop Company — first-edition identification

D. Lothrop & Co. / D. Lothrop Company (Boston, Massachusetts (Northeast USA); 1868-1904). First-edition identification: 1868-c.1887 (D. Lothrop & Co.): no printed edition statement; a juvenile, religious, and gift-book house. First printing by title-page date matching copyright date and the earliest-dated bound-in catalogue; many juveniles are undated on the title page, so rear-advertisement dating usually governs. c.1887-1892 (D. Lothrop Company): same no-statement practice. Daniel Lothrop died in March 1892. 1895-1904 (Lothrop Publishing Company): the assets of D. Lothrop & Co. / D. Lothrop Company were reorganized under a new Lothrop Publishing Company organized under Maine law in April 1895; conventions continued unchanged. The firm went bankrupt and its list was bought by Lee & Shepard in 1904. No number lines were used. For the Pansy (Isabella Macdonald Alden) and Margaret Sidney juveniles, the earliest-state terminal advertising list is the key first-printing tell. Imprints and series: D. Lothrop & Co.; D. Lothrop Company (incorporated style); Lothrop Publishing Company (1895 reorganization); Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. (post-1904 successor). Background: Publisher of the 'Five Little Peppers' books (Margaret Sidney / Harriet Lothrop) and the 'Pansy' books (Isabella Macdonald Alden); home of the Wide Awake and Pansy juvenile magazines. Heavily reprinted juveniles with undated title pages make the bound-in advertising catalogue the primary dating tool. Lineage merged into Lothrop, Lee & Shepard in 1904.


D. Van Nostrand Company — first-edition identification

D. Van Nostrand
Van Nostrand
Van Nostrand Reinhold (post-1968)
Litton Educational (parent era)

D. Van Nostrand Company (United States (New York / Princeton, NJ); 1848-c.1997 (as active imprint)). First-edition identification: 1848-c.1940: Founded 1848 by David Van Nostrand; scientific, technical, military, and engineering reference (the 'Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia' began in 1938). Early titles generally carried no first-printing statement, so a first printing is inferred from the absence of any later-printing or later-impression notice; later printings and editions were explicitly noted. c.1940-1968: Edition statements appear on revised references, and a number line was adopted gradually (lowest surviving digit = printing where present). 'Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia' is identified by its edition. 1968-c.1997 (Van Nostrand Reinhold): In 1968 Litton acquired D. Van Nostrand and Chapman-Reinhold and merged them into Van Nostrand Reinhold; STM/technical and art/architecture titles under the VNR imprint follow contemporary number-line convention. The line passed to International Thomson and was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in 1997. Imprints and series: D. Van Nostrand; Van Nostrand; Van Nostrand Reinhold (post-1968); Litton Educational (parent era). Background: 'Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia' (from 1938) is the flagship reference — collected and cited by edition. The 1968 Litton merger that created Van Nostrand Reinhold dates the later era; the line was later dispersed and finally absorbed by Wiley in 1997. Nineteenth-century scientific and technical firsts are identified by the absence of a later-impression notice.


Da Capo Press — first-edition identification

Da Capo Press (US (New York / Boston); 1964-present). First-edition identification: Earliest era (founded 1964 as a music-reprint division of Plenum Publishing): primarily a reprint and facsimile house, so many 'first' Da Capo printings are reissues of older works — 'first edition' here means first Da Capo printing, not first-ever publication. Trade era (general trade from the mid-1970s, under Perseus from 1999 and Hachette from the 2010s): standard descending number line on the copyright page (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the lowest digit indicates the printing, and the presence of 1 indicates a first printing. No consistent separate 'First Edition' statement across the catalog — rely on the number line. Imprints and series: Da Capo Lifelong Books; Da Capo (revived Grand Central / Hachette music imprint, 2020s). Background: Heavy reprint catalog (especially music, jazz, dance, and science): verify whether a title is an original Da Capo publication or a licensed reprint before describing it as a 'first edition.' Ownership chain: Plenum (1964) -> Perseus Books Group (1999) -> Hachette (folded into Hachette Books/Perseus) -> Grand Central revived the 'Da Capo' name as a music imprint in the 2020s. The number-line convention is stable across these eras. Collected mainly for jazz, rock, and classical biographies and music reference.


Dalkey Archive Press — first-edition identification

Dalkey Archive Press (US; 1984–present (Deep Vellum from 2021)). First-edition identification: Modern convention: copyright page states 'First Edition' / 'First printing' often with a descending number line; '1' indicates first printing. Many Dalkey titles are reprints/translations of older works — the Dalkey edition is a 'first thus' (first Dalkey/first US/first English-language edition), which the copyright page and translation/first-publication notes clarify. First lacks later-printing notice. Imprints and series: Review of Contemporary Fiction (journal); Context; Best European Fiction series. Background: Founded 1984 by John O'Brien (named for Flann O'Brien's The Dalkey Archive); grew out of the Review of Contemporary Fiction; based variously at Illinois State / Champaign and Dublin; now under Deep Vellum (acquired 2021). Specializes in avant-garde and translated literature — most collectible 'firsts' are first-English-language or first-US editions ('first thus'), not first-ever editions of the work. Check translation copyright and 'first published in [language] in [year]' notes to understand exactly which 'first' a copy represents.


Dark Harvest — first-edition identification

Dark Harvest (Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA; 1984-1991). First-edition identification: 1984-1991: horror specialty press best known for the Night Visions anthology series; titles were issued as limited signed firsts alongside trade hardcover firsts - the signed/numbered limitation page identifies the limited first state. Night Visions volumes: limited, signed first editions (signed by the contributors, and sometimes the introducer and artist); limitation counts varied by volume - some were limited to around 500 numbered copies, others to roughly 850 - so read the actual stated limitation rather than assuming a fixed number. Trade hardcover firsts state 'First Edition' on the copyright page and were released alongside the limited issues; out-of-series presentation copies also exist. Series-number caution: Night Visions saw retitling and renumbering across US/UK editions, so match the contents and the stated volume number, not just the cover title. Imprints and series: Night Visions (series). Background: Active 1984-1991, based in Arlington Heights, Illinois; defined by the Night Visions showcase series (contributors included Barker, King, McCammon, Simmons, Martin and Koontz). Night Visions is regarded as one of the most important horror short-fiction showcases of the 1980s. Signed-limited plus trade two-state model typical of 1980s collectible horror; both states are genuine firsts, distinguished by the limitation page.


Dark Horse Comics — first-edition identification

Dark Horse Comics (USA (Milwaukie, OR); 1986-present). First-edition identification: Trade paperbacks / hardcovers: the indicia/copyright page states 'First edition:' or 'First printing:' with month and year; later printings update the wording. Many Dark Horse collected editions print a printing-history line that adds dates as printings accrue — a first printing shows a single date. Floppy issues: a first printing has no printing statement; later printings state the printing in the indicia. ISBN-bearing book editions are distributed to the book trade (historically via Penguin Random House Publisher Services), so standard number-line/printing-statement book conventions apply. Imprints and series: Dark Horse Manga (formerly Studio Proteus / Dark Horse Manga); Maverick; Berger Books; DH Press (prose); Comics' Greatest World; Legend (Frank Miller/John Byrne shared imprint, 1990s). Background: Founded 1986 by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse Presents #1, July 1986). The 1990s 'Legend' imprint (Sin City, Hellboy, Next Men) was a creator-owned branding label, not a separate first-printing rule, and ended in 1998. Hellboy and Sin City collections went through many printings, and the Sin City editions were re-formatted and re-titled over time, so match the specific edition title plus the stated first-printing date. Dark Horse held the Star Wars comics license from 1991 (Dark Empire) until the license returned to Marvel for 2015; era of publication, not just the title, identifies the publisher.


David McKay Company — first-edition identification

Ives Washburn (acquired imprint)
McKay
Longmeadow (later)

David McKay Company (Philadelphia / New York, USA; 1882-c.1990). First-edition identification: 1882-c.1950: NO reliable first-edition statement of any kind; firsts and reprints are often indistinguishable from the copyright page alone — rely on earliest-state points, binding, jacket, and title-page imprint variants. c.1950-c.1975: later printings begin to be noted on the copyright page, so the ABSENCE of a later-printing notice indicates a first printing. c.1975 onward: a number-line system is used; the lowest digit (1) present indicates the first printing. Imprints and series: Ives Washburn (acquired imprint); McKay; Longmeadow (later). Background: Founded September 1882 in Philadelphia by David McKay, who apprenticed at J.B. Lippincott; published Walt Whitman's later 'Leaves of Grass' printings and a broad popular and reference list. The pre-1950 'no statement at all' era is a known trap — McKay firsts of that period require point-by-point bibliographic confirmation. Acquired by Random House in 1986; the McKay name faded thereafter.


David Philip Publishers — first-edition identification

David Philip
Africasouth Paperbacks
New Africa Books (successor)

David Philip Publishers (South Africa (Cape Town); 1971-c.2000 (succeeded by New Africa Books)). First-edition identification: Copyright page reads 'First published [year] by David Philip Publishers (Pty) Ltd' (Claremont / Cape Town); the first printing has no reprint or later-impression line. British-style convention — no number line; rely on the 'First published' year together with the absence of an impression/reprint notice. An Africasouth Paperbacks series line dates the paperback state; a New Africa Books imprint line (post-2000) indicates the later corporate era, not a David Philip-era first. Imprints and series: David Philip; Africasouth Paperbacks; New Africa Books (successor). Background: Founded 1971 by David and Marie Philip during apartheid-era censorship; a leading independent anti-apartheid house that published Gordimer, Soyinka, and anti-apartheid scholarship. After the Philips' 1999 retirement it was bought by New African Investments Ltd and merged into New Africa Books in the early 2000s — the imprint name dates the era and changes attribution. Oppositional / anti-censorship press; some titles were banned, making certain firsts scarce.


David R. Godine, Publisher — first-edition identification

David R. Godine, Publisher (US (Boston / Jaffrey, New Hampshire); 1970-present). First-edition identification: Generally prints a 'First edition' or 'First printing' statement on the copyright page; later printings note the printing. Many titles also carry a number line; '1' present = first printing. Fine-press/limited and letterpress titles are identified by colophon (stating limitation number, paper, and press) rather than a trade number line. Imprints and series: Nonpareil Books; Black Sparrow Books (acquired Black Sparrow Press list); Verba Mundi. Background: Distinguished Boston literary and fine-printing house (founded 1970) celebrated for typography, letterpress, and well-made trade books — design quality is central to collectibility. Acquired the Black Sparrow Press literary list (Bukowski, Bowles and others) and continues reprints as Black Sparrow Books; distinguish original Black Sparrow Press firsts from Godine's Black Sparrow Books reissues. Original Black Sparrow firsts characteristically show a title page printed in two or more colors, with no additional printings listed. Limited/letterpress editions: rely on the colophon and stated limitation, not on a printer's key.


DAW Books — first-edition identification

DAW Books (US; 1971–present). First-edition identification: PRIMARY tell is the DAW 'collector's number' (sequential book number), NOT a conventional number line — through June 1984 it sat inside the yellow logo box on the front cover/spine; from mid-1984 it was moved to the copyright page First printings carry a 'First Printing, <Month Year>' statement on the copyright page; absence of any later-printing notation plus the first-printing date confirms a first Cross-check the DAW book number against the title's known first-printing number; reprints reuse the same collector's number, so rely on the printing statement / price for state Imprints and series: DAW (no sub-imprints; named for Donald A. Wollheim). Background: Founded 1971 by Donald A. Wollheim — first mass-market house owned by and named after an individual; long famous for uniform bright-yellow spines (yellow-spine era ~1971–mid 1980s) Because most DAW titles were paperback originals, the 'first edition' IS the paperback — there is usually no prior hardcover DAW hardcover/club tie-ins and later Penguin-distributed printings carry different copyright-page language Now an imprint under Astra Publishing House (post-2022); historically distributed by NAL/Penguin


DC Comics (collected editions: TPB / HC / Omnibus / Absolute / Archive) — first-edition identification

DC Omnibus
Absolute Edition
DC Archive Editions
DC Finest
DC Compact Comics
Deluxe Edition
Black Label (collected)
Vertigo (collected, 1993-2020)

DC Comics (collected editions: TPB / HC / Omnibus / Absolute / Archive) (USA (Burbank, CA / New York, NY); collected-edition program: 1980s-present (Archive Editions since 1989; Absolute since 2005; Omnibus line from the mid-to-late 2000s)). First-edition identification: Indicia/copyright page carries the publisher block ('Copyright © [year] DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.'), ISBN, and a printing statement: a first printing states 'First Printing', often with no later dates, or a single publication line. Modern DC collected editions use a descending number line in the indicia ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'); the lowest number present is the printing, so '1' present indicates a first printing. Reprints add a printing-history line or update the number line by dropping the '1'; first printings have only the original date and the full number line ending in 1. Direct-vs-newsstand is not relevant to the ISBN book editions; it applies only to the original floppy issues being collected. Imprints and series: DC Omnibus; Absolute Edition; DC Archive Editions; DC Finest; DC Compact Comics; Deluxe Edition; Black Label (collected); Vertigo (collected, 1993-2020). Background: Watchmen is the canonical example of DC reprint-printing tracking: the collected edition has gone through 20-plus printings (the GCD documents a Twenty-Fourth Printing), each explicitly stated in the indicia, while the 1987 first printing carries the original single-printing indicia and a number line ending in 1. Absolute Editions and Archive Editions are premium oversized lines, usually single or few printings, with an edition statement; printing is still verified via indicia. Vertigo collected editions (1993-2020) carry Vertigo branding but follow the same DC indicia/number-line convention; post-2020 mature material moved to Black Label. DC Finest and DC Compact Comics are recent value-reprint lines; edition/printing is identified by indicia date and number line. For the original floppy issues: a first printing has no printing statement; reprints are marked (for example 'Second Printing') on cover or indicia. This matters for original-issue collecting, not the book collections.


Deep Vellum Publishing — first-edition identification

Deep Vellum Publishing (Dallas, Texas, USA; 2013-present). First-edition identification: 2013-present (Deep Vellum imprint): First printings are identified by a complete descending number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on the copyright page, the lowest digit indicating the printing. Titles are predominantly translation-focused paperback originals, so the first state is the trade paperback. Dalkey Archive under Deep Vellum (relaunch from 2022): reissued and new Dalkey titles carry Deep Vellum's imprint and follow its number-line practice; check the imprint/publisher line and copyright date to distinguish a Deep-Vellum-era Dalkey printing from an original John O'Brien-era Dalkey first (Dalkey was founded 1984 in Illinois). Imprints and series: Deep Vellum; Dalkey Archive Press (acquired November 2020; relaunched April 2022); A Strange Object; Phoneme Media; La Reunion. Background: Founded 2013 by Will Evans in Dallas; a nonprofit that also operates the Deep Vellum Books bookstore (opened 2015 in the Deep Ellum neighborhood). Acquired A Strange Object and Phoneme Media in 2019 and the assets of Dalkey Archive Press in November 2020 (relaunching Dalkey in April 2022) — so a post-acquisition Dalkey book is a Deep Vellum production, a critical distinction from John O'Brien-era Dalkey firsts. Predominantly first English translations, making many Deep Vellum editions the first English-language printing of the text.


Delacorte Press — first-edition identification

Delacorte Press (US (New York); 1921–present). First-edition identification: "First printing" or "First Edition" stated on the copyright page, frequently paired with a number line ending in 1 Vonnegut-era Delacorte / Seymour Lawrence books: look for an explicit "First printing" statement on the copyright page (e.g. Slaughterhouse-Five is a stated first printing) Imprints and series: Delacorte; Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence (co-imprint on Vonnegut-era titles). Background: Hardcover home of many Kurt Vonnegut firsts, published as Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence — a high-value collecting area Within the Random House Publishing Group, part of Penguin Random House


Dell (Mapbacks / paperback originals) — first-edition identification

Dell (Mapbacks / paperback originals) (US; 1943-1960s). First-edition identification: Dell-number identification: every Dell paperback carried a sequential Dell number. Mapbacks run roughly #5 to ~#550 (books #1-4 had no map). The Dell number plus the back-cover map/keyhole-eye logo establishes the series and approximate date. First printing of a given Dell number is identified by the absence of any reprint/printing notice on the copyright page and a price matching the era; many Dell mapbacks are effectively single-printing, so the issue point is the Dell number itself. Back cover bears a pictorial 'map' (or chart/blueprint) of the scene of the crime, with a front-cover banner sometimes reading 'with crime map on back cover'; 'eye-in-keyhole' logo on the front. Dell First Editions (from 1953, prefix 'A###' / 'First Edition' line) are paperback ORIGINALS — the paperback IS the first edition; look for the 'Dell First Edition' designation. Imprints and series: Dell Books; Dell Mapbacks (1943-1951); Dell First Edition (paperback originals, 1953+); Dell Great Mystery Library. Background: Mapbacks (1943-1951): the back-cover map (many by illustrator Ruth Belew) is the defining feature; maps faded out by 1951. A 'Dell First Edition' (post-1953) is a true first printing of an original work and has no prior hardcover — distinct from Dell mapback REPRINTS of hardcover novels (e.g., Christie titles originally from Dodd, Mead), which are reprints, not firsts. Condition-sensitive: spine, map clarity, and cover gloss drive value; price on cover helps date. Do not confuse with later glue-bound Dell reprints that reused numbers/series names.


Dell Publishing — first-edition identification

Delacorte Press
Dell Laurel
Laurel-Leaf
Yearling
Dial Press (under Dell)
Dell Dragonfly

Dell Publishing (US; 1942–present). First-edition identification: Mass-market originals: copyright page shows a printing statement; a true first lists only 'First printing (date)' or a number line including 1 with no later printings. Delacorte Press hardcovers (the Dell trade-hardcover line) typically state 'First printing' / 'First Edition' and use a number line ending in 1. Older Dell mapbacks/paperbacks identified by series number and the absence of reprint notations rather than a stated edition. Modern Dell (PRH) uses a descending number line; presence of 1 = first. Imprints and series: Delacorte Press; Dell Laurel; Laurel-Leaf; Yearling; Dial Press (under Dell); Dell Dragonfly. Background: Dell was historically a paperback/magazine house; Delacorte Press (est. 1921, revived as Dell's hardcover imprint) is where Dell hardcover firsts appear. Vintage 'Dell mapbacks' (1940s–50s, maps on rear cover) are collected by their series numbering. Became Bantam Doubleday Dell, then folded into Random House (1998) → Penguin Random House. Post-merger follows RH number-line convention. Yearling/Laurel-Leaf are children's/YA reprint lines — usually NOT firsts.


Dennis McMillan Publications — first-edition identification

Dennis McMillan Publications (US (Miami Beach, FL; later Tucson, AZ); 1980s–2000s). First-edition identification: The first edition is a signed, numbered limited: a printed limitation page (often in a distinctive ink such as red) states the total edition and gives the copy number, signed by the author on the limitation page. Hardcover, usually issued in dustjacket; the limitation statement and author signature on the limitation/colophon leaf are the controlling first-edition points. Some titles had a scarcer lettered or specially-bound deluxe sub-state above the numbered run — check whether the copy is numbered or lettered, lettered being the scarcer state. Place/date on the copyright page tracks the publisher's relocations (Miami Beach in the late 1980s), useful for confirming a genuine first-issue. Imprints and series: Dennis McMillan Publications. Background: Small fine-press operation run by bookseller Dennis McMillan; celebrated for Charles Willeford titles — notably Kiss Your Ass Good-bye (1987, 400 copies signed and numbered by Willeford on a red-printed limitation page), plus Fredric Brown pulp-recovery material. These are genuine first editions of often previously-unpublished or uncollected work — high collector interest driven by tiny runs and author signatures. Because runs are so small, condition of the limitation page and presence of the signature are decisive; later trade reprints by other houses are NOT the McMillan first.


Deseret Book Company — first-edition identification

Deseret Book
Bookcraft (acquired 1999)
Shadow Mountain
Eagle Gate
Ensign Peak

Deseret Book Company (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; 1866/1919-present). First-edition identification: 1866-1920s (Deseret News Bookstore / early roots): The LDS Church's official bookstore and publisher; lineage traces to George Q. Cannon & Sons (1866), purchased by the Deseret News in 1901 to become the Deseret News Bookstore. No number line; identify firsts by copyright year and absence of any reprint or later-printing notice. Nineteenth-century LDS imprints are scarce and identified bibliographically (Flake-Draper LDS bibliography). 1919/1920 (Deseret Book Company formed October 1919 by merger of the Deseret News Bookstore and the Deseret Sunday School Union Bookstore; name adopted 1920) - 1960s: printing and edition statements appear inconsistently; earliest copyright year plus a clean printing line indicates a first. 1960s-1980s: number and printing-history lines emerge; earliest single year with no added printings indicates a first. 1980s-present: standard descending number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a '1' present indicates a first printing. Shadow Mountain (the national, general-market imprint) and Eagle Gate follow the same number-line convention. Imprints and series: Deseret Book; Bookcraft (acquired 1999); Shadow Mountain; Eagle Gate; Ensign Peak. Background: Formed in October 1919 from the merger of the Deseret News Bookstore and the Deseret Sunday School Union Bookstore, with the Deseret Book Company name adopted in 1920; deeper roots to George Q. Cannon & Sons (1866). Owned by the LDS Church through Deseret Management Corporation, making it effectively the official LDS publisher and retailer. Acquired Bookcraft in 1999 and combined the lists; launched Shadow Mountain for the national market. Early LDS imprints are catalogued in the Flake-Draper Mormon bibliography, the authoritative reference for the early firsts; large devotional print runs mean most modern firsts are common while the scarce items are the early Salt Lake imprints.