FAQ: First Editions (USA) and how to Identify
JSM
I am having the devil of a time trying to decide what to do about the
two latest books: Desperation and The Regulators. There are several
editions of each of these available - from the British limited and trade
editions to the US limited and trade editions. But which is the first
edition? I can't even really decide what is the first in the USA!
So, I will add BOTH the trade edition and limited edition for the USA
only. Worldwide firsts have gotten too damned confusing. Besides, the
true first edition is the first one published. If that means printed,
then who can know for sure. If it means printed and released for sale,
then that makes it a lot easier. Any ideas? Let me know at
Thanks.
Now onward!
Though I am sure there are other King editions extant, I am not aware
of them. However, if you know of any, or see any mistakes in the
following list, let me know at ro...@ionet.net and I will update/correct
this list.
It also contains some numbers on the limited edition of which I am not
sure. These are indicated by question marks (?). If you can verify or
supply the correct numbers, I would be most appreciative.
John
How to ID First Editions...
Checking out first editions of King titles...
It can be difficult telling the first editions of some of his earlier
works. That changed with Firestarter. Following is a synopsis.
Published by Doubleday:
Carrie - '1974' on title page (TP). 'First Edition' on copyright (CP)
page. Date code "P6" on inner margin of page 199.
Salem's Lot - 'First Edition' on CP. Date code 'Q37' on page 439.
This book has two dust wrappers - first with a $8.95 price
the second with a $7.95 price. Both have 'Father Cody'
reference on DW.
The Shining - 'First Edition' on CP. Date Code R49 on page 447.
Night Shift - '1978' on TP. 'First Edition' on CP. Date code S52 on page
336.
The Stand - 'First Edition' on CP. Date Code T39 on page 823.
Pet Sematary - '1983' on TP. 'First Edition' on CP, no other 'edition'
numbers.
Published by Viking:
The Dead Zone - No date on TP. 'First published in 1979 by the Viking
Press' on CP.
Different Seasons - No date on CP. 'First Published in 1982' on CP,
no other 'edition' numbers.
IT - No date on TP. 'First Published in 1986 by Viking Penguin Inc.' on
CP. No other numbering.
The Eyes of the Dragon - No date on TP. 'First Published in 1987 by Viking
Penguin Inc.' on CP. No other numbering.
Misery - No date on TP. 'First Published in 1987 by Viking Penguin Inc.'
on CP. No other numbering.
The Dark Half - No Date on TP. 'First Published in 1989 by Viking
Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.' and numbered
'1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' on CP.
Four Past Midnight - No Date on TP. 'First Published in 1990 by Viking
Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.' and
numbered '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on CP.
Needful Things - No Date on TP. 'First Published in 1991 by Viking
Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc' and numbered
'1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' on CP.
Gerald's Game - No Date on TP. 'First Published in 1992 by Viking
Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc' and numbered
'1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' on CP.
Delores Claiborne - No Date on TP. 'First Published in 1993 by Viking
Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.' and
numbered '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' on CP.
Nightmares and Dreamscapes - No Date on TP. 'First Published in 1993
by Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc.' and
numbered '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' on CP.
Rose Madder - No Date on TP. 'First Published in 1995 by Viking
Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. and
numbered '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' on CP.
Desperation - No Date on TP. 'First Published in 1996 by Viking
Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. and
numbered '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on CP.
Published by Putnam:
The Tommyknockers - No date on TP. 'Copyright 1987 by Stephen King,
Tabitha King and Arthur B. Greene, Trustee", numbers
'1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' above 'Permissions to come' on CP.
Published by New American Library (NAL):
Thinner - (Richard Bachman) - 'First printing, November 1984'on CP
numbers '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9' below.
Published by Dutton:
The Regulators - (Richard Bachman) - 'First Trade Printing, October 1996'
on CP numbers '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' below.
The following are signed/numbered limited firsts - easy to spot. There are
several variations on these books. Some are marked 'Presentation' copies; Some
are marked 'Publisher's' copies. There are extra books printed to make up
books lost in the mail. I have tried to give the best information I can, but
am still open to any additions to this list which I can verify. Be that as it
may, here we are:
Firestarter - Phantasia Press - 1980, 26 copies signed and lettered A-Z with
asbestos board covers, dated July 8,1980.
725 copies signed and numbered and dated from July 5,
through July 8, 1980.
Cujo - Mysterious Press - 1981, limited to 750 copies signed and numbered.
Christine - Donald M. Grant - 1983, limited to 1000 copies signed and
numbered.
The Talisman - Donald M. Grant - 1984, 2 Volume set in presentation box,
limited to copies 1200 copies signed and numbered.
1200 copies unsigned.
70 copies numbered and signed by King, Straub and all
10 illustrators.
30 Author's copies
(?) unsigned publisher's copies.
Cycle of the Werewolf - The Land of Enchantment - 1983, limited to 100 copies
signed by King and Bernie Wrightson and numbered 1-100, with
a tipped in original drawing by Bernie Wrightson;
250 copies signed by King and Wrightson and numbered 101-350,
with no sketch
7500 unsigned.
Eyes of the Dragon - Philtrum Press - 1984, 26 copies signed and lettered
A-Z,
250 copies signed and number 1-250 in red ink. 1000 copies signed
and numbered 1-1000 in black ink.
(this edition predates and differs textually from the Viking
Edition).
Skeleton Crew - Scream Press - 1985, limited to 1000 copies signed and
numbered.
(this edition includes the story 'The Revelations of Becka
Paulson')
52 copies signed and lettered A-ZZ in a leather zippered case.
Also, presentation copies (17) and one (1) publishers copy
bound entirely differently.
Dolan's Cadillac - Lord John Press - 1989, limited to 26 copies signed and
lettered A-Z, "specially bound" and slip-cased,
250 copies signed and numbered 1-250, quarter bound in leather,
100 copies signed with a colophon imprinted 'Presentation Copy'
1000 copies signed and numbered 1-1000.
Also, presentation copies (qty?)
My Pretty Pony - Whitney Museum of American Art - 1988, Metal cover front
and back with front clock designed to stop functioning after
one year (though battery is replaceable).
limited to 35 copies signed and numbered I - XXXV.
250 copies copies signed and numbered 1 - 250, of which
only 150 were for sale.
50 copies signed and unnumbered(??)
The Stand - Complete and Uncut - Doubleday - 1990, packaged in a black
wooden box with a metal plate on the cover.
Limited to 1250 copies signed and numbered 1-1250 and 52 copies
signed and lettered A-ZZ.
It has been reported that a few copies with a different
metal plate on the box exist. I have been informed by
someone associated with the preparation of this edition
that no copies were released with a different plate.
Insomnia - Mark V. Ziesing Books - 1994, 1250 copies signed and
numbered 1-1250 leather bound,
3750 copies unsigned.
Desperation - Donald M Grant Publisher, Inc. - 1996, 2000 copies signed
and numbered 1-2000,
4000 copies unsigned.
The Regulators - Dutton - 1996, 500 copies signed and numbered 1-500,
52 copies signed and lettered (A-ZZ?)
Now, The Dark Tower series:
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - Donald M. Grant - 1982,
12 Publishers copies,
35 signed lettered copies (A-Z and ??),
500 copies signed and numbered 1-500.
10,000 copies unsigned.
10,000 copies unsigned, second printing.
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three - Donald M. Grant - 1987,
50(?) Authors copies
35 signed and lettered copies (A-Z and ??),
850 copies signed and numbered 1-850, of which only 800 were
for sale,
30,000 copies unsigned.
The Dark Tower III: The Wastelands - Donald M. Grant - 1991,
1250 copies signed and numbered 1-1250 of which only 1200 were
for sale,
40000 copies unsigned.
Since there were 35 lettered copies of the first two, I feel
confidant that there are 35 lettered copies of this book also.
There have been some other 'publications' of King's works over the years.
Danse Macbre - 1981 ... was issued in 3 versions of the first printing -
15 copies lettered A-O signed, 35 copies unsigned, but with
a tissue DW, 250 copies signed and numbered with 'RRD282' on
the CP.
Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus - By Mary W. Shelley - 4 page intro
by King. Illustrated by Bernie Wrightson.
26 lettered and signed copies,
500 numbered and signed copies (both Wrightson and King)
a few 'out of series' signed copies (no numbers or letters).
1983
Also, there were four stories published under the Bachman Pseudonym.
These were paperbacks. They were collected under the NAL label in
"The Bachman Books. Four Early Novels by Stephen King" - The first
Edition of this combined work says 'First (Omnibus) Printing, October,
1985' and has the numbers '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9' below this.
The Paperbacks were published by Signet and had
"First Printing (pub. date)
123456789"
at the bottom of the CP.
Also, The Green Mile is being published in PB. It is a 6 part
serialized novel. The first printings are from Signet and have
"First Printing (pub. date)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1"
on the CP.
These are (in most cases) world wide first editions. However, there are
others that have been released prior to the American editions. Examples
are
"ES" ("IT") - a German language edition in a full leather cover which
was published several weeks prior to the American edition.
Unsigned.
"Rose Madder" - Which has been published in a 200 copy limited edition in
Great Britain. Signed and numbered via bookplate.
"Insomnia" - Published in Great Britain in a 200 copy limited edition
signed and numbered via book plate.
WW first edition??.
"The Regulators" - Published in Great Britain as a limited edition.
"Desperation" - Published (along with The Regulators) as a limited edition.
I am sure there are others, but I will limit this list to the American
editions with minor mention of World Wide editions for comparison.
web-server-account
JSM (ro...@ionet.net) wrote:
: I am having the devil of a time trying to decide what to do about the
: two latest books: Desperation and The Regulators. There are several
: editions of each of these available - from the British limited and trade
: editions to the US limited and trade editions. But which is the first
: edition? I can't even really decide what is the first in the USA!
: So, I will add BOTH the trade edition and limited edition for the USA
: only. Worldwide firsts have gotten too damned confusing. Besides, the
: true first edition is the first one published. If that means printed,
: then who can know for sure. If it means printed and released for sale,
: then that makes it a lot easier. Any ideas? Let me know at
I guess it's all a matter of semantics. However, in this case, I don't
think we can ignore the UK editions since they were available for sale
long before (as much as 3 weeks) the US editions. If I recall correctly,
they were out even before the DMG limited edition of "Desperation".
The limited edition of "The Regulators" is an also-ran -- it was not
released until nearly two months after the trade edition appeared. If
it had met its original schedule, it would have gone out about a week
before the trade release on Sept 24th. However, the numbered ones came
out in mid-November and I still haven't heard anyone say that they
received the lettered edition yet.
"Desperation" from Donald M. Grant came out a couple of weeks before
the US trade release, but the UK publisher's really got the jump on
everyone this time.
--
Bev Vincent
Houston, TX
JSM
I understand that the UK editions predate the USA editions for sale. But my
quandary has its genesis in an e-mail I received from Peter Schneider. He
indicated that when he was working for Dutton he had a copy of the US trade
edition on his desk back in May.
So which is the real first edition? The one printed first or the one released
for sale first? Was the Dutton edition really printed ahead of the UK edition
or was the UK edition also hanging around some warehouse for months before its
release?
How the hell can we tell???
Does it really matter to anyone other than us anal collectors?
Curiouser and curiouser.
Anyway, I'm going back to my original tack - first US editions with jsut a
mention of World Wide firsts at the end.
John
web-server-account
JSM (ro...@ionet.net) wrote:
: I understand that the UK editions predate the USA editions for sale. But my
: Curiouser and curiouser.
I doubt that it really matters a lot to most people. I have no doubt that Peter
had a copy of some form of the trade edition in May -- I got a copy of the
advanced proof of "Desperation" in June and it had been around for a while.
I'd seen both proofs at Betts at the end of May. But when were the books
printed? Probably around that time because I also saw copies of the dust
jackets at the end of May. But when were the UK editions printed?!
It's enough to drive a person batty, if you want to get really hung up on
it!!
You'd have to go by word of mouth from various sources, probably, and that
gets less and less reliable and proveable. So I guess your original tack
is probably the best.