# Is "Bag of Bones" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bag of Bones by Stephen King (Scribner, 1998) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Scribner edition 1998' with a full number line ending in 1 (1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2); 529 pages. The US Scribner 1998 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Scribner edition 1998' with a full number line ending in 1 (1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2)
- 529 pages
- Bound in orange paper-covered boards with a quarter cream cloth spine lettered in gilt
- First-state dust jacket by John Fontana shows the profile of a screaming woman with a lakeside cabin in the background, repeats the cabin-and-lake vignette on the rear panel, and carries the author photograph by Virginia Sherwood on the back flap; the printed cover price should be present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Scribner
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Scribner edition 1998' with a full number line ending in 1 (1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Scribner edition 1998' with a full number line ending in 1 (1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2); 529 pages. Bound in orange paper-covered boards with a quarter cream cloth spine lettered in gilt. First-state dust jacket by John Fontana shows the profile of a screaming woman with a lakeside cabin in the background, repeats the cabin-and-lake vignette on the rear panel, and carries the author photograph by Virginia Sherwood on the back flap; the printed cover price should be present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The US Scribner 1998 edition is the true first. The UK Hodder and Stoughton 1998 edition is a separate edition, and the signed limited editions issued separately are distinct collectible states.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition is smaller and lighter, blind-stamped on the rear board, with a jacket bearing no printed price, and it lacks the full number line ending in 1. The price-present unclipped jacket together with the 1 in the number line confirms the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bag of Bones* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bag-of-bones
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.