# Is "Billy Summers" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Billy Summers by Stephen King (Scribner, 2021) is identified by: Scribner, New York, 2021. US Scribner and UK Hodder & Stoughton editions were published essentially simultaneously; collectors treat the US Scribner as the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Scribner, New York, 2021
- The copyright page states 'First Scribner hardcover edition August 2021' accompanied by a complete number line including the 1
- Bound in quarter black cloth over red paper-covered boards with gilt lettering to the spine; the first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (present and unclipped on an original jacket)
- Publisher imprint reads Scribner
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 2021 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Scribner, New York, 2021 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Scribner, New York, 2021. The copyright page states 'First Scribner hardcover edition August 2021' accompanied by a complete number line including the 1. Bound in quarter black cloth over red paper-covered boards with gilt lettering to the spine; the first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (present and unclipped on an original jacket).

## Is this the true first?
US Scribner and UK Hodder & Stoughton editions were published essentially simultaneously; collectors treat the US Scribner as the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Copies without the 1 in the number line are later printings; book club copies typically lack the number line and carry no printed price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Billy Summers* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/billy-summers
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.