# Is "Fairy Tale" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Fairy Tale by Stephen King (Scribner, 2022) is identified by: Copyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition September 2022 with a complete number line including the 1. 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:**
- Copyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition September 2022 with a complete number line including the 1
- Scribner also issued an unsigned deluxe edition with illustrated endpapers, gilded page edges, and a ribbon marker; do not confuse it with the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Scribner
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 2022 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition September 2022 with a complete number line including the 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition September 2022 with a complete number line including the 1. Scribner also issued an unsigned deluxe edition with illustrated endpapers, gilded page edges, and a ribbon marker; do not confuse it with the trade first.

## 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. A signed UK limited of 200 copies exists but is a separate issue, not 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 the jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Fairy Tale* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/fairy-tale
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.