# Is "Insomnia" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Insomnia by Stephen King (Viking, 1994) is identified by: Viking first trade edition, first printing: copyright page states First published in 1994 by Viking Penguin with full number line including the 1; jacket price 27.95. The Ziesing limited edition preceded the Viking trade release by several months, so it is the true first; the Viking is the first trade edition and the standard collected form.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Viking first trade edition, first printing: copyright page states First published in 1994 by Viking Penguin with full number line including the 1; jacket price 27.95
- The Mark V. Ziesing limited edition, illustrated by Phil Hale, appeared first: 1,250 leather-bound numbered copies signed by King, Hale, and designer Arnie Fenner, 52 lettered copies, and an unsigned slipcased gift issue of 3,750
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Viking first trade edition, first printing: copyright page states First published in 1994 by Viking Penguin with full number line including… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Viking first trade edition, first printing: copyright page states First published in 1994 by Viking Penguin with full number line including the 1; jacket price 27.95. The Mark V. Ziesing limited edition, illustrated by Phil Hale, appeared first: 1,250 leather-bound numbered copies signed by King, Hale, and designer Arnie Fenner, 52 lettered copies, and an unsigned slipcased gift issue of 3,750.

## Is this the true first?
The Ziesing limited edition preceded the Viking trade release by several months, so it is the true first; the Viking is the first trade edition and the standard collected form.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies of the Viking edition carry BCE markings and no jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Insomnia* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/insomnia
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.