# Is "Mr. Mercedes" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (Scribner, 2014) is identified by: First printing has a full number line ending in 1 with 'First Scribner hardcover edition' stated, and the first-issue jacket shows the printed retail price. The US Scribner edition (June 2014) is the conventionally collected true first for King; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition also appeared in 2014, and firm precedence between the two is not established.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has a full number line ending in 1 with 'First Scribner hardcover edition' stated, and the first-issue jacket shows the printed retail price
- Won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2015
- Cemetery Dance and other signed or limited states exist separately
- Publisher imprint reads Scribner
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 2014 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has a full number line ending in 1 with 'First Scribner hardcover edition' stated, and the first-issue jacket shows the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing has a full number line ending in 1 with 'First Scribner hardcover edition' stated, and the first-issue jacket shows the printed retail price. Won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2015. Cemetery Dance and other signed or limited states exist separately.

## Is this the true first?
The US Scribner edition (June 2014) is the conventionally collected true first for King; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition also appeared in 2014, and firm precedence between the two is not established.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition for the trade first; later printings advance the number line. Distinguish the trade first from signed or limited states.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mr. Mercedes* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mr-mercedes
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.