The points of issue
Copyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition September 2017 with a complete number line including the 1 (Scribner uses the 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 style). Co-written with Owen King.
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 the jacket price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Sleeping Beauties a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page states First Scribner hardcover edition September 2017 with a complete number line including the 1 (Scribner uses the 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 style). Co-written with Owen King.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Scribner and UK Hodder & Stoughton editions were published essentially simultaneously; collectors treat the US Scribner as the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Copies without the 1 in the number line are later printings; book club copies typically lack the number line and the jacket price.
I have a first edition of Sleeping Beauties — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.