The points of issue
Small Beer Press trade paperback original, July 2001; ISBN 1-931520-00-3 (9781931520003), cover price stated on the original wrapper. As a paperback original from the small press Link co-founded, this printing is the true first; no hardcover precedes it. A true first carries no later-printing notice on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
The US Small Beer Press paperback (2001) is the true first, a paperback original. There is no preceding hardcover; later printings add an impression line or notice. A small number of signed copies exist.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition exists. Any later printing carries an added impression line or notice, and later reissues are not the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Stranger Things Happen a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Small Beer Press trade paperback original, July 2001; ISBN 1-931520-00-3 (9781931520003), cover price stated on the original wrapper. As a paperback original from the small press Link co-founded, this printing is the true first; no hardcover precedes it. A true first carries no later-printing notice on the copyright page.
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. The US Small Beer Press paperback (2001) is the true first, a paperback original. There is no preceding hardcover; later printings add an impression line or notice. A small number of signed copies exist.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition exists. Any later printing carries an added impression line or notice, and later reissues are not the first.
I have a first edition of Stranger Things Happen — 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.