# Is "The Outsider" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Outsider by Stephen King (Scribner, 2018) is identified by: Copyright page reads "First Scribner hardcover edition May 2018" with a full number line ending in 1, in the form 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the presence of the numeral 1 marks the first printing. US Scribner is the collected true first; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition appeared essentially simultaneously in 2018.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page reads "First Scribner hardcover edition May 2018" with a full number line ending in 1, in the form 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the presence of the numeral 1 marks the first printing
- Published May 22, 2018 (ISBN 978-1-5011-8098-9), quarter-bound in red cloth over black boards with gold spine lettering and the Scribner flame colophon at the foot of the spine
- First-state dust jacket carries gold-foil STEPHEN KING lettering over the gray hanging-figure/tree-reflection art, with the printed price present on the front flap (unclipped)
- Publisher imprint reads Scribner
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 2018 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page reads "First Scribner hardcover edition May 2018" with a full number line ending in 1, in the form 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page reads "First Scribner hardcover edition May 2018" with a full number line ending in 1, in the form 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the presence of the numeral 1 marks the first printing. Published May 22, 2018 (ISBN 978-1-5011-8098-9), quarter-bound in red cloth over black boards with gold spine lettering and the Scribner flame colophon at the foot of the spine. First-state dust jacket carries gold-foil STEPHEN KING lettering over the gray hanging-figure/tree-reflection art, with the printed price present on the front flap (unclipped).

## Is this the true first?
US Scribner is the collected true first; the UK Hodder and Stoughton edition appeared essentially simultaneously in 2018.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the number line, are typically blind-stamped to the rear board, and carry a dust jacket without the printed flap price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Outsider* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-outsider
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.