The fastest check: Number line on the copyright page where present; the lowest digit indicates the printing.
How to identify a first printing
- Number line on the copyright page where present; the lowest digit indicates the printing.
- May state 'First Edition' with the year; many small-run titles carry no number line at all.
- Check the copyright leaf for any later-printing statement; its absence supports a first printing.
Decode the printer's key: paste the number line into the number-line decoder, search any title in the First Edition Checker, or run a book through the identifier.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded in 2005 by Joyelle McSweeney and Johannes Göransson to publish work — including Aase Berg and Lara Glenum — that journals embraced but trade houses found too extreme. Specializes in international poetry in translation and the transnational avant-garde.
- Housed at the University of Notre Dame English Department; small runs, with reprints uncommon.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Action Books book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Number line on the copyright page where present; the lowest digit indicates the printing. May state 'First Edition' with the year; many small-run titles carry no number line at all.
Does Action Books use a number line?
May state 'First Edition' with the year; many small-run titles carry no number line at all.
Is a book-club edition a Action Books first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded in 2005 by Joyelle McSweeney and Johannes Göransson to publish work — including Aase Berg and Lara Glenum — that journals embraced but trade houses found too extreme. Specializes in international poetry in translation and the transnational avant-garde.
What era does this cover?
This covers Action Books (2005–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.