More ways to confirm a first 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.
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 an 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.
Action Books titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth (Tom Stoppard, 1979)
Clearing out a shelf that includes Action Books books? I take books as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Call or text 505-250-3804.