How to Identify a Arbor House First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Look on the copyright page for the explicit statement 'First Edition'. Arbor House followed standard US trade practice and typically printed this statement on the true first (confirmed on dealer-collated copies such as Elmore Leonard's Glitz and Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth).
• Check for a descending number line on the copyright page (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). The lowest number present indicates the printing, so a line that still includes '1' marks a first printing; a line whose lowest digit is 2 or higher is a later printing. Arbor House firsts across multiple titles (Schismatrix, Exit to Eden, LaBrava, Glitz) are consistently described with a 'full number line' down to 1.
• Use the two marks together as the strongest confirmation: a first printing of a 1980s Arbor House hardcover generally shows a 'First Edition' statement together with a complete number line ending in 1. Where only the number line is present, trust the lowest digit; where the words are present but the line's lowest digit is not 1, treat it as a later printing.
• Confirm the imprint reads 'Arbor House' (New York) on the title/copyright page, with the copyright/printing year matching the stated first publication date. A later printing year, or a different imprint reissuing the title, rules out the Arbor House first.
• Rule out later issues and reprints: absence of a 'First Edition' statement combined with a number line whose lowest digit is not 1 indicates a later printing. Mass-market paperbacks or a different house reprinting the title (including pseudonymous or reissue editions) are separate editions, never the Arbor House hardcover first.

Notable points & cautions

• No dedicated Arbor House entry appears in the standard publisher-by-publisher guides (QBooks A-G, ILAB, McBride), so the 'First Edition' + number-line rule is inferred from standard US trade convention plus dealer collation of actual copies rather than a published house-specific rule. Verify against the copy in hand.
• Book-club editions (BOMC/SFBC etc.) of Arbor House titles are common traps: they typically lack the number line, usually lack a printed jacket-flap price, and may carry a blind stamp on the rear board — none of these is the true Arbor House trade first.
• After the 1978 Hearst acquisition Arbor House continued as a distinct hardcover house; it only became a William Morrow imprint in January 1988. For titles near that transition, the copyright-page 'First Edition' statement and the number line — not the imprint's corporate parent — are the marks to trust.
• A clipped or replaced jacket does not change the printing, but a mismatched later jacket can mislead; where a jacket carries first-state points and a price, they should agree with a copyright page showing a number line down to 1.

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Arbor House Publishing Company, Arbor House Publishing Co., Arbor House Pub. Co., Arbor House (New York). Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Arbor House book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Look on the copyright page for the explicit statement 'First Edition'. Arbor House followed standard US trade practice and typically printed this statement on the true first (confirmed on dealer-collated copies such as Elmore Leonard's Glitz and Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth). Check for a descending number line on the copyright page (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). The lowest number present indicates the printing, so a line that still includes '1' marks a first printing; a line whose lowest digit is 2 or higher is a later printing. Arbor House firsts across multiple titles (Schismatrix, Exit to Eden, LaBrava, Glitz) are consistently described with a 'full number line' down to 1.

Does Arbor House use a number line?

Check for a descending number line on the copyright page (e.g. '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). The lowest number present indicates the printing, so a line that still includes '1' marks a first printing; a line whose lowest digit is 2 or higher is a later printing. Arbor House firsts across multiple titles (Schismatrix, Exit to Eden, LaBrava, Glitz) are consistently described with a 'full number line' down to 1.

Is a book-club edition a Arbor House first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. No dedicated Arbor House entry appears in the standard publisher-by-publisher guides (QBooks A-G, ILAB, McBride), so the 'First Edition' + number-line rule is inferred from standard US trade convention plus dealer collation of actual copies rather than a published house-specific rule. Verify against the copy in hand.

What era does this cover?

This covers Arbor House (founded 1969 (Donald Fine); acquired by Hearst Corporation 1978 but continued as a distinct hardcover house; became a William Morrow imprint January 1988 (active c.1969–1980s)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.