How to identify a first printing
- Modern Arsenal Pulp titles state 'first edition' and carry a number line on the copyright page (lowest digit '1' present indicates a first printing).
- Predecessor 'Pulp Press' (1970s) titles: identify by the Pulp Press imprint and the original copyright year, with no later-printing notes.
- Reprints are common for bestselling cookbooks and queer-lit staples; verify the number line still retains '1.'
Notable points & cautions
- Originated in 1971 in Vancouver (as Scriveners'/Pulp Press; it issued the magazine Three-Cent Pulp from 1972 to 1978) and was renamed Arsenal Pulp Press in 1982 after selling its typesetting and printing operations. Known for LGBTQ literature, Indigenous voices, cultural studies, graphic novels, and cookbooks.
- The imprint name change (Pulp Press to Arsenal Pulp Press, 1982) is a useful dating tell.
- The Tillacum Library imprint focuses on Indigenous authors (originally managed by Randy Fred) and follows the parent copyright-page convention.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Arsenal Pulp Press, Pulp Press (predecessor name), Tillacum Library (Indigenous-focused imprint). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Arsenal Pulp Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern Arsenal Pulp titles state 'first edition' and carry a number line on the copyright page (lowest digit '1' present indicates a first printing). Predecessor 'Pulp Press' (1970s) titles: identify by the Pulp Press imprint and the original copyright year, with no later-printing notes.
Does Arsenal Pulp Press use a number line?
Predecessor 'Pulp Press' (1970s) titles: identify by the Pulp Press imprint and the original copyright year, with no later-printing notes.
Is a book-club edition a Arsenal Pulp Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Originated in 1971 in Vancouver (as Scriveners'/Pulp Press; it issued the magazine Three-Cent Pulp from 1972 to 1978) and was renamed Arsenal Pulp Press in 1982 after selling its typesetting and printing operations. Known for LGBTQ literature, Indigenous voices, cultural studies, graphic novels, and cookbooks.
What era does this cover?
This covers Arsenal Pulp Press (1971-present (as Pulp Press 1971-1982; Arsenal Pulp Press 1982-present)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.