How to identify a first printing
- 1969-1983 (independent, founded by Hal Kramer in the San Francisco Bay Area): began with rock posters and broadsides, then new-age, health, cookery, and self-help how-to. First printings: earliest copyright year; number lines are variable and often absent in the 1970s and early 1980s, so identify by the absence of any later-printing notation together with the stated cover price.
- 1983-c.2011 (Ten Speed Press imprint, Berkeley CA): Ten Speed Press acquired Celestial Arts in 1983 and ran it as a subsidiary imprint. From that point Celestial Arts follows Ten Speed's number-line convention ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1', lowest digit present = printing), and after Random House/Crown acquired Ten Speed in 2009, the Penguin Random House/Crown conventions. Vegetarian and whole-foods cookery is a core line. The imprint wound down around 2011.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1969 by Hal Kramer in the San Francisco Bay Area; began with rock posters and broadsides, then moved into health, cookery (notably vegetarian/whole-foods), and new-age titles.
- Acquired by Ten Speed Press in 1983 and run as a subsidiary imprint, not around 2000.
- Followed Ten Speed into Random House/Crown when Ten Speed was acquired in 2009; the imprint ceased issuing new titles around 2011.
- The Ten Speed number-line tell applies from 1983 onward; earlier independent titles need earliest-copyright and cover-price verification.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Celestial Arts. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Celestial Arts book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1969-1983 (independent, founded by Hal Kramer in the San Francisco Bay Area): began with rock posters and broadsides, then new-age, health, cookery, and self-help how-to. First printings: earliest copyright year; number lines are variable and often absent in the 1970s and early 1980s, so identify by the absence of any later-printing notation together with the stated cover price. 1983-c.2011 (Ten Speed Press imprint, Berkeley CA): Ten Speed Press acquired Celestial Arts in 1983 and ran it as a subsidiary imprint. From that point Celestial Arts follows Ten Speed's number-line convention ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1', lowest digit present = printing), and after Random House/Crown acquired Ten Speed in 2009, the Penguin Random House/Crown conventions. Vegetarian and whole-foods cookery is a core line. The imprint wound down around 2011.
Does Celestial Arts use a number line?
1983-c.2011 (Ten Speed Press imprint, Berkeley CA): Ten Speed Press acquired Celestial Arts in 1983 and ran it as a subsidiary imprint. From that point Celestial Arts follows Ten Speed's number-line convention ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1', lowest digit present = printing), and after Random House/Crown acquired Ten Speed in 2009, the Penguin Random House/Crown conventions. Vegetarian and whole-foods cookery is a core line. The imprint wound down around 2011.
Is a book-club edition a Celestial Arts first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1969 by Hal Kramer in the San Francisco Bay Area; began with rock posters and broadsides, then moved into health, cookery (notably vegetarian/whole-foods), and new-age titles.
What era does this cover?
This covers Celestial Arts (1969-c.2011). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.