How to identify a first printing
- Fine-press / small-press model: identification is colophon-driven. Check the back-of-book colophon for printing details, type and paper notes, and any limitation statement; a stated single printing with no later-printing note indicates a first.
- Many early Coach House titles were letterpress and produced in-house under the Coach House Printing device; signed or limited issues carry numbered or lettered colophons, and the limitation statement establishes the point.
- Most titles did not go to second printings (small literary runs), so the absence of any reprint statement plus the first-appearance copyright year is the working rule.
- Modern Coach House Books (post-1997) usually states 'first edition' on the copyright page and may carry a number line.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1965 by Stan Bevington; a landmark experimental and concrete-poetry CanLit press associated with bpNichol, early Michael Ondaatje, Christian Bök ('Eunoia'), and early Anne Carson.
- Critical era break: in 1991 the operation split into Coach House Printing (Bevington) and the trade publisher Coach House Press, which declared bankruptcy in 1996; the successor Coach House Books was founded in 1997. The pre-1997 Press and the post-1997 Books are bibliographically distinct, so date the imprint name carefully when attributing a 'first'.
- Known for elaborate designed colophons and occasional unconventional formats (fold-outs, unusual bindings); these design points are themselves issue points for collectors.
- Bök's 'Eunoia' (2001, Coach House Books) is a notable modern collectible with multiple printings; a first printing must lack later-printing indicators.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Coach House Press (1965-1996), Coach House Books (1997-present), Coach House Printing. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Coach House Press / Coach House Books book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Fine-press / small-press model: identification is colophon-driven. Check the back-of-book colophon for printing details, type and paper notes, and any limitation statement; a stated single printing with no later-printing note indicates a first. Many early Coach House titles were letterpress and produced in-house under the Coach House Printing device; signed or limited issues carry numbered or lettered colophons, and the limitation statement establishes the point.
Does Coach House Press / Coach House Books use a number line?
Many early Coach House titles were letterpress and produced in-house under the Coach House Printing device; signed or limited issues carry numbered or lettered colophons, and the limitation statement establishes the point.
Is a book-club edition a Coach House Press / Coach House Books first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1965 by Stan Bevington; a landmark experimental and concrete-poetry CanLit press associated with bpNichol, early Michael Ondaatje, Christian Bök ('Eunoia'), and early Anne Carson.
What era does this cover?
This covers Coach House Press / Coach House Books (1965-1996 (Press); 1997-present (Books)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.