How to identify a first printing
- Stated 'First Edition' / 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page on early printings is common for literary titles
- Descending number line ending in 1 indicates first printing (contemporary standard)
- Nonprofit literary press, Minneapolis, founded 1984 (grew out of Allan Kornblum's Toothpaste Press); fine-press lineage means some titles have notably designed copyright/colophon pages
- Letterpress/limited or signed states exist for some early titles — distinguish a trade first from a signed/limited issue
Notable points & cautions
- Toothpaste Press (Kornblum's earlier West Branch, Iowa letterpress imprint, 1970s) is the antecedent and uses true fine-press colophons with limitation statements — a separate identification regime from the trade Coffee House line
- For Coffee House trade titles, rely on stated-first + number line; no idiosyncratic house point
- Watch for absent number line indicating later printing on reprinted award winners
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Coffee House Press. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Coffee House Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Stated 'First Edition' / 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page on early printings is common for literary titles Descending number line ending in 1 indicates first printing (contemporary standard)
Does Coffee House Press use a number line?
Descending number line ending in 1 indicates first printing (contemporary standard)
Is a book-club edition a Coffee House Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Toothpaste Press (Kornblum's earlier West Branch, Iowa letterpress imprint, 1970s) is the antecedent and uses true fine-press colophons with limitation statements — a separate identification regime from the trade Coffee House line
What era does this cover?
This covers Coffee House Press (1984–present (Toothpaste Press antecedent 1970s)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.