How to identify a first printing
- PRIMARY tell is the DAW 'collector's number' (sequential book number), NOT a conventional number line — through June 1984 it sat inside the yellow logo box on the front cover/spine; from mid-1984 it was moved to the copyright page
- First printings carry a 'First Printing, <Month Year>' statement on the copyright page; absence of any later-printing notation plus the first-printing date confirms a first
- Cross-check the DAW book number against the title's known first-printing number; reprints reuse the same collector's number, so rely on the printing statement / price for state
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1971 by Donald A. Wollheim — first mass-market house owned by and named after an individual; long famous for uniform bright-yellow spines (yellow-spine era ~1971–mid 1980s)
- Because most DAW titles were paperback originals, the 'first edition' IS the paperback — there is usually no prior hardcover
- DAW hardcover/club tie-ins and later Penguin-distributed printings carry different copyright-page language
- Now an imprint under Astra Publishing House (post-2022); historically distributed by NAL/Penguin
Imprints
First editions also appear under: DAW (no sub-imprints; named for Donald A. Wollheim). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my DAW Books book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. PRIMARY tell is the DAW 'collector's number' (sequential book number), NOT a conventional number line — through June 1984 it sat inside the yellow logo box on the front cover/spine; from mid-1984 it was moved to the copyright page First printings carry a 'First Printing, <Month Year>' statement on the copyright page; absence of any later-printing notation plus the first-printing date confirms a first
Does DAW Books use a number line?
First printings carry a 'First Printing, <Month Year>' statement on the copyright page; absence of any later-printing notation plus the first-printing date confirms a first
Is a book-club edition a DAW Books first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1971 by Donald A. Wollheim — first mass-market house owned by and named after an individual; long famous for uniform bright-yellow spines (yellow-spine era ~1971–mid 1980s)
What era does this cover?
This covers DAW Books (1971–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.