How to identify a first printing
- 1897–c.1920s (Doubleday & McClure / Doubleday, Page): first editions have the SAME date on title page and copyright page with no other printings mentioned.
- Early 1920s–1927: began stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page (not always on books first published outside the US); by 1927 (Doubleday, Doran) used 'First Edition' consistently.
- Mid-1958–early 1959: numerical gutter code (1–52) on the last page of text indicating the WEEK of printing. Early 1959–1987: added a LETTER code before the week code indicating the YEAR.
- c.1990s–present: uses a descending number row; presence of 1 indicates first printing. Throughout: any mention of later printings means it is NOT a first.
Notable points & cautions
- Name evolution: Doubleday & McClure (1897) → Doubleday, Page (c.1900) → Doubleday, Doran (1927) → Doubleday & Co. (1947) → part of Bantam Doubleday Dell → Random House/PRH (1998).
- The 1958–1987 gutter/colophon code (letter+number) is a famous, decodable Doubleday point — the letter gives the year, the number the week.
- Doubleday is notorious for book-club editions (it ran large book clubs): BCEs typically lack a price on the jacket, have a blind-stamp 'dot' or square on the lower-right rear board, and are smaller/lighter — a classic confusion with trade firsts.
- Nan A. Talese is the prestige literary imprint (Atwood, McEwan, Ondaatje) — follows modern Doubleday number-line convention.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Nan A. Talese, Anchor (paper sister), Image (religious), Doubleday Religion, Currency (business), Galilee, Crime Club (historic), Zenith/Dolphin (historic paper). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Doubleday book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1897–c.1920s (Doubleday & McClure / Doubleday, Page): first editions have the SAME date on title page and copyright page with no other printings mentioned. Early 1920s–1927: began stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page (not always on books first published outside the US); by 1927 (Doubleday, Doran) used 'First Edition' consistently.
Does Doubleday use a number line?
Early 1920s–1927: began stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page (not always on books first published outside the US); by 1927 (Doubleday, Doran) used 'First Edition' consistently.
Is a book-club edition a Doubleday first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Name evolution: Doubleday & McClure (1897) → Doubleday, Page (c.1900) → Doubleday, Doran (1927) → Doubleday & Co. (1947) → part of Bantam Doubleday Dell → Random House/PRH (1998).
What era does this cover?
This covers Doubleday (1897–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Doubleday titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- A Brand New Life (James T. Farrell, 1968)
- A Dark Matter (Peter Straub, 2010)
- A Hat Full of Sky (Terry Pratchett, 2004)
- A Little Life (Hanya Yanagihara, 2015)
- A Maze of Death (Philip K. Dick, 1970)
- A Medicine for Melancholy (Ray Bradbury, 1959)
- A Painted House (John Grisham, 2001)
- A Scanner Darkly (Philip K. Dick, 1977)
- A Time of Changes (Robert Silverberg, 1971)
- A Touch of Danger (James Jones, 1973)
- Advise and Consent (Allen Drury, 1959)
- Again, Dangerous Visions (Harlan Ellison (editor), 1972)
- Alice Adams (Booth Tarkington, 1921)
- Alnilam (James Dickey, 1987)
- An Invisible Sign of My Own (Aimee Bender, 2000)
- Angle of Repose (Wallace Stegner, 1971)
- Apex Hides the Hurt (Colson Whitehead, 2006)
- As She Climbed Across the Table (Jonathan Lethem, 1997)
- Battle Cry of Freedom companion — The Ants companion not needed; instead: Gulag: A History (Anne Applebaum, 2003)
- Bleachers (John Grisham, 2003)
- Brothers of Earth (C.J. Cherryh, 1976)
- Calico Joe (John Grisham, 2012)
- Camino Island (John Grisham, 2017)
- Carpe Jugulum (Terry Pratchett, 1998)
Documenting 239 Doubleday titles in all — browse the full title-by-title library →