How to identify a first printing
- 1913-2002 (F&W Publishing / F&W Publications; founded 1913 in Cincinnati, the name drawn from its early magazines Farm Quarterly and Writer's Digest): practical how-to, craft, and art-instruction publisher (North Light art instruction, Writer's Digest, Popular Woodworking, Betterway). First printing: earliest copyright year with a descending number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on book titles, lowest digit present = printing.
- 2002-2019 (F+W Media; aggressive acquisition era): acquired Krause (2002), David & Charles, Interweave, Adams Media and many craft and hobby brands. The number-line convention continues across imprints; copyright pages read 'F+W Media, Inc.' First printing = full number line ending in 1.
- 2019 (Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed March 2019; assets sold June 2019): Penguin Random House acquired F+W's book lists at the June 2019 auction; the magazine and e-commerce brands went to other buyers. Post-2019 reprints of former F+W titles carry Penguin Random House or successor imprints, marking a clear provenance break.
Notable points & cautions
- Roots in 1913 in Cincinnati; the company name derives from its early magazines Farm Quarterly and Writer's Digest, and it grew into a craft, hobby, and how-to conglomerate as F+W Media.
- Owned North Light (art and craft instruction), Popular Woodworking, Interweave, Krause, David & Charles, Adams Media, and Fons & Porter.
- Filed Chapter 11 in March 2019; Penguin Random House bought the book assets at the June 2019 auction.
- For first-edition purposes, treat each imprint's number-line convention as consistent; the 2019 sale is the key dating break.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Writer's Digest Books, North Light Books, Krause Publications, Interweave, Adams Media, Popular Woodworking Books, HOW Books, Fons & Porter / The Quilting Company, David & Charles (UK, owned), Betterway Books, Memory Makers. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my F+W (F+W Media / F+W Publications / Writer's Digest Books) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1913-2002 (F&W Publishing / F&W Publications; founded 1913 in Cincinnati, the name drawn from its early magazines Farm Quarterly and Writer's Digest): practical how-to, craft, and art-instruction publisher (North Light art instruction, Writer's Digest, Popular Woodworking, Betterway). First printing: earliest copyright year with a descending number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on book titles, lowest digit present = printing. 2002-2019 (F+W Media; aggressive acquisition era): acquired Krause (2002), David & Charles, Interweave, Adams Media and many craft and hobby brands. The number-line convention continues across imprints; copyright pages read 'F+W Media, Inc.' First printing = full number line ending in 1.
Does F+W (F+W Media / F+W Publications / Writer's Digest Books) use a number line?
2002-2019 (F+W Media; aggressive acquisition era): acquired Krause (2002), David & Charles, Interweave, Adams Media and many craft and hobby brands. The number-line convention continues across imprints; copyright pages read 'F+W Media, Inc.' First printing = full number line ending in 1.
Is a book-club edition a F+W (F+W Media / F+W Publications / Writer's Digest Books) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Roots in 1913 in Cincinnati; the company name derives from its early magazines Farm Quarterly and Writer's Digest, and it grew into a craft, hobby, and how-to conglomerate as F+W Media.
What era does this cover?
This covers F+W (F+W Media / F+W Publications / Writer's Digest Books) (1913-2019 (as F+W; book assets continue under successors)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.