How to identify a first printing
- 1967-c.1990: Founded 1967 (by Harold Mason and Harold Schwartz) as a reprint house and academic/reference publisher; many early titles are scholarly reprints, so a first Greenwood edition is identified by the reprint statement plus the absence of a later-printing notice. Reference works are identified by edition and copyright year.
- c.1990-present: Number line on the copyright page, lowest digit = printing. For multi-volume reference encyclopedias the edition plus copyright year is the practical identification unit, and the first-printing premium on such reference titles is minimal.
- Post-2008: ABC-CLIO took a perpetual license to the Greenwood imprints; Greenwood and Praeger titles are now issued under the ABC-CLIO (Bloomsbury-affiliated) umbrella and follow its copyright-page style.
Notable points & cautions
- Praeger Publishers (founded 1950) was acquired by Greenwood from CBS, Inc. on January 1, 1986 — NOT in 1975 — and is the prestige scholarly and political-science imprint within the group.
- Library-market reference focus means a low collector premium; identification is about edition and year rather than points of issue.
- Now an imprint family under ABC-CLIO (which took a perpetual license to the Greenwood imprints in 2008).
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Greenwood Press, Praeger, Praeger Security International, Quorum Books, Bergin & Garvey, Auburn House, Libraries Unlimited (acquired), ABC-CLIO (parent/licensor post-2008). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Greenwood Publishing Group / Greenwood Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1967-c.1990: Founded 1967 (by Harold Mason and Harold Schwartz) as a reprint house and academic/reference publisher; many early titles are scholarly reprints, so a first Greenwood edition is identified by the reprint statement plus the absence of a later-printing notice. Reference works are identified by edition and copyright year. c.1990-present: Number line on the copyright page, lowest digit = printing. For multi-volume reference encyclopedias the edition plus copyright year is the practical identification unit, and the first-printing premium on such reference titles is minimal.
Does Greenwood Publishing Group / Greenwood Press use a number line?
c.1990-present: Number line on the copyright page, lowest digit = printing. For multi-volume reference encyclopedias the edition plus copyright year is the practical identification unit, and the first-printing premium on such reference titles is minimal.
Is a book-club edition a Greenwood Publishing Group / Greenwood Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Praeger Publishers (founded 1950) was acquired by Greenwood from CBS, Inc. on January 1, 1986 — NOT in 1975 — and is the prestige scholarly and political-science imprint within the group.
What era does this cover?
This covers Greenwood Publishing Group / Greenwood Press (1967-present (as imprint group)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.