How to Identify a Hard Case Crime First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Mass-market and trade paperback originals with pulp-style painted covers; copyright page carries a printing statement and/or number line. First printing shows 'First Hard Case Crime edition' (or 'First edition') and a number line ending in '1'.
• Each title has a series number (the 'HCC-0xx' designation) — useful for series collecting but the printing is set by the copyright-page line.
• Note the distributor era: early titles (2004-2010) were distributed via Dorchester/Leisure; the relaunch (2011+) is under Titan Books — copyright-page imprint wording differs by era.

Notable points & cautions

• Founded 2004 by Charles Ardai and Max Phillips; mixes reprints of vintage noir with new originals (Lawrence Block, Stephen King's 'The Colorado Kid' and 'Joyland', Donald Westlake's posthumous 'Memory').
• Stephen King's 'The Colorado Kid' (HCC-013, 2005) first printing is a key — confirm first-printing line; widely reprinted.
• Some titles also have signed/limited hardcover states (e.g., via PS Publishing or special editions) — those are separate, not the paperback first.
• Because the line is mostly paperback originals, the paperback IS the first edition; there is no earlier hardcover to chase for new works.

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Hard Case Crime (originally Dorchester/Leisure distribution), Hard Case Crime under Titan Books (current). Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Hard Case Crime book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Mass-market and trade paperback originals with pulp-style painted covers; copyright page carries a printing statement and/or number line. First printing shows 'First Hard Case Crime edition' (or 'First edition') and a number line ending in '1'. Each title has a series number (the 'HCC-0xx' designation) — useful for series collecting but the printing is set by the copyright-page line.

Does Hard Case Crime use a number line?

Each title has a series number (the 'HCC-0xx' designation) — useful for series collecting but the printing is set by the copyright-page line.

Is a book-club edition a Hard Case Crime first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 2004 by Charles Ardai and Max Phillips; mixes reprints of vintage noir with new originals (Lawrence Block, Stephen King's 'The Colorado Kid' and 'Joyland', Donald Westlake's posthumous 'Memory').

What era does this cover?

This covers Hard Case Crime (2004-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.