How to identify a first printing
- Pre-1940s: no consistent practice — first/later printing identification is unreliable and requires jacket/ad/binding/bibliographic analysis
- 1940s onward: may state "First Printed [Year]" on firsts and note subsequent printings (transitional, not universal)
- By 1976: consistent "First published in [Year]" on the copyright page of firsts, with later printings/impressions explicitly noted
- Modern era (number line): later Hodder/Sceptre titles carry a printer's-key number line (lowest digit = printing; '1' present = first); number lines are a general post-~1970 trade practice — the exact year Hodder adopted them is not documented, so do not assert a precise 'mid-1990s' start date
- First printing = era-appropriate statement present AND no later-impression/printing notation; for pre-1940s books rely on points/bibliography, not the copyright page
Notable points & cautions
- Large commercial house; John Buchan's Richard Hannay sequels were Hodder firsts (Greenmantle 1916, Mr Standfast 1919) — but his most famous title, 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' (1915), was FIRST published by William Blackwood & Sons, NOT Hodder & Stoughton; do not cite it as a Hodder first
- Pre-war inconsistency makes early Hodder firsts genuinely difficult — beware confident copyright-page claims; identification often needs binding/jacket/ad and bibliographic points
- Later-printing dust jackets can sometimes be flagged by a small roman-numeral code on the rear panel (e.g. 'ii' = second printing jacket)
- Sceptre (founded 1986) is the modern literary imprint; many Booker-era authors (Keneally, David Mitchell, Fay Weldon)
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Hodder, Sceptre (literary paperback/HB), Coronet (paperback), Hodder Children's, New English Library. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Hodder & Stoughton book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Pre-1940s: no consistent practice — first/later printing identification is unreliable and requires jacket/ad/binding/bibliographic analysis 1940s onward: may state "First Printed [Year]" on firsts and note subsequent printings (transitional, not universal)
Does Hodder & Stoughton use a number line?
1940s onward: may state "First Printed [Year]" on firsts and note subsequent printings (transitional, not universal)
Is a book-club edition a Hodder & Stoughton first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Large commercial house; John Buchan's Richard Hannay sequels were Hodder firsts (Greenmantle 1916, Mr Standfast 1919) — but his most famous title, 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' (1915), was FIRST published by William Blackwood & Sons, NOT Hodder & Stoughton; do not cite it as a Hodder first
What era does this cover?
This covers Hodder & Stoughton (1868-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.