How to identify a first printing
- First printings carry a descending number line ending in '1' on the copyright page; the lowest digit indicates the printing.
- Many scholarly and liturgical titles state only a copyright year with no printing line, so a first printing is inferred from the absence of any reprint or second-printing notice.
- Series volumes (e.g., Sacra Pagina, Cistercian Studies) are dated by each volume's own copyright year.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded in 1926 as the publishing house of Saint John's Abbey, the Benedictine community in Collegeville, Minnesota; an internationally known Catholic and ecumenical publisher in liturgy, Scripture, theology, and monastic life.
- Took over editorial, production, and marketing of Cistercian Publications through a partnership begun in 2008 (not an outright acquisition); older Cistercian volumes predate that partnership and have their own copyright pages, so they may not follow Liturgical Press conventions.
- Michael Glazier Books and Pueblo Books (scholarly Catholic and liturgical lists) were consolidated into the Liturgical Press Academic imprint in 2018; missals, lectionaries, and worship aids reprint constantly and are generally not collected as 'firsts.'
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Michael Glazier Books (folded into Liturgical Press Academic in 2018), Pueblo Books (folded into Liturgical Press Academic in 2018), Cistercian Publications, Liturgical Press Academic. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Liturgical Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. First printings carry a descending number line ending in '1' on the copyright page; the lowest digit indicates the printing. Many scholarly and liturgical titles state only a copyright year with no printing line, so a first printing is inferred from the absence of any reprint or second-printing notice.
Does Liturgical Press use a number line?
Many scholarly and liturgical titles state only a copyright year with no printing line, so a first printing is inferred from the absence of any reprint or second-printing notice.
Is a book-club edition a Liturgical Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded in 1926 as the publishing house of Saint John's Abbey, the Benedictine community in Collegeville, Minnesota; an internationally known Catholic and ecumenical publisher in liturgy, Scripture, theology, and monastic life.
What era does this cover?
This covers Liturgical Press (1926–present (publishing house of Saint John's Abbey)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.