How to identify a first printing
- Highly designed copyright/colophon pages; many books and especially the 'Quarterly Concern' issues are produced as distinct physical objects where the issue number and elaborate colophon are the identifying apparatus, not a conventional number line
- Trade book titles generally do carry a standard number line ending in 1 and/or a stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page
- San Francisco independent founded 1998 by Dave Eggers; nonprofit since 2014
- For the Quarterly (McSweeney's Issue 1, 2, ... ) treat each issue as a discrete numbered object; variant covers/bindings and 'collector's editions' exist within a single issue number
Notable points & cautions
- McSweeney's Quarterly issues are famous for variant formats (boxes, multiple booklets, variant covers within one issue — e.g., Issue 11 collector's edition); a single 'issue' can have multiple physical states, so the collectible point is the issue number plus the specific format/binding variant rather than a printing line
- Some trade titles had simultaneous or near-simultaneous editions and limited signed states — verify limitation statements
- For trade books, conventional stated-first + number line applies; for the Quarterly, rely on issue number and documented format variants
Imprints
First editions also appear under: McSweeney's Books, Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern (journal), The Believer (former magazine), McSweeney's McMullens (children's). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my McSweeney's book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Highly designed copyright/colophon pages; many books and especially the 'Quarterly Concern' issues are produced as distinct physical objects where the issue number and elaborate colophon are the identifying apparatus, not a conventional number line Trade book titles generally do carry a standard number line ending in 1 and/or a stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page
Does McSweeney's use a number line?
Trade book titles generally do carry a standard number line ending in 1 and/or a stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page
Is a book-club edition a McSweeney's first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. McSweeney's Quarterly issues are famous for variant formats (boxes, multiple booklets, variant covers within one issue — e.g., Issue 11 collector's edition); a single 'issue' can have multiple physical states, so the collectible point is the issue number plus the specific format/binding variant rather than a printing line
What era does this cover?
This covers McSweeney's (1998–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.