How to identify a first printing
- 1971-c.2000: Founded 1971 by Ralph Warner and family-law attorney Ed Sherman as the pioneering self-help legal publisher, with the first book How to Do Your Own Divorce in California. Nolo's distinguishing convention is the EDITION-WITH-PRINTING-DATE history: because self-help legal content must stay current, Nolo states the specific edition and the printing date and revises frequently. The first printing of a given edition is the lowest printing stated, and the edition number plus printing date is the identification unit; early titles note 'First Edition' with a printing month and year.
- c.2000-present: The edition-plus-printing-date convention continues; many titles state an edition number on the cover and a dated printing history on the copyright page. Currency matters far more than first-printing collectibility because this is a legal-content house.
- Ownership: independent for decades, then acquired by Internet Brands in 2011, which continues the Nolo imprint.
Notable points & cautions
- Self-help legal publisher whose value is in being the current edition, so the first-edition collecting premium is low except for a few historically important early titles.
- Nolo prints dated printing histories (not just printing numbers) because legal currency is critical — a useful house tell.
- Acquired by Internet Brands in 2011.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Nolo Press, Nolo, Nolo.com (self-help law). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Nolo (Nolo Press) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1971-c.2000: Founded 1971 by Ralph Warner and family-law attorney Ed Sherman as the pioneering self-help legal publisher, with the first book How to Do Your Own Divorce in California. Nolo's distinguishing convention is the EDITION-WITH-PRINTING-DATE history: because self-help legal content must stay current, Nolo states the specific edition and the printing date and revises frequently. The first printing of a given edition is the lowest printing stated, and the edition number plus printing date is the identification unit; early titles note 'First Edition' with a printing month and year. c.2000-present: The edition-plus-printing-date convention continues; many titles state an edition number on the cover and a dated printing history on the copyright page. Currency matters far more than first-printing collectibility because this is a legal-content house.
Does Nolo (Nolo Press) use a number line?
c.2000-present: The edition-plus-printing-date convention continues; many titles state an edition number on the cover and a dated printing history on the copyright page. Currency matters far more than first-printing collectibility because this is a legal-content house.
Is a book-club edition a Nolo (Nolo Press) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Self-help legal publisher whose value is in being the current edition, so the first-edition collecting premium is low except for a few historically important early titles.
What era does this cover?
This covers Nolo (Nolo Press) (1971-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.