How to identify a first printing
- House standard is a number line on the copyright page: the lowest number present indicates the printing, so a full descending line ending in 1 (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) signals a first printing, often alongside a stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page. The imprint name (Weiser Books, Conari, Red Wheel, Hampton Roads, Career Press) identifies the subject area and roughly dates the title.
- Acquired houses adopt Red Wheel/Weiser conventions only after their acquisition year; pre-acquisition titles follow the original house's practice, so identify the originating imprint first, then apply that imprint's era rules.
Notable points & cautions
- The corporate timeline is a sequence of acquisitions, not a single 2001 three-way merger: Samuel Weiser, Inc. (founded 1956) was purchased in late 2000 and the company was renamed Red Wheel/Weiser, with Red Wheel established as a new imprint at that time.
- Conari Press (a Berkeley publisher founded 1989) was acquired in 2002; Hampton Roads Publishing followed in 2009 and Career Press/New Page Books in 2017.
- The umbrella has been a major home for US mind-body-spirit, occult, and New Age publishing; the imprint name is the key subject and era tell (Weiser = occult/magick; Conari = inspiration/self-help; Hampton Roads = New Age; Career Press = business/reference).
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Weiser Books, Red Wheel, Conari Press (acquired 2002), Hampton Roads Publishing (acquired 2009), Career Press (acquired 2017), New Page Books (via Career Press, 2017). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC (parent group) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. House standard is a number line on the copyright page: the lowest number present indicates the printing, so a full descending line ending in 1 (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) signals a first printing, often alongside a stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page. The imprint name (Weiser Books, Conari, Red Wheel, Hampton Roads, Career Press) identifies the subject area and roughly dates the title. Acquired houses adopt Red Wheel/Weiser conventions only after their acquisition year; pre-acquisition titles follow the original house's practice, so identify the originating imprint first, then apply that imprint's era rules.
Does Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC (parent group) use a number line?
Acquired houses adopt Red Wheel/Weiser conventions only after their acquisition year; pre-acquisition titles follow the original house's practice, so identify the originating imprint first, then apply that imprint's era rules.
Is a book-club edition a Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC (parent group) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. The corporate timeline is a sequence of acquisitions, not a single 2001 three-way merger: Samuel Weiser, Inc. (founded 1956) was purchased in late 2000 and the company was renamed Red Wheel/Weiser, with Red Wheel established as a new imprint at that time.
What era does this cover?
This covers Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC (parent group) (2000-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.