How to identify a first printing
- Late 1990s-present: every title is a hand-numbered limited-edition jacketed hardcover; the numbered limitation statement in the colophon IS the first-edition identifier, since there is no trade reprint to distinguish from.
- Typical limitations run a few hundred numbered copies (commonly around 200-300); some titles add a small deluxe/special state alongside the standard numbered run. Read the colophon for the exact number and any deluxe designation rather than assuming a fixed figure.
- Physical tells of a genuine Sarob hardcover: Wibalin (fine-linen-style) cloth, foil-blocked spine, lithographically printed text, coloured endpapers, section-sewn binding with head/tailbands, and a dust jacket.
- Imprint location helps date a copy: Welsh (Mountain Ash) addresses on earlier titles; later titles were produced after the press resumed from France in 2010.
Notable points & cautions
- Owned and edited by Robert Morgan; specializes in supernatural/ghost-story fiction, both classic reprints and original works.
- Publishes the Ghosts & Scholars Book of Shadows series (M.R. James tradition) edited by Rosemary Pardoe.
- The press paused around 2007 when Morgan relocated, then relaunched late in 2010; the single-state limited model means most copies are the first edition by definition, with condition and the limitation number driving collectibility.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Ghosts & Scholars Book of Shadows (series, ed. Rosemary Pardoe). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Sarob Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Late 1990s-present: every title is a hand-numbered limited-edition jacketed hardcover; the numbered limitation statement in the colophon IS the first-edition identifier, since there is no trade reprint to distinguish from. Typical limitations run a few hundred numbered copies (commonly around 200-300); some titles add a small deluxe/special state alongside the standard numbered run. Read the colophon for the exact number and any deluxe designation rather than assuming a fixed figure.
Does Sarob Press use a number line?
Typical limitations run a few hundred numbered copies (commonly around 200-300); some titles add a small deluxe/special state alongside the standard numbered run. Read the colophon for the exact number and any deluxe designation rather than assuming a fixed figure.
Is a book-club edition a Sarob Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Owned and edited by Robert Morgan; specializes in supernatural/ghost-story fiction, both classic reprints and original works.
What era does this cover?
This covers Sarob Press (1997-present (with a 2007-2010 hiatus; relaunched late 2010)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.