The fastest check: Where a number line is present, the lowest number indicates the printing.
How to identify a first printing
- Where a number line is present, the lowest number indicates the printing.
- Some titles state 'First edition'; many genuine firsts carry no number line at all because reprints are uncommon.
- Check the copyright leaf for any later-printing or reprint statement; treat its absence, together with a stated first or original copyright year, as a likely first printing rather than as proof.
Decode the printer's key: paste the number line into the number-line decoder, search any title in the First Edition Checker, or run a book through the identifier.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1977 by poet Stanley Moss (1925–2024); a nonprofit poetry and belles-lettres house with a strong focus on poetry in translation; published Yehuda Amichai among many others.
- Small print runs and infrequent reprinting mean genuine firsts often lack a number line, so identification leans on copyright-leaf statements rather than a line.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my The Sheep Meadow Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Where a number line is present, the lowest number indicates the printing. Some titles state 'First edition'; many genuine firsts carry no number line at all because reprints are uncommon.
Does The Sheep Meadow Press use a number line?
Some titles state 'First edition'; many genuine firsts carry no number line at all because reprints are uncommon.
Is a book-club edition a The Sheep Meadow Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1977 by poet Stanley Moss (1925–2024); a nonprofit poetry and belles-lettres house with a strong focus on poetry in translation; published Yehuda Amichai among many others.
What era does this cover?
This covers The Sheep Meadow Press (1977–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.