The fastest check: Modern: full descending number line; '1' present indicates a first printing
How to identify a first printing
- Modern: full descending number line; '1' present indicates a first printing
- First printing copyright page without later-printing notices
- Later printings add printing statements
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
- SMU Press, established 1937; notable for literary fiction and Southwest/Texas literature before it suspended new trade publishing on June 1, 2010
- Briefly reorganized in 2011 on a smaller budget before closing in 2015, so its active literary trade era was relatively short and many titles exist only in first printing — but verify via number line
- Distinct from TCU Press and Texas A&M Press
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Southern Methodist University Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern: full descending number line; '1' present indicates a first printing First printing copyright page without later-printing notices
Does Southern Methodist University Press use a number line?
First printing copyright page without later-printing notices
Is a book-club edition a Southern Methodist University Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. SMU Press, established 1937; notable for literary fiction and Southwest/Texas literature before it suspended new trade publishing on June 1, 2010
What era does this cover?
This covers Southern Methodist University Press (1937-c.2010 (new trade publishing; press later closed 2015)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.