How to identify a first printing
- The press dates from 1971, so the modern academic convention applies: first printings are shown by a descending number line on the copyright page that includes the digit 1, often accompanied by an explicit 'First edition' statement.
- Later printings drop the low digits from the number line while the title-page year may remain unchanged.
- Double Mountain Books editions state their own reissue status; because that line reprints Western classics, a Double Mountain first printing is a first printing of a reprint, not the first edition of the original work.
Notable points & cautions
- Because the press dates entirely from the 1970s onward, the number line is reliably present and is the primary tell; the ambiguity of pre-number-line publishing does not apply.
- Double Mountain Books ('Classic Reissues of the American West') is explicitly a reprint line, so its first printing should not be mistaken for the first edition of the original title.
- Grover E. Murray Studies in the American Southwest (named for Texas Tech's eighth president) and Plains Histories are named subject series under the press.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Grover E. Murray Studies in the American Southwest, Plains Histories, Double Mountain Books (Classic Reissues of the American West), American Liberty and Justice series. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Texas Tech University Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. The press dates from 1971, so the modern academic convention applies: first printings are shown by a descending number line on the copyright page that includes the digit 1, often accompanied by an explicit 'First edition' statement. Later printings drop the low digits from the number line while the title-page year may remain unchanged.
Does Texas Tech University Press use a number line?
Later printings drop the low digits from the number line while the title-page year may remain unchanged.
Is a book-club edition a Texas Tech University Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Because the press dates entirely from the 1970s onward, the number line is reliably present and is the primary tell; the ambiguity of pre-number-line publishing does not apply.
What era does this cover?
This covers Texas Tech University Press (1971-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.