How to identify a first printing
- First printings carry a 'First edition' statement with month/year on the copyright page alongside a descending number line ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') or the alternating '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' form; in either case the lowest number present (a retained '1') marks the first printing.
- Many Titan releases are film/TV tie-ins or the first UK edition of a US original, so distinguish a 'first Titan edition' from the true first appearance, which is often the original US printing.
- Hard Case Crime titles published under the Titan umbrella from 2011 carry Hard Case Crime branding and a series number (the Titan-era series restarted at HCC-101).
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1981; a large publisher of media tie-ins, art books, and reprints as well as original fiction.
- Hard Case Crime (founded 2004 by Charles Ardai and Max Phillips) moved to Titan in 2011 after Dorchester/Leisure ceased publishing it; earlier Dorchester-era HCC titles carry different indicia.
- A Titan 'first' is frequently the first hardcover or first UK edition rather than the first appearance of the text — set first-in-format expectations accordingly.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Hard Case Crime (distributed/co-published), Titan Comics. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Titan Books book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. First printings carry a 'First edition' statement with month/year on the copyright page alongside a descending number line ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') or the alternating '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' form; in either case the lowest number present (a retained '1') marks the first printing. Many Titan releases are film/TV tie-ins or the first UK edition of a US original, so distinguish a 'first Titan edition' from the true first appearance, which is often the original US printing.
Does Titan Books use a number line?
Many Titan releases are film/TV tie-ins or the first UK edition of a US original, so distinguish a 'first Titan edition' from the true first appearance, which is often the original US printing.
Is a book-club edition a Titan Books first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1981; a large publisher of media tie-ins, art books, and reprints as well as original fiction.
What era does this cover?
This covers Titan Books (1981–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Titan Books titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion (Neil Gaiman, 1988)
- Violent Cases (Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean, 1987)
- Violent Cases (with Dave McKean) (Neil Gaiman, 1987)