The fastest check: Modern firsts carry a copyright-page number line; a terminating 1 indicates a first printing.
How to identify a first printing
- Modern firsts carry a copyright-page number line; a terminating 1 indicates a first printing.
- First printings state a single year with no reprint list.
- Later printings add printing-year lines or explicit reprint notices.
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 1963; the scholarly press of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
- Bright Leaf is the press's regional New England trade imprint, launched in 2017; it is a sub-imprint, not a separate house.
- Publishes the Juniper Prize series (poetry since 1975, fiction since 2004, creative nonfiction since 2018), whose collectible literary firsts follow the terminating-1 number-line rule.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: University of Massachusetts Press, Bright Leaf (regional New England trade imprint, launched 2017). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my University of Massachusetts Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern firsts carry a copyright-page number line; a terminating 1 indicates a first printing. First printings state a single year with no reprint list.
Does University of Massachusetts Press use a number line?
First printings state a single year with no reprint list.
Is a book-club edition a University of Massachusetts Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1963; the scholarly press of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
What era does this cover?
This covers University of Massachusetts Press (1963-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.