How to identify a first printing
- 1970-1980s: Scholarly/trade convention - treat a first printing as a single copyright date with no later-printing or 'second printing' notation; the press generally did not print 'First Edition.' For the trade/regional list, a matching copyright date plus no printing statement is the practical first-printing tell.
- 1980s-present: Standard academic-press practice - a number line on the copyright page in which the lowest number present indicates the printing (a '1' present indicates a first printing). Titles typically also state the year of first publication, and later printings or paperback editions are noted explicitly ('First paperback printing,' etc.).
- Banner Books (literary reprint imprint) and Muscadine Books (regional trade imprint): these are reprint/regional lines, so a Banner Books issue is usually NOT the first edition of the work - identify the original publisher for a true first; the Banner/Muscadine issue itself follows the press number-line convention for that specific printing.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1970; sponsored by Mississippi's eight state universities, with a substantial trade/regional list (Eudora Welty material, Mississippi history, blues, comics studies, folklore) alongside scholarly monographs.
- Banner Books revived out-of-print Southern literary works - a reprint imprint, a key caution for first-edition seekers.
- Nationally important for comics scholarship and music (blues/country) studies as well as Southern regional trade.
- Academic number-line practice means a present '1' is the cleanest first-printing signal.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: University Press of Mississippi, Banner Books (literary reprint series), Muscadine Books (regional trade series), Willie Morris Books in Memoir and Biography (series). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my University Press of Mississippi (trade) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1970-1980s: Scholarly/trade convention - treat a first printing as a single copyright date with no later-printing or 'second printing' notation; the press generally did not print 'First Edition.' For the trade/regional list, a matching copyright date plus no printing statement is the practical first-printing tell. 1980s-present: Standard academic-press practice - a number line on the copyright page in which the lowest number present indicates the printing (a '1' present indicates a first printing). Titles typically also state the year of first publication, and later printings or paperback editions are noted explicitly ('First paperback printing,' etc.).
Does University Press of Mississippi (trade) use a number line?
1980s-present: Standard academic-press practice - a number line on the copyright page in which the lowest number present indicates the printing (a '1' present indicates a first printing). Titles typically also state the year of first publication, and later printings or paperback editions are noted explicitly ('First paperback printing,' etc.).
Is a book-club edition a University Press of Mississippi (trade) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1970; sponsored by Mississippi's eight state universities, with a substantial trade/regional list (Eudora Welty material, Mississippi history, blues, comics studies, folklore) alongside scholarly monographs.
What era does this cover?
This covers University Press of Mississippi (trade) (1970-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.