How to identify a first printing
- Late 1970s-1990s: titles were commonly issued in two states - a trade hardcover and a signed/numbered (often slipcased) limited. The signed/numbered limitation (colophon) page identifies the limited first; the trade hardcover is the standard first.
- Robert Bloch's Strange Eons (Whispers Press, 1978): the signed/numbered slipcased state (300 numbered copies signed at the colophon by Bloch, Stewart, Powers, and Schiff, within a larger run) is the priority collectible; the ordinary hardcover is the trade first.
- The Best of Whispers (1994): 500 numbered copies signed by the editor and contributors - identify via the signed limitation sheet.
Notable points & cautions
- Book-publishing arm launched in the late 1970s by Stuart David Schiff, editor of the World Fantasy Award-winning magazine Whispers (founded 1973).
- The magazine, and thus the press, moved over time: published from Fayetteville NC, then Chapel Hill NC (from issue #9, 1976), then Binghamton NY (from late 1979). Strange Eons (1978) was a Chapel Hill imprint.
- Produced illustrated dark-fantasy volumes; closely tied to the 1970s-80s small-press horror revival.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Whispers Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Late 1970s-1990s: titles were commonly issued in two states - a trade hardcover and a signed/numbered (often slipcased) limited. The signed/numbered limitation (colophon) page identifies the limited first; the trade hardcover is the standard first. Robert Bloch's Strange Eons (Whispers Press, 1978): the signed/numbered slipcased state (300 numbered copies signed at the colophon by Bloch, Stewart, Powers, and Schiff, within a larger run) is the priority collectible; the ordinary hardcover is the trade first.
Does Whispers Press use a number line?
Robert Bloch's Strange Eons (Whispers Press, 1978): the signed/numbered slipcased state (300 numbered copies signed at the colophon by Bloch, Stewart, Powers, and Schiff, within a larger run) is the priority collectible; the ordinary hardcover is the trade first.
Is a book-club edition a Whispers Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Book-publishing arm launched in the late 1970s by Stuart David Schiff, editor of the World Fantasy Award-winning magazine Whispers (founded 1973).
What era does this cover?
This covers Whispers Press (c.1977-1990s). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.