The Dead Zone first edition

[Jeff]

I'm wondering if the copy of "The Dead Zone" I have is a first edition. It
has the dust jacket, and in the lower corner is the code 0879. There is no
price in the upper corner (and it hasn't been cut), but it doesn't say book
club edition anywhere either.

The copyright page shows "First published in 1979 by The Viking Press" with
no other printing dates listed and no number code. The ISBN is
0-670-26077-0.

I also found the code "MP8W" printed in the gutter on the 2nd to the last
page.

Jeff

[b***@gmail.com]

No price on the DJ means that at least the DJ is not a first edition.

The book is more difficult to tell. The date codes for the Viking books
haven't been explored. The only reference I can find that has MP8W is a
google cached e-bay page that states a copy with that code isn't a
first edition.

Another thing to check is the book size. It should be 6.25 x 9.5 x
1.45". For a while, Book Club Editions were a different size.

http://www.stephenking.com/IdentifyingFirstEditions.pdf

[Jeff]

Thanks Bev!

I got your pdf file, very helpful.

I picked up a number of older Stephen King books at a local sale and I was
trying to figure out if they were valuable, etc.

Some of the ones I got just don't seem to fit the profile of either "trade"
or "book club". The Dead Zone book measures 9.5 x 6.25. I thought book club
editions were smaller.

Also in the collection was Firestarter. It doesn't have the price either.
And the measurements are the same as the Dead Zone book. I already had
Firestarter in my collection, but it is the book club edition. It says "Book
Club Edition" on the jacket and it measures 8.5 x 5.5.

Is there more than one book club edition?

Post by b***@gmail.com
No price on the DJ means that at least the DJ is not a first edition.
The book is more difficult to tell. The date codes for the Viking books
haven't been explored. The only reference I can find that has MP8W is a
google cached e-bay page that states a copy with that code isn't a
first edition.
Another thing to check is the book size. It should be 6.25 x 9.5 x
1.45". For a while, Book Club Editions were a different size.
http://www.stephenking.com/IdentifyingFirstEditions.pdf
--
Bev Vincent
www.BevVincent.com

[b***@gmail.com]

There might be more than one book club edition. Historically the BCEs
were smaller but more recently they've been the same size. There is
Book of the Month Club, The Literary Guild, the Stephen King Library
and possibly other book clubs producing possibly distinct versions.

[Warchild]

Post by Jeff
I'm wondering if the copy of "The Dead Zone" I have is a first edition. It
has the dust jacket, and in the lower corner is the code 0879. There is no
price in the upper corner (and it hasn't been cut), but it doesn't say book
club edition anywhere either.
The copyright page shows "First published in 1979 by The Viking Press" with
no other printing dates listed and no number code. The ISBN is
0-670-26077-0.
I also found the code "MP8W" printed in the gutter on the 2nd to the last
page.
Jeff

I have a first edition 'Dead Zone', and it is marked '$11.95' on the
dust jacket. The only other notable thing is that the paper ends are
flat cut and it also says 'Published simoultaneosly (my spelling error,
sorry) in Canada by Penguin Books Canada LTD.'

I suspect that the lack of indication of 'first edition' is due to the
book being published in the US and Canada at the same time.

[John M]

Post by Warchild
I have a first edition 'Dead Zone', and it is marked '$11.95' on the
dust jacket. The only other notable thing is that the paper ends are
flat cut and it also says 'Published simoultaneosly (my spelling error,
sorry) in Canada by Penguin Books Canada LTD.'
I suspect that the lack of indication of 'first edition' is due to the
book being published in the US and Canada at the same time.

None of the Viking books have "First Edition indicated. And the first 5 from
Viking don't have the print number listed either. This had nothing to do
with publishing simultaneously in Canada & the US, but seems to be the
normal way they handled first editions in that time period.

More than likely, if the DJ does not have a price, it is a book club edition
whether it states it or not.

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