Subject: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: maxprix@aol.com (MaxPrix)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: 27 Jun 1999 14:33:14 GMT

Latley I've been trying to track down a copy of this hard to find book and have come discover that there are two versions: one with a black cover and one with a red cover. Both a reported to be 1st ed. Which is the truth.

---T

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: squidboy@visi.com (Lance "Squiddie" Smith)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 16:01:43 GMT

maxprix@aol.com (MaxPrix) writes:

>Lately I've been trying to track down a copy of this hard to find book and have
>come discover that there are two versions: one with a black cover and one with
>a red cover. Both a reported to be 1st ed. Which is the truth.

Black? Not quite. The first edition from DC was more brown.

The Season of Mists hardcover was put out by DC and the Science Fiction Book Club. The two editions are identical except the SFBC edition went through multiple printings. Later printings of will have an indication of printing deep within the boilerplate at the front. It's a little difficult to find.

Additionally, the early copies of the SFBC edition had a cover that was more red than the DC edition. Later printings correct this problem.
Through seeing multiple copies at signings, Gaiman has gotten quite good at IDing the SFBC editions, but the untrained eye may have problems spotting them.

Lance Smith

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: "Scott Conner" <sconn@usit.net>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 16:37:11 GMT

The version I have is a first printing. I'm assuming it is the DC version since it has the DC logo stamped in the lower left hand corner on the rear cover.
The cover itself is a sort of dark maroon with copper colored graphics, and I can find no mention of it being a SFBC edition.

--Scott--

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: squidboy@visi.com (Lance "Squiddie" Smith)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 17:10:14 GMT

"Scott Conner" <sconn@usit.net> writes:

>The version I have is a first printing. I'm assuming it is the DC version
>since it has the DC logo stamped in the lower left hand corner on the rear
>cover.
> The cover itself is a sort of dark maroon with copper colored graphics, and
>I can find no mention of it being a SFBC edition.

Oddly enough, the SFBC editions have no mention of the SFBC and include the DC bullet on the back. I've compared a copy of a later printing of the SFBC edition side-by-side with a DC edition and the only difference that was obvious was the indication of what printing it was.

It's somewhat irritating if you're trying to find a first edition, but OK if you just want to get a copy. The unfortunate thing is people have spent a lot of money for what they thought were the DC edition only to find out later they were from the SFBC.

Lance Smith

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: "Doug B" <spambegonebakerwd@bellsouth.net>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 14:07:18 -0400

I've got one of each now. They look identical to me, except the DC edition has "First Printing" under A Warner..., Printed in Canada. The SFBC edition actually says "Second Printing. Book Club Edition" in the same place. I knew it was the book club edition when I bought it, though, as I got it from SFBC :)
I've also got one each of "A Game of You", and one is clearly labeled "Book Club Edition". The standard DC release is also a smidgeon taller. Kinda odd.

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: monkysquat@aol.com (Monkysquat)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: 27 Jun 1999 20:21:16 GMT

>From: "Doug B" <spambegonebakerwd@bellsouth.net>
>Date: Sun, 27 June 1999 02:07 PM EDT
>Message-id: <ALtd3.1324$mi1.10726@news2.mia>
>
>I've got one of each now. They look identical to me, except the DC edition
>has "First Printing" under A Warner..., Printed in Canada. The SFBC edition
>actually says "Second Printing. Book Club Edition" in the same place. I
>knew it was the book club edition when I bought it, though, as I got it from
>SFBC :)
>I've also got one each of "A Game of You", and one is clearly labeled "Book
>Club Edition". The standard DC release is also a smidgeon taller. Kinda odd.

My fourth printing says nothing at all of it being a SF book club ed. but as far as I know all my other SFBC one's do.

Ivory

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: kdlee@home.com
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1999 06:00:49 GMT

In <ALtd3.1324$mi1.10726@news2.mia>, "Doug B" <spambegonebakerwd@bellsouth.net> writes:
>I've got one of each now. They look identical to me, except the DC edition
>has "First Printing" under A Warner..., Printed in Canada. The SFBC edition
>actually says "Second Printing. Book Club Edition" in the same place. I
>knew it was the book club edition when I bought it, though, as I got it from
>SFBC :)
>I've also got one each of "A Game of You", and one is clearly labeled "Book
>Club Edition". The standard DC release is also a smidgeon taller. Kinda
>odd.

I always assumed that if they had an actual price listed on them, they were the retail versions, and the ones without are the SFBC versions.
My copy of Watchmen from the SFBC had no price, same with A Game of You (both also state Book Club Editions somewhere inside), while SoM, BL, WO, and KO all have the retail price on the back someplace.
The only oddity is The Wake, which doesn't have a price on it, and I can't find any mention of being a Book Club edition inside.

Kerry

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: monkysquat@aol.com (Monkysquat)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: 27 Jun 1999 20:19:26 GMT

>From: squidboy@visi.com (Lance "Squiddie" Smith)
>Date: Sun, 27 June 1999 01:10 PM EDT
>Message-id: <WVsd3.35$U5.6678@ptah.visi.com>

>"Scott Conner" <sconn@usit.net> writes:
>
>>The version I have is a first printing. I'm assuming it is the DC version
>>since it has the DC logo stamped in the lower left hand corner on the rear
>>cover.
>> The cover itself is a sort of dark maroon with copper colored graphics, and
>>I can find no mention of it being a SFBC edition.

>Oddly enough, the SFBC editions have no mention of the SFBC and include
>the DC bullet on the back. I've compared a copy of a later printing of
>the SFBC edition side-by-side with a DC edition and the only difference
>that was obvious was the indication of what printing it was.
>
>It's somewhat irritating if you're trying to find a first edition, but OK if
>you just want to get a copy. The unfortunate thing is people have spent
>a lot of money for what they thought were the DC edition only to find
>out later they were from the SFBC.

I have a few SFBC editions and they generally have book club ed. printed in them if I recall but my fourth printing of SOM doesn't and it's still very red.

Ivory

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: "whoever" <eblis.o.shaughnessy@worldnet.fr>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1999 01:02:47 +0200

I knew I didn't have all the information... So what do we have, 3 hardcover Season of Mists now?

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: squidboy@visi.com (Lance "Squiddie" Smith)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1999 01:20:12 GMT

"whoever" <eblis.o.shaughnessy@worldnet.fr> writes:

>I knew I didn't have all the information... So what do we have, 3 hardcover
>Season of Mists now?

Right, there are:

The original DC version. Published without dust jacket, brownish leather-like binding, copper printing. One printing. This was originally shrink-wrapped with a gray card that identified it as Season of Mists.

Science Fiction Book Club edition. Same as DC edition, but multiple printings. Some of the early copies have reddish cover.

New standardized DC hardcover. Published with dust jacket. Black binding. One printing. Still available.

(Forgot about the new edition because I was thinking of it in terms of the dust jacket.)

Now I don't know if there was a Titan hardcover edition in the UK or if any of the non-English editions have been printed in hardcover.

Lance Smith

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: "Scott Conner" <sconn@usit.net>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1999 04:06:01 GMT

Lance "Squiddie" Smith <squidboy@visi.com> wrote in message
news:g5Ad3.108$U5.16770@ptah.visi.com...

> "whoever" <eblis.o.shaughnessy@worldnet.fr> writes:
>
> >I knew I didn't have all the information... So what do we have, 3 hardcover
> >Season of Mists now?

> Right, there are:
>
> The original DC version. Published without dust jacket, brownish
> leather-like binding, copper printing. One printing. This was
> originally shrink-wrapped with a gray card that identified it as
> Season of Mists.

Aha! That is the version I have : ) Is the binding actually brownish, though? Mine leans toward a dark brown-maroon with faint mottling. It is definitely not red. *S*

--Scott--

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: "whoever" <eblis.o.shaughnessy@worldnet.fr>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1999 00:58:31 +0200

Maybe someone who is in the publishing business can correct what I'm saying, but I think "1st print" means "1st print in that shape": if the book design has changed for an anniversary reprint, then it is a new book.
Thus, the Leatherbound red book is the very very first, published around 1991, and the black book (that should be sold with a dustcover, unlike the red one) is a 1999 (1998?) anniversary reprint.

But there may very well be other editions I don't know.

Subject: Re: SoM Hardcover diffrence?
From: monkysquat@aol.com (Monkysquat)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Date: 28 Jun 1999 00:02:34 GMT

>From: "whoever" <eblis.o.shaughnessy@worldnet.fr>
>Date: Sun, 27 June 1999 06:58 PM EDT
>Message-id: <7l6a6t$5ps$1@news2.isdnet.net>
>
>Maybe someone who is in the publishing business can correct what I'm saying,
>but I think "1st print" means "1st print in that shape": if the book design
>has changed for an anniversary reprint, then it is a new book.
>Thus, the Leatherbound red book is the very very first, published around
>1991, and the black book (that should be sold with a dustcover, unlike the
>red one) is a 1999 (1998?) anniversary reprint.
>
>But there may very well be other editions I don't know.

In the case of the SOM hard cover there have been two printings from DC. The first was an imitation brown leather cover with foil embossed key to hell and titles on the cover. DC pretty much never does any printings beyond a first edition with hard cover collections. However they decided to do a new series of HC's with a uniform dust jacket design that had the volumes numbered in sequence for the tenth anniversary of the Sandman. All of these editions are clearly marked Second Printing. The Science Fiction Book Club did seperate printings of the original SOM HC's and all of the other Sandman HC's which for all intents and purposes were pretty much identical to the DC editions except that most of them say they are SFBC editions somewhere in the first few pages and the SOM printings they did tend to be more of a reddish coloured imitation leather than the original DC edition. The SFBC did first printings of all their versions as well so this confuses things quite alot since they aren't really first printings are they? I know they did at least four or five printings of the SOM HC because I have a fourth printing and I had to pay too much for that one!

Ivory