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Pet Sematary - what is a "publishers copy" and how to id it?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 6:47 pm
by gheniki
I have a thrift store hardcover copy, no dust jacket, no print edition listed, no library of congress info....

on the inside cover it's stamped "employee book sale. not to be resold" with an emblem of a capital "D" on top of an anchor ("D"=Doubleday?).

Page 372 has the mark "N47".

Any thoughts?

Re: Pet Sematary - what is a "publishers copy" and how to id it?

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 4:49 am
by jhanic
I've never heard of such a copy. Both the proofs of this book have the Y38 on the gutter, but N47 indicates an even earlier printing, if I remember correctly.

Gehniki, could you post this question under the Collecting
Questions thread under the Calvin's Corner forum of

http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/sho ... ons/page80

The much larger audience at that site might have an answer.

John

Re: Pet Sematary - what is a "publishers copy" and how to id it?

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 2:23 am
by Mr. Rabbit Trick
King wrote Pet Sematary between February 1979 and December 1982. His manuscript was issued as a pre-publication uncorrected galley by Doubleday in 1983.

The gutter code N47 is for the 47th week of 1972. This is long before King signed for Doubleday. There is something wrong with your description.

Re: Pet Sematary - what is a "publishers copy" and how to id it?

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:34 am
by gheniki
Absolutely. I am a complete novice when it comes to book collecting....

The "N47" is on page 372, really close to the binding. Maybe this is a meaningless number?

I haven't found any explanation of the "Employee book sale stamp", although results from a quick web search indicate there are other books out there with similar stamps... Haven't come across any description of the meaning of this stamp (aside from the obvious).

Not sure why there isn't an "ISBN" number printed anywhere...

Aside from lacking a dust jacket, the book is in great shape. Doesn't appear to have been read.

Not trying to jerk anybody around.... this is as accurate of a description I can give...

Re: Pet Sematary - what is a "publishers copy" and how to id it?

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:08 am
by TheCollector
I know over time we've "deciphered" the code to be the year and week of the publication.
But perhaps this only applies so far back. I know when I contacted Doubleday about the codes they couldn't give me a straight answer on their system.


Perhaps these employee copies were done at a different plant or used a different numbering system as they weren't allocated for sale. I don't have anything concrete to go off of here just putting out some theories.