A Primer on Identification and List of Major PlayersFor booksellers or collectors, the word "reprint" carries the same negative connotations that "book club edition" does because, as a rule, reprints have little or no value. However, it's important to acquire both a knowledge of reprint publishers and experience in identifying reprint editions because reprints, perhaps more so than BCE's, are sometimes misidentified as first editions. Reasons for this vary, but first let's take a look at the following list, which illustrates the more common forms a reprint can appear as:
The following list is an expanded version of the short list of reprint publishers appearing in the first article.
A final note: exceptions exist. Some reprint publishers also publish/published First Editions.
A Brief History of Grosset & DunlapJust as the term "book club edition" often brings to mind the Book-of-the-Month Club, so does "reprint" frequently suggest the Prince of Pulp, legendary publisher Grosset & Dunlap, perhaps the preeminent reprint publisher of the first decade or so of the 20th century. In 1898 George T. Dunlap and Alexander Grosset formed a partnership that was to help transform the publishing industry from one focused largely on expensive books for the few into one much more active in furnishing cheap books for the masses. Somewhat ignominiously, Grosset & Dunlap began operations with bold acts of piracy - reprinting books already in print, thereby sidestepping royalties and other fees. From these profits they were able to finance the bulk purchase of paperbound books for the purposes of rebinding them in cloth and selling at a profit. Later, this activity was abandoned in favor of purchasing reprint rights or leasing (or purchasing) plates. Also, publishers would occasionally overprint titles for sale to Grosset & Dunlap. Perhaps the most significant development in their early history was the decision to purchase Chatterton & Peck and, in turn, rights to their large juvenile list, including the popular Rover Boys series. They soon emerged as a major player in the children's book market, especially as they cemented their relationship with the Stratemeyer Syndicate and became publishers of not only reprints but many First Editions as well. Notable examples included Tom Swift, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.
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