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A Bookseller's Guide to Sue Grafton Easy as ABC by Craig Stark #88, 19 February 2007 Believe it or not, some things in bookselling are easy. Take Sue Grafton. By writing one alphabet mystery novel after another, starting with A is for Alibi and having more recently completed S is for Silence, she has engineered a publishing phenomenon that almost shouts, "Collect me!" After all, what could be simpler for the collector? You start at one end of the alphabet and work forward or back until you've got them all, first US and/or UK's alike. And getting them all isn't prohibitively expensive - yet. A nice, dust-jacketed first of A is for Alibi can still be had for several hundred dollars, and you don't have to work too far forward from there to see prices drop below $100. By the time you reach E or F, in fact, you're already under $50. Even if your criteria is to collect signed first editions, this is still very doable because, let me tell you, this lady has signed a ton of books. As a result, signed first editions of later series titles are common and can usually be had for about $10. As booksellers, we are only too happy to accommodate collectors. This should be bread and butter stuff for many. Not only are there 19 alphabet titles to look for but also audiobooks and proof copies, both of which sell robustly, and, if you run into multiple hardbacks of later printings, paperbacks or book club editions, no matter; you can sell these in lots - and they will sell. Also, if you do your fair share of scouting, finding Grafton firsts may almost be a weekly occurrence. J is for Judgment, for example, had an initial print run of half a million, and N is for Noose, published in 1998, was a million strong. Essential for booksellers who want to make money off Graftons is to nail down first edition identification. Grafton began her (alphabet) US publishing life in 1982 with Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Two titles - A is for Alibi and B is for Burglar bear this imprint. Soon after B is for Burglar was published, Holt Rinehart & Winston divided into two distinct corporations, and one of these, now named Henry Holt and Co., continued to publish Grafton's work. Preceding the publication of P is for Peril in 2001, G.P. Putnam's Sons (under the Penguin Group umbrella) took over and has published all US editions henceforth. To summarize: A-B - Holt, Rinehart & Winston C-O - Henry Holt and Co. P-S - G.P. Putnam's Sons It's much simpler across the Atlantic: A-S - Macmillan Following are the corresponding issue points for each title: A is for Alibi. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1982. "First Edition" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. "First Edition" is dropped in second and later printings. UK edition: London: Macmillan, 1986. "1" appears in number line. No price on first state dust jacket. Second and later states bear $14.95 price. B is for Burglar. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1985. "First Edition" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. "First Edition" is dropped in second and later printings. "Holt, Rinehart and Winston" appears on first state dust jacket; second and later states bear "Henry Holt and Co." UK edition: London: Macmillan, 1986. "1" appears in number line. C is for Corpse. New York: Henry Holt, 1986. No statement of edition on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London: Macmillan, 1987. "1" appears in number line. D is for Deadbeat. New York: Henry Holt, 1987. "First Edition" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. "First Edition" is dropped in second and later printings. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1987. "1" appears in number line. E is for Evidence. New York: Henry Holt, 1988. "First Edition" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. "First Edition" is dropped in second and later printings. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1988. "1" appears in number line. F is for Fugitive. New York: Henry Holt, 1989. "First Edition" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. "First Edition" is dropped in second and later printings. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1989. "1" appears in number line. G is for Gumshoe. New York: Henry Holt, 1990. "First Edition" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. "First Edition" is dropped in second and later printings. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1990. "1" appears in number line. H is for Homicide. New York: Henry Holt, 1991. "First Edition" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. "First Edition" is dropped in second and later printings. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1991. "1" appears in number line. I is for Innocent. New York: Henry Holt, 1992. "First Edition" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. "First Edition" is dropped in second and later printings. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1992. "1" appears in number line. J is for Judgment. New York: Henry Holt, 1993. "First Edition 1993" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1993. "1" appears in number line. K is for Killer. New York: Henry Holt, 1994. "First Edition 1994" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1994. "1" appears in number line. Front of first state dust jacket bears red hand, second and later states a psychedelic eye. L is for Lawless. New York: Henry Holt, 1995. "First Edition 1995" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1996. "1" appears in number line. M is for Malice. New York: Henry Holt, 1996. "First Edition 1996" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1997. "1" appears in number line. N is for Noose. New York: Henry Holt, 1998. "First Edition 1998" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1998. "1" appears in number line. O is for Outlaw. New York: Henry Holt, 1999. "First Edition 1999" stated on title page verso. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 1999. "1" appears in number line. [EDITOR'S NOTE: A limited edition of approximately 700 to 800 copies was produced in advance of the release of the US edition and thus represents the true first edition. This title is the only exception in the series. All other true firsts bear a US imprint.) P is for Peril. New York: G.P. Putnam, 2001. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 2001. "1" appears in number line. Q is for Quarry. New York: G.P. Putnam, 2002. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 2002. "1" appears in number line. R is for Ricochet. New York: G.P. Putnam, 2004. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 2004. "1" appears in number line. S is for Silence. New York: G.P. Putnam, 2005. "1" appears in number line. UK edition: London Macmillan, 2006. "1" appears in number line. Buying and Selling Sue Grafton Since we're addressing modern or hyper-modern firsts printed in the hundreds of thousands, if not a million or more, condition is huge in determining final values, as is the presence of a dust jacket. If at all possible, take care to buy copies in F/F condition, and this will help separate you from your competitors. When marketing, clear visual confirmation of condition will carry the day. Compromise on condition only on titles A-E (either publisher), copies of the UK (Macmillan) K is for Killer with first state dust jackets, and early proofs. 50/50 subscriber's take note: First editions of titles A-F should reach 50/50 levels in F/F condition, and the presence of a signature helps get you there. Somewhere at or before mid-alphabet it stops making sense to sell single firsts unless they're signed. Late in the alphabet, even signed copies may struggle at $10 or $15. Grab any and all audiobooks in any format. A few may need to be grouped into lots. Some are distinctly hard to find. When purchasing later hardback printings and paperbacks for purposes grouping into lots for eBay listings, buy cheap - or don't buy at all. Also research comparables. Sometimes it's smart to put BIN's on lots for somewhat more than non-BIN auctions are going for. Finally, note that several Graftons outside the series are highly sought after. Examples include The Lolly-Madonna War (novel), Keziah Dane (novel) and Kinsey and Me (short story collection). Buy any of these you come across in any edition or format. Questions or comments? Contact the editor, Craig Stark editor@bookthink.com Copyright 2003-2011 by BookThink LLC