<<< Continued from previous page

If there's a dust jacket present, this may tell the terrible tale. The absence of a price will usually mean you have a BCE, whether it's a BOMC edition or not, but keep in mind that prices appeared on some BOMC dust jackets for a period of time in the 1970's. Fortunately these books possessed blind stamps as well, and the dust jackets themselves bore two betraying statements on the front flap: "Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club" at the top (followed by an asterisk) and "Trademark of the Book-of-the-Month Club" at the bottom (preceded by an asterisk). Example: Graham Green's Travels With My Aunt.

Several words of warning about dust jackets: a dust jacket that appears to have been price-clipped doesn't necessarily demonstrate that a price was present at one time. A book club dust jacket without a price may have been clipped to mislead a buyer. Another tactic used by unscrupulous sellers is to marry a second edition dust jacket (in the case where it's identical to a first edition dust jacket) to a book club edition that's otherwise difficult to distinguish from the first trade edition. Sometimes only a side-by-side comparison of trade and book club editions can reveal the differences. Important note: some trade edition dust jackets also lack prices.

Another point about statements on dust jackets: the statement "Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club" alone isn't definitive in identifying a book as a BCE. Occasionally this statement or a similar one appeared on first trade edition dust jackets as well for promotional purposes. However, the statement "Book Club Edition," usually located at the bottom of the front flap on, always confirms BCE status.

On modern titles that possess bar codes on the back of the dust jacket, look closely for telltale indications. On BOMC titles in particular the number string found on trade editions on top of the far right bar grouping is usually (but not always) missing. The complete absence of a bar code may also be indicative of BCE status if it can be established that the trade edition possesses one.

Another indication of possible BMOC origin is the absence of a headband. Most BMOC (and BCE editions in general) lack them. Others include the absence of staining or coloring on top of the text block or the endpapers, though there are numerous exceptions to this - that is, many trade editions also have white text block edges and endpapers. A laid-in slip or brochure may also be present.

BOMC editions frequently have a different look or feel, whether it's a smaller size, lighter weight, rougher texture, a faux-deckled (or unevenly cropped) text block fore edge, or less distinct text. This is more often true with earlier titles, and the more experience you have handling these books, the more readily you'll be able to ID them. In recent years, as the quality of trade editions has deteriorated and that of BOMC editions improved, differences between the two may be either slight or indistinguishable. (Note: uniformity of size is another indication. If you're face-to-face with a shelf of uniformly sized books in dust jackets, you can bet the farm that they're BCE's. Trade editions appear, on the other hand, in a multitude of sizes.)

The "different look or feel" test applies to dust jackets as well, especially those predating 1980, when plasticized dust jackets were put into production. BOMC dust jackets are frequently duller than trade examples, lacking a finish or other decorative elements, such as embossing. The quality of board covering and other board or spine details are often an indicator too. BOMC editions will usually lack embossing that's present in trade editions, and boards will often be covered with paper instead of cloth.

Finally, there are textual indications than can assist in the identification process. The absence of typical publisher's designations for first editions - for example, the words "First Edition" or a number string on the copyright page - may be (but by no means necessarily are) absent in the BOMC edition. BOMC publications which retain these designations - and there are more than a few - are frequently misrepresented as first editions by sellers who may or may not know better. Also, in some early BOMC editions, a W appears on the copyright page.

A gutter code may be present on some BOMC editions of more recent vintage. This is typically a vertically printed alphanumeric string deep in the gutter of the last page inside the endpaper. If the endpaper is glued over it, partially or completely, sometimes this can be read through the opposite side of the page or revealed by carefully peeling the pages apart.

Many indications used to identify BOMC editions can also be applied to other BCE's. Examples: the absence of a price on the dust jacket, the absence of a bar code on the back of the dust jacket, a code printed in the rear gutter, etc. Particularly applicable to more recent Doubleday book club editions (which include the Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club and several others) the "different look or feel" factor previously discussed is more pronounced. Many books in the Doubleday book club family are significantly lighter and smaller than both BOMC and trade editions, not to mention printed on inferior paper, sometimes with significant acid content. Can you spell "junk"?

Some indications not present on BOMC editions but present on other BCE's are often intuitive - that is, they require no deciphering. Examples: the words "Literary Guild" printed on the title page and/or spine or "Book Club Edition" printed at the bottom of the front dust jacket flap. The latter designation is especially widespread on Doubleday family BCE's. On a recent trip to a thrift store we counted 28 examples of this on a shelf of 34 books! Some indications, however, may be Greek to the unwashed. Example: several years ago Doubleday discontinued the above "Book Club Edition" practice in favor of a five-digit code which appears on the back of the dust jacket, usually in the form of black numbers in a white box. If it's there, you've got a BCE.

In general, no matter who the publisher is, there is usually some indication on the dust jacket or book or both that will plainly establish BCE status. Exceptions to this include clubs who purchase their selections directly from the original publisher, but more often than not these will not fall under the umbrella of collectible fiction.

If you liked this article, Digg it!