New York science fiction and fantasy house founded by Donald and Elsie Wollheim in 1971, a paperback original publisher until trade hardbacks began in 1985. Hardback firsts carry a dated printing statement and a number line to 1.
DAW Books is a publisher based in New York City, founded in 1971. We track 125 editions it published between 1972 and 2023, 102 of them first editions across 124 books. How DAW Books marked its first editions is set out below, with a checker for the year on your title page.
About DAW Books
DAW Books is a New York science fiction and fantasy publisher started in 1971 by Donald A. Wollheim and his wife Elsie B. Wollheim, after Donald left Ace Books. The name is built from his initials, and New American Library helped the firm get going. DAW describes itself as the first publisher to devote itself entirely to science fiction and fantasy. Its first book was Andre Norton's collection Spell of the Witch World (1972).
Through the 1970s and early 1980s DAW was a mass-market paperback house. Its list of series writers took in Marion Zimmer Bradley, Michael Moorcock, John Norman, E. C. Tubb, Lin Carter and C. J. Cherryh, whose Downbelow Station became DAW's first Hugo-winning novel. Hardbacks for the retail trade only began in 1985, with Cherryh's Angel with the Sword and Tad Williams's Tailchaser's Song.
Betsy Wollheim, Donald's daughter, became president in 1985 and went on to run the closely held company with Sheila E. Gilbert as co-publisher. DAW kept editorial independence while Penguin handled distribution. Astra Publishing House bought it in July 2022 and kept on the whole staff. By then DAW had published more than 2,000 books, by writers such as Tad Williams, Patrick Rothfuss, Melanie Rawn, Tanith Lee, Nnedi Okorafor and Seanan McGuire.
Holding a copy? The first edition checker shows DAW Books's practice for the year on your title page.
Identification
How to identify DAW Books first editions
What to look for
DAW was a paperback original house until 1985. Almost every DAW book before then is a mass-market paperback; the occasional earlier hardback was a co-edition produced with the Science Fiction Book Club, not a DAW trade issue.
1970s to 1984
Expect paperback originals, not trade hardbacks. A pre-1985 DAW hardback is most likely a Science Fiction Book Club co-edition.
From 1985
Trade hardback first printings carry a dated first printing statement (month and year) on the copyright page together with a number line that runs down to 1. The lowest number shows the printing, so check it rather than relying on the dated statement.
DAW was a paperback original house until 1985. Almost every DAW book before then is a mass-market paperback; the occasional earlier hardback was a co-edition produced with the Science Fiction Book Club, not a DAW trade issue. 1970s to 1984 - Expect paperback originals, not trade hardbacks. A pre-1985 DAW hardback is most likely a Science Fiction Book Club co-edition. From 1985 - Trade hardback fir
How many DAW Books books does MyVolumes track?
We track 125 editions published by DAW Books, 102 of them first editions, across 124 books.
