THE TRUE "FIRST" EDITIONS
Before the generally released hardcovers and paperback originals come the uncorrected proofs and/or advance reader copies (ARCs). These are a collector's market unto themselves. Produced in much smaller print runs for the purposes of book-buyers and reviewers, the uncorrected proofs and ARCs are produced in states that range from crude to polished. Some may consist of little more than a hastily-bound photocopy of the author's manuscript bearing corrections in the author's own hand, to an early set of galleys in plain wraps. "My Dark Places," pictured above, went through a very rare uncorrected proof state prior to distribution in the more commonly seen ARC with glossy wraps reproducing the book designer's concepts for the hardcover dustjacket.
While these proofs/ARCs have always been sought-after collectibles for longtime Ellroy enthusiasts, the internet introduced a new wrinkle as Ellroy's first novel in half-a-decade moved toward publication in April/May 2001. Online auction sites, chiefly eBay, began offering ARC copies of CST in late 2000. The earliest of these offerings prompted furious bidding wars and drove the prices up toward $300. As more and more of these ARCs were offered, prices dipped proportionally, nearing the more to-be-expected range of $20-50 being asked by rare book dealers.
Nevertheless, the market in ARCs via the internet alarmed Ellroy himself, who asked that true fans eschew the "flawed" ARC of "The Cold Six Thousand" (and flawed it was — filled with more typos and errors than any other Ellroy proof in memory) in favor of the legitimate hardcover release.
Collector's Warning — Please note that there are no hard and fast rules on these proofs/ARCs. Because they are distributed to various individuals and venues throughout the pre-publication arc, unknown numbers of variations on a theme might exist. As materials become available they are often incorporated and distributed, so some ARCs and proofs may contain laid-in or stapled-on facsimiles of cover art, or author photos, or promotional letters.
Also note that for now we are confining ourselves just to the U.S. ARCs/proofs.
WHAT'S OUT THERE:
• Clandestine: A proof of Ellroy's second novel, printed in paperback by Avon in the U.S., was recently on market at $500. Orange printed wrappers. A very scarce advance.
• Because the Night: Another costly item, going for $500-600, currently. Printed in light brown wraps. This uncorrected proof of Ellroy's second Lloyd Hopkins novel is extremely rare.
• Suicide Hill: Valued at $300-400, in 2001. Printed in cardboard wraps. Usually seen with a promotional dustjacket laid in or stapled to covers.
• The Black Dahlia: Ellroy's most popular novel of "The L.A. Quartet" also remains the most collectible Ellroy uncorrected proof amongst the four novels. Printed in salmon wraps, this one goes for $300-400, circa 2001.
• The Big Nowhere: A hastily thrown together booklet containing the first chapter of "The Big Nowhere" was created by Mysterious Press for distribution at the American Booksellers Association in 1998. Most, and perhaps all, of these were signed by Ellroy and rarely come on the market. Little more than a photocopied, stapled reproduction of the opening, these can still command a minimum of $50, and since so few become available and an unknown number were produced, asking prices are really anybody's guess. A standard uncorrected proof in dark blue wraps was also produced by Mysterious Press. In mint condition, 2001 asking prices were hovering between $150-200.
• L.A. Confidential: In the wake of the acclaimed film adaptation, this one's stock is rising. A fine/mint copy will run you between $100-150, on average. Printed in medium blue cardboard wraps.
• White Jazz: Ellroy switched publishers for the last volume of "The L.A. Quartet," and Knopf gave him a push: An undisclosed number of first chapter previews were distributed by Knopf. These smaller, digest-size pamphlets were printed in glossy wraps reproducing Chip Kidd's cover design for the U.S. edition and made available in bookstores. These currently command prices between $35-65. An uncorrected proof in canary yellow wraps was also distributed by Knopf and these can run anywhere between $45-100.
• Hollywood Nocturnes: Ellroy's first short story collection was printed by Otto Penzler's Armchair Detective Library. Printed in gray wraps and typically accompanied by a publisher's letter. Current values range from $45-100.
• American Tabloid: An unknown quantity of uncorrected proofs were created by Knopf in reportedly smaller than usual numbers. Powder blue cardboard wraps. Often accompanied by a stapled-in facsimile of the dustjacket art and some pre-release reviews. Asking prices typically start at $100.
• My Dark Places: As noted earlier, an unknown number of uncorrected proofs in cardboard wrappers were produced (pictured above). These are exceedingly rare, and we've only seen two come on the market in the last five years. The more familiar ARC in glossy wraps reproducing Chip Kidd's cover design (also pictured) for the U.S. edition remains plentiful and can be obtained for a wide-range of prices. In addition to the proof and ARC, a cardboard, tri-fold promotional standee was also created, depicting composite shots of "The Swarthy Man" and drawings of young Ellroy and his mother. These, too, are quite, quite rare.
• Crime Wave: Black Lizard distributed an uncorrected proof of this anthology of Ellroy's GQ fiction. The proof was printed in dark red cardboard wrappers. Prices range from $45-75.
• Breakneck Pace: Contentville is releasing an uknown number of unbound proof copies of Ellroy's first original e-book. Contents include Ellroy articles written for GQ subsequent to those collected in "Crime Wave." Original "cover" art was designed for the e-book and fronts the "proofs," which are tantamount to laser-printer run-offs on typewriter-size paper.
• The Cold Six Thousand: The strange tale of this Ellroy advance reader copy was explored above. Now that we have the book, prices are normalizing and mint copies of the advance edition (with photo wraps) shouldn't run collectors more than $50. The more collectible pieces are the uncorrected proofs of the Knopf edition (in mint green wraps) which started coming to light in September, 2001, and the ARC from Century (the truest form of the first English-language edition of The Cold Six Thousand). This proof comes in silver wraps and the cover bears the opening lines of the novel, less the "N"-word (i.e. "They sent him to Dallas to kill a pimp...."). The Century proof also contains a legal disclaimer regarding a food union and several hotels. The disclaimer does not appear in the hardcover version.
