
One can tell it is one of these rare copies if they open the book and look at the publishing information page where the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 (old-style Ballantine first edition number line) and a stated First Edition exist at the bottom of the page. They printed 3500 first edition/first printing hardcover copies. One of the organizations decided it wanted to honor Terry and The Sword of Shannara, but to do so the book had to be in a hardcover format. It wasn’t released as a hardcover at first, but as it climbed and stayed on the New York Times bestselling paperback list, it caught the attention of many book organizations and book clubs. Originally, The Sword of Shannara was published in 1977 in a large, softcover, trade paperack edition. The rarity of these three volumes is immense and it is due to their initial printing numbers.

The website receives many questions about what he is publishing next, so this part of the website is devoted to the future-not only concerning the next new book but what Terry’s planning on doing over the next several years. He finishes a new book at the same time as the last one is being released, so he is always one book ahead of what the readers have in their hands.


It is this work ethic that helps him publish a book every year. He begins writing at six o’clock every morning, and during those moments he is not writing, he has one foot in the story. What’s Next? erry is always working on a new writing project.
