This two-part video offers a (brief) collector’s guide to Stephen King manuscripts, galleys, proofs and ARCs. They can take many forms: from an original “idea notebook” handwritten by King, to a review copy that is identical to the first edition book except for a publisher’s sticker or stamp and the letter from the editor that came with it.

In this video I hope to introduce the many types of documents produced during the writing and publication process of the work of a best-selling author, that inevitably sometimes make their way onto the collector’s market. The first part deals with manuscripts.

Part two of the guide is about the sometimes confusing world of proofs, galleys and ARCs (Advance Reading Copies) and takes IT as a running example.

Who are the lucky people that get to read Stephen King’s first drafts of his novels? Here’s a look at some of the main people that King has relied on throughout his long career to proofread his manuscripts, going all the way back to his student days: Burt Hatlen, Susan Artz, Tabitha Spruce King, George Everett McCutcheon, Russ Dorr, Owen King and Joe Hill.

I tried my best to credit the photographers in as many of the photos I used as possible.