COLLECTORS' GUIDE
Set The Boy Free
UK signed hardcover
A guide to the various editions of Johnny's autobiography, 'Set The Boy Free', plus its associated promo items.
UK hardcover
Published by Century / Penguin Random House UK
Released 3 November 2016
ISBN 978-1-780-89432-4
RRP £20.00
Standard UK hardcover with matte dustjacket over black card; silver embossed text on spine. This is the main version of the book released in the UK and Europe. Signed copies were also made available; see below.
Published by Century / Penguin Random House UK
Released 3 November 2016
ISBN 978-1-780-89432-4
RRP £20.00
Many signed copies of the standard UK hardcover were made available at the time of release, both in stores and online. Many have a black, circular "signed by the author" sticker on the front covers; variations on this exist for individual stores, eg. Waterstones, Foyles, etc. The books are signed by Johnny on the title page in black marker pen, and were sold for the same price as the unsigned edition.
UK trade paperback
Published by Century / Penguin Random House UK
Released 3 November 2016
ISBN 978-1-780-89433-1
Trade paperback version of the standard UK edition, roughly the same physical size as the hardback, and identical in content. This edition was seen available primarily in airports, and in Australia.
UK paperback (2017)
Published by Arrow Books / Penguin Random House UK
Released 1 June 2017
ISBN 978-1-78-475179-1
RRP £8.99
A more compact, affordable paperback edition, with the previous edition's back cover image now being used for the front. The paperback edition also includes two pieces of extra material: an essay by Johnny called Why Playing The Guitar Means Everything, and a transcript of Johnny's inaugural lecture at the University of Salford in 2012. There were no signed copies of this edition, except for those signed by Johnny for the winners of the "Marr Shelfie" competition we held in conjunction with Penguin Random House to celebrate the paperback release.
Note: If anybody is able and willing to provide a scan of the title page, please email us at admin@johnnymarrvellous.com.
US hardcover
Published by Dey St. Books
Released 15 November 2016
ISBN 978-0-06-243869-0
RRP USA $28.99 / Canada $35.99
First US edition, released shortly after the UK release. The book itself is almost identical to its UK counterpart, with just a few minor aesthetic differences: the cover image is slightly darker and less exposed compared to the UK cover's; the title and author text on the dustjacket is embossed, and the quote from Iggy Pop on the back cover is typeset differently.
US paperback (2017)
Published by Dey St. Books
Released 19 Spetember 2017
ISBN 978-0-06-243873-7
RRP USA $16.99 / Canada $21.00
US equivalent to the 2017 UK paperback, however retaining the original edition's cover design. Like the UK version, this paperback reprint also includes two pieces of extra material: an essay by Johnny called Why Playing The Guitar Means Everything, and a transcript of Johnny's inaugural lecture at the University of Salford in 2012.
CD audiobook (unabridged)
Published by Blackstone Publishing / HarperAudio (HarperCollins)
Released 15 November 2016
ISBN 978-1-4417-2379-6
RRP US $39.99
Audiobook narrated by Johnny himself, digitally mastered on 8 CDs. Housed in a square, transparent clamshell case, with the CDs themselves stacked on a spindle. Running time is approx 9.5 hours.
MP3-CD audiobook (unabridged)
Published by Blackstone Publishing / HarperAudio (HarperCollins)
Released 15 November 2016
ISBN 978-1-4417-2393-2
RRP US $39.99
MP3-CD version of the above audiobook, housed in a DVD-style case. For this edition, the content is all on a single disc, which can be read by MP3-CD enabled stereo equipment as well as computer CD-ROM drives.
Limited deluxe box edition
Released December 2016 through Johnny's web store
RRP £75.00
Limited to 500 individually numbered copies and exclusively available through Johnny's web store. Includes a copy of the UK hardcover with an individually numbered and signed card affixed to the front endpaper, housed in a grey cloth clamshell box with silver and green debossing and black and white photography on the insides of the box. The set also includes a facsimile handwritten copy of Johnny's essay, Why Playing The Guitar Means Everything, and six glossy Smiths-era photos in a black card envelope.
OFFICIAL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS
Badges
Produced by Penguin Random House UK at the time of the original UK edition's release in November 2016.
Set The Boy Free and Set The Girl Free, 1" plastic button badges. Given out as a bonus item by Rough Trade and other book/record shops.
Plectrum
Plastic plectrum with "Set The Boy Free" on one side, and "Johnny Marr" on the other. Given out as a bonus item by Rough Trade and other book/record shops.
Postcard
A6 size postcard featuring the book's cover image and space for text on the reverse. Given out as a bonus item by Rough Trade and other book/record shops.
Dynamic fanzine - mini fold-out edition
One of two special print editions of our fanzine, DYNAMIC, produced in collarboration with Penguin Random House UK. This version is an A5, duotone, eight-panel fold-out featuring an exclusive interview with Johnny + articles by Helen Angell and Stephen Dorney. The zine then folds out to become an A3 poster featuring a collage of photos and quotes from the book. Like the badges, plectrums and postcards, these fanzines were given out as a bonus item by Rough Trade and other book/record shops.
Dynamic fanzine - Rough Trade exclusive edition
The second of two special print editions of our fanzine, DYNAMIC, produced in collarboration with Penguin Random House UK. This version is a much lengthier, full colour edition, A5 with softcover binding. Includes an extended version of our exclusive interview with Johnny + additonal articles by Helen Angell, Jonny Hughes, Dave Medley, Paul Plimmer, Elsa Sherman, Gavin Wynne and MJ Zander. This edition was made exclusively available to those who purchased their copy of the UK hardback from Rough Trade, either in-store or online.
Coming soon: Italian edition, Japanese edition.