Published in a limited hardcover edition of 10,000 copies by Donald M. Grant, the book sold out quickly but remained largely unknown outside King's existing fanbase for several years. Critical response was muted on first publication - the book was too strange and too spare to fit comfortably into either horror or fantasy categories, and King's mainstream publishers showed little interest. Its reputation grew slowly through word of mouth. The 2003 revised edition brought it to a much wider audience and is now the standard text. It is widely regarded as one of the great opening gambits in modern fantasy, with its first line - "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed" - among the most celebrated in the genre.