Is My A Canticle for Leibowitz a First Edition?

The points of issue

• US J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia and New York, 1960
• The copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a 1959 copyright; the title page shows 1960
• Bound as an octavo in quarter cloth over mauve boards
• The first-issue dust jacket bears George Sottung's cover art and retains its printed front-flap price
• The scarce publisher's orange wrap-around promotional band, printed with blurbs by Ray Bradbury and Carlos Baker, is a first-issue element seldom present today

How J. B. Lippincott marked a first edition

• From ~1925: printed 'First Edition' on the copyright page of books deemed important; novels and children's books often NOT so marked.
• Reliably indicated later printings ('Second Printing', 'Third Printing', etc.), so absence of a later-printing notice is a key signal for the unmarked titles.

Full J. B. Lippincott first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The US Lippincott edition is the true first, preceding the UK Hutchinson edition (1960). The point of issue is the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page; two reprints appeared within the first year, so verify that statement.P-037450

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The SFBC edition shows 'Book Club Edition' on the flap with no printed price, a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, and cheaper bulked paper. The BCE is common; the trade first in the Sottung jacket is much scarcer.P-032831

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of A Canticle for Leibowitz a first edition?

A first edition of A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. (J. B. Lippincott) is identified by: Lippincott, Philadelphia and New York, 1960.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. The US Lippincott edition is the true first, preceding the UK Hutchinson edition (1960).

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

The SFBC edition shows 'Book Club Edition' on the flap with no printed price, a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, and cheaper bulked paper. The BCE is common; the trade first in the Sottung jacket is much scarcer.

I have a first edition of A Canticle for Leibowitz — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.