The points of issue
First edition, Baronet Publishing/Baronet Books, New York, October 1978, stating 'First printing, October 1978.' Issued in two simultaneous formats: a hardcover and a trade softcover. The hardcover was a limited issue of 1,500 copies, signed and numbered by Eisner on the front free endpaper, bound in cloth with gilt stamping and issued WITHOUT a dust jacket. The softcover was issued in illustrated wraps and is the more commonly encountered first issue. Widely credited with popularizing the term 'graphic novel.'
Is this the true first?
US true first and a foundational graphic-novel landmark. The signed and numbered hardcover (1,500 copies, no jacket) and the simultaneous trade softcover are both first edition. Later Kitchen Sink, DC, and W.W. Norton editions are first-thus.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; later Kitchen Sink (1985 onward), DC, and W.W. Norton (2006) printings come well after the 1978 Baronet first. Verify the Baronet imprint, the October 1978 date, and for the hardcover the signed and numbered limitation. Do not expect a dust jacket on the hardcover; none was issued.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, Baronet Publishing/Baronet Books, New York, October 1978, stating 'First printing, October 1978.' Issued in two simultaneous formats: a hardcover and a trade softcover. The hardcover was a limited issue of 1,500 copies, signed and numbered by Eisner on the front free endpaper, bound in cloth with gilt stamping and issued WITHOUT a dust jacket. The softcover was issued in illustrated wraps and is the more commonly encountered first issue. Widely credited with popularizing the term 'graphic novel.'
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US true first and a foundational graphic-novel landmark. The signed and numbered hardcover (1,500 copies, no jacket) and the simultaneous trade softcover are both first edition. Later Kitchen Sink, DC, and W.W. Norton editions are first-thus.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition; later Kitchen Sink (1985 onward), DC, and W.W. Norton (2006) printings come well after the 1978 Baronet first. Verify the Baronet imprint, the October 1978 date, and for the hardcover the signed and numbered limitation. Do not expect a dust jacket on the hardcover; none was issued.
I have a first edition of A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.