The points of issue
True first: Hours Press (Nancy Cunard), Paris, 1930. The edition comprised 200 copies on ordinary paper plus a small number of special copies (10 on Texas Mountain paper and 2 on vellum). Capitals designed by Dorothy Shakespear Pound. This precedes the first American edition (Farrar & Rinehart, 1933) and the Faber trade edition.
Is this the true first?
The Hours Press Paris edition (1930) is the true first. The Farrar & Rinehart American edition (1933) and the Faber UK edition are later trade firsts.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. The trade editions are distinguished by imprint, later date, and the absence of the Hours Press limitation.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Draft of XXX Cantos a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first: Hours Press (Nancy Cunard), Paris, 1930. The edition comprised 200 copies on ordinary paper plus a small number of special copies (10 on Texas Mountain paper and 2 on vellum). Capitals designed by Dorothy Shakespear Pound. This precedes the first American edition (Farrar & Rinehart, 1933) and the Faber trade edition.
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. The Hours Press Paris edition (1930) is the true first. The Farrar & Rinehart American edition (1933) and the Faber UK edition are later trade firsts.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. The trade editions are distinguished by imprint, later date, and the absence of the Hours Press limitation.
I have a first edition of A Draft of XXX Cantos — 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.