# Is "A Purple Place for Dying" by John D. MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Purple Place for Dying by John D. MacDonald (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1964) is identified by: Gold Medal paperback original, May 1964. Paperback original; no earlier hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gold Medal paperback original, May 1964
- Travis McGee #3
- First printing carries the Gold Medal serial number k1417 and a the printed price cover price, with no added dots or marks that denote a later printing
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John D. MacDonald |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gold Medal paperback original, May 1964 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Gold Medal paperback original, May 1964. Travis McGee #3. First printing carries the Gold Medal serial number k1417 and a the printed price cover price, with no added dots or marks that denote a later printing.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; no earlier hardcover. The Gold Medal wraps edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings and much later hardcover reprints exist; identify the first by the k1417 serial and unmarked printing line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Purple Place for Dying* by John D. MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-purple-place-for-dying
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.