The points of issue
First trade printing has a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, in a priced dust jacket. A separate boxed/slipcased issue bundling the book with the 'Music and Poetry of the Kesh' audiocassette was also produced and is a distinct collectible state.
Is this the true first?
US Harper & Row first; the boxed slipcased issue with the cassette is a distinct, scarcer collectible issue rather than a later printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the number line and the printed jacket price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Always Coming Home a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First trade printing has a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, in a priced dust jacket. A separate boxed/slipcased issue bundling the book with the 'Music and Poetry of the Kesh' audiocassette was also produced and is a distinct collectible state.
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 Harper & Row first; the boxed slipcased issue with the cassette is a distinct, scarcer collectible issue rather than a later printing.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book club editions lack the number line and the printed jacket price.
I have a first edition of Always Coming Home — 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.