# Is "Amateurs" by Donald Barthelme a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Amateurs by Donald Barthelme (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1976) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First printing, 1976.' Price-intact dust jacket on the true first. True first is the 1976 FSG hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First printing, 1976.' Price-intact dust jacket on the true first
- Collection of short stories, many first appearing in The New Yorker
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Donald Barthelme |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus & Giroux |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First printing, 1976.' Price-intact dust jacket on the true first |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First printing, 1976.' Price-intact dust jacket on the true first. Collection of short stories, many first appearing in The New Yorker.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1976 FSG hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club issue; later printings add subsequent printing statements.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Amateurs* by Donald Barthelme a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/amateurs
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.