The points of issue
First edition, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1931, carrying the Scribner's 'A' with the publisher's seal on the copyright page that denotes a first printing in this era. Tan cloth lettered and decorated in green; illustrated dust jacket. Caldwell's first commercially published book and first major story collection (twenty-four stories), edited at Scribner's under Maxwell Perkins.
Is this the true first?
US first edition, Scribner's, 1931. First UK edition: Martin Secker, London, 1935, retaining the title American Earth.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Scribner printings lack the 'A' and seal. Note: 'A Swell-Looking Girl' was a later US paperback retitling (Fawcett Gold Medal / MacFadden-Bartell), not the UK first edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of American Earth a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1931, carrying the Scribner's 'A' with the publisher's seal on the copyright page that denotes a first printing in this era. Tan cloth lettered and decorated in green; illustrated dust jacket. Caldwell's first commercially published book and first major story collection (twenty-four stories), edited at Scribner's under Maxwell Perkins.
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 first edition, Scribner's, 1931. First UK edition: Martin Secker, London, 1935, retaining the title American Earth.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Scribner printings lack the 'A' and seal. Note: 'A Swell-Looking Girl' was a later US paperback retitling (Fawcett Gold Medal / MacFadden-Bartell), not the UK first edition.
I have a first edition of American Earth — 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.