# Is "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of American Gods by Neil Gaiman (William Morrow / HarperCollins, 2001) is identified by: First printing has the full number line ending in '1' and 'First Edition' stated; jacket with its printed price. US William Morrow hardcover is the true first, near-simultaneous with the UK Headline (2001); the US Morrow is generally taken as the trade true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the full number line ending in '1' and 'First Edition' stated; jacket with its printed price
- (Note: a signed/limited 'author's preferred text' edition came much later — 2011, Headline/Morrow — and is a 'first thus,' not the true first.)
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow / HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Gaiman |
| Publisher | William Morrow / HarperCollins |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the full number line ending in '1' and 'First Edition' stated; jacket with its printed price |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the full number line ending in '1' and 'First Edition' stated; jacket with its printed price. (Note: a signed/limited 'author's preferred text' edition came much later — 2011, Headline/Morrow — and is a 'first thus,' not the true first.)

## Is this the true first?
US William Morrow hardcover is the true first, near-simultaneous with the UK Headline (2001); the US Morrow is generally taken as the trade true first. Hugo, Nebula, and Locus winner.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the printed price and carry blind-stamps. The 2011 'Author's Preferred Text' is a later expanded edition, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *American Gods* by Neil Gaiman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/american-gods
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.