The points of issue
First edition is the Orbit trade paperback original (US, October 2013), in wraps, first printing identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, with the original printed cover price. The key point: there is no hardcover first edition — the true first is a trade paperback. The UK Orbit issue is likewise a trade paperback. Debut novel; won the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, BSFA, and Locus Best First Novel awards.
Is this the true first?
True first is the Orbit trade paperback original (2013); no simultaneous hardcover existed. A later Subterranean Press signed/limited hardcover is a separate, prized state. The first-printing trade paperback with a full number line ending in 1 is the desired first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. The trap is expecting a hardcover first — there isn't one. Confirm the trade paperback first printing by the full number line ending in 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Ancillary Justice a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition is the Orbit trade paperback original (US, October 2013), in wraps, first printing identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, with the original printed cover price. The key point: there is no hardcover first edition — the true first is a trade paperback. The UK Orbit issue is likewise a trade paperback. Debut novel; won the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, BSFA, and Locus Best First Novel awards.
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. True first is the Orbit trade paperback original (2013); no simultaneous hardcover existed. A later Subterranean Press signed/limited hardcover is a separate, prized state. The first-printing trade paperback with a full number line ending in 1 is the desired first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. The trap is expecting a hardcover first — there isn't one. Confirm the trade paperback first printing by the full number line ending in 1.
I have a first edition of Ancillary Justice — 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.