The points of issue
First edition, first issue: published by Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, New York, 1930, in publisher's beige cloth stamped in brown with pictorial dust jacket. The defining first-issue point is the dropped or misaligned 'I' on page 11. The first printing comprised 2,522 copies; the plate for page 11 was replaced after roughly the first 750 copies, so only those earliest copies show the misaligned 'I'. Copies with the corrected page 11 are the later state of the first printing.
Is this the true first?
The US Cape and Smith 1930 edition is the true first; the UK Chatto and Windus edition of 1935 is later. The first state is distinguished by the dropped/misaligned 'I' on page 11.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Within the first printing, the corrected page 11 marks the later state. No notable book-club first edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of As I Lay Dying a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, first issue: published by Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, New York, 1930, in publisher's beige cloth stamped in brown with pictorial dust jacket. The defining first-issue point is the dropped or misaligned 'I' on page 11. The first printing comprised 2,522 copies; the plate for page 11 was replaced after roughly the first 750 copies, so only those earliest copies show the misaligned 'I'. Copies with the corrected page 11 are the later state of the first printing.
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. The US Cape and Smith 1930 edition is the true first; the UK Chatto and Windus edition of 1935 is later. The first state is distinguished by the dropped/misaligned 'I' on page 11.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Within the first printing, the corrected page 11 marks the later state. No notable book-club first edition.
I have a first edition of As I Lay Dying — 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.