The points of issue
Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' accompanied by a complete number line descending to 1. Doubleday anchor colophon present. Cloth-backed boards, dust jacket with the publisher's original flap price intact and unclipped.
Is this the true first?
US Doubleday hardcover (1997) is the true first. A Faber UK edition followed and is a separate first-thus, not the first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues are smaller and lighter, lack the number line, carry no flap price, may show a small blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board, and do not state 'FIRST EDITION'.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of As She Climbed Across the Table a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' accompanied by a complete number line descending to 1. Doubleday anchor colophon present. Cloth-backed boards, dust jacket with the publisher's original flap price intact and unclipped.
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 Doubleday hardcover (1997) is the true first. A Faber UK edition followed and is a separate first-thus, not the first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club issues are smaller and lighter, lack the number line, carry no flap price, may show a small blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board, and do not state 'FIRST EDITION'.
I have a first edition of As She Climbed Across the Table — 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.