# Is "Baal" by Robert R. McCammon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Baal by Robert R. McCammon (Avon, 1978) is identified by: Avon paperback original, August 1978; the copyright page states 'First Avon Printing' with a 1978 date. The Avon 1978 paperback original is the true first edition, as confirmed by McCammon's own bibliography; the first British paperback (Sphere) followed in 1979.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Avon paperback original, August 1978; the copyright page states 'First Avon Printing' with a 1978 date
- McCammon's first novel
- An uncorrected Avon proof of 1978 exists and is regarded as the truest first state, preceding the published wraps
- Publisher imprint reads Avon
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert R. McCammon |
| Publisher | Avon |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | British edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Avon paperback original, August 1978; the copyright page states 'First Avon Printing' with a 1978 date |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Avon paperback original, August 1978; the copyright page states 'First Avon Printing' with a 1978 date. McCammon's first novel. An uncorrected Avon proof of 1978 exists and is regarded as the truest first state, preceding the published wraps.

## Is this the true first?
The Avon 1978 paperback original is the true first edition, as confirmed by McCammon's own bibliography; the first British paperback (Sphere) followed in 1979. The first hardcover was the UK Chivers Press edition of 1985, with Subterranean Press issuing a limited hardcover in 2011. There was no Dark Harvest edition of this title.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
N/A (PBO).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Baal* by Robert R. McCammon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/baal
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.