The points of issue
Poseidon Press (a Simon & Schuster division) first edition, copyright 1988, with a full number line ending in 1. Bound in brown cloth over gray boards, stamped in silver, in the original dust jacket. ISBN 0-671-65871-7. Gaitskill's debut collection. Some catalogues date the book 1989 (a later printing); the 1988 number-line-to-1 copy is the true first.
Is this the true first?
The US Poseidon Press hardcover of 1988 is the true first. UK editions followed.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the number line and the jacket price; later Vintage and Simon & Schuster paperbacks are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Bad Behavior a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Poseidon Press (a Simon & Schuster division) first edition, copyright 1988, with a full number line ending in 1. Bound in brown cloth over gray boards, stamped in silver, in the original dust jacket. ISBN 0-671-65871-7. Gaitskill's debut collection. Some catalogues date the book 1989 (a later printing); the 1988 number-line-to-1 copy is the true first.
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 Poseidon Press hardcover of 1988 is the true first. UK editions followed.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club editions lack the number line and the jacket price; later Vintage and Simon & Schuster paperbacks are reprints.
I have a first edition of Bad Behavior — 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.