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First-Edition Identification · Forrest Gander

Is My Be With a First Edition?

New Directions, 2018

The points of issue

First edition published by New Directions in 2018, a paperback original with first-printing number line. Won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry; also longlisted for the National Book Award.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder · New Directions first-edition guide.

Is this the true first?

US New Directions (2018) is the true first edition.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No book club edition.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Be With a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: First edition published by New Directions in 2018, a paperback original with first-printing number line. Won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry; also longlisted for the National Book Award.

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 New Directions (2018) is the true first edition.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No book club edition.

I have a first edition of Be With — 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.

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