# Is "Bethany's Sin" by Robert R. McCammon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bethany's Sin by Robert R. McCammon (Avon, 1980) is identified by: Avon paperback original, 1980; the copyright page states First Avon Printing. Paperback original; the 1980 Avon printing is the true first (a UK Sphere paperback also appeared in 1980).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Avon paperback original, 1980; the copyright page states First Avon Printing
- Avon promoted the release in the trade press in late 1979 ahead of the 1980 on-sale, and the wrappers carry the original Avon cover price, which should be present on a first printing
- McCammon's second novel
- Publisher imprint reads Avon
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert R. McCammon |
| Publisher | Avon |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Avon paperback original, 1980; the copyright page states First Avon Printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Avon paperback original, 1980; the copyright page states First Avon Printing. Avon promoted the release in the trade press in late 1979 ahead of the 1980 on-sale, and the wrappers carry the original Avon cover price, which should be present on a first printing. McCammon's second novel.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; the 1980 Avon printing is the true first (a UK Sphere paperback also appeared in 1980). The first hardcover was the Kinnell, London edition of 1989, a much later collector's issue and not the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; a paperback original has no book club edition. Later Avon printings carry a higher printing number in the Avon number line and are not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bethany's Sin* by Robert R. McCammon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bethanys-sin
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.