The points of issue
US Random House hardcover: stated First Edition with a complete number line including 1 on the copyright page; boards with gilt spine lettering; price-printed dust jacket. The UK Sceptre edition (forest-green boards, metallic blue spine lettering, number line including 1) is a near-simultaneous edition that does not precede.
Is this the true first?
Precedence corrected: the US Random House hardcover was published in April 2006, roughly a month before the UK Sceptre hardcover in May 2006, so the US edition is the true first by date rather than the Sceptre edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
On both editions, later printings drop the 1 from the number line and/or state the impression.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Black Swan Green a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Random House hardcover: stated First Edition with a complete number line including 1 on the copyright page; boards with gilt spine lettering; price-printed dust jacket. The UK Sceptre edition (forest-green boards, metallic blue spine lettering, number line including 1) is a near-simultaneous edition that does not precede.
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. Precedence corrected: the US Random House hardcover was published in April 2006, roughly a month before the UK Sceptre hardcover in May 2006, so the US edition is the true first by date rather than the Sceptre edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
On both editions, later printings drop the 1 from the number line and/or state the impression.
I have a first edition of Black Swan Green — 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.