The points of issue
True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal #404 (1953), 25 cents. Paperback wraps only; no hardcover precedes it. Gold Medal logo and number 404. A scarce, highly prized noir PBO; genuine first-printing copies in fine condition are very scarce.
Is this the true first?
Paperback is the true first. The much later NYRB Classics (2016) reprint is a modern 'first thus.' There was no contemporaneous hardcover.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Distinguish the Gold Medal #404 first from the 1962 Berkley reprint (retitled in some markets) and from the modern NYRB edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Black Wings Has My Angel a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal #404 (1953), 25 cents. Paperback wraps only; no hardcover precedes it. Gold Medal logo and number 404. A scarce, highly prized noir PBO; genuine first-printing copies in fine condition are very scarce.
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. Paperback is the true first. The much later NYRB Classics (2016) reprint is a modern 'first thus.' There was no contemporaneous hardcover.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. Distinguish the Gold Medal #404 first from the 1962 Berkley reprint (retitled in some markets) and from the modern NYRB edition.
I have a first edition of Black Wings Has My Angel — 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.