# Is "Charming Billy" by Alice McDermott a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Charming Billy by Alice McDermott (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998) is identified by: First edition, 1998 stated on the copyright page, accompanied by the FSG-style number line; Farrar, Straus and Giroux (New York) imprint; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap. The US FSG hardcover of 1998 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, 1998 stated on the copyright page, accompanied by the FSG-style number line
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux (New York) imprint; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Alice McDermott |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, 1998 stated on the copyright page, accompanied by the FSG-style number line |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, 1998 stated on the copyright page, accompanied by the FSG-style number line; Farrar, Straus and Giroux (New York) imprint; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US FSG hardcover of 1998 is the true first edition. It won the 1998 National Book Award for Fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the First edition, 1998 statement and the printed jacket price, are typically smaller and lighter, and may carry a blind stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Charming Billy* by Alice McDermott a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/charming-billy
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.