# Is "Cold in July" by Joe R. Lansdale a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cold in July by Joe R. Lansdale (Bantam, 1989) is identified by: US Bantam mass-market paperback original, published February 1989, with a complete descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. The Bantam paperback original is the first trade appearance; the Ziesing signed limited hardcover is the sought-after collector issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Bantam mass-market paperback original, published February 1989, with a complete descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- A Mark V. Ziesing signed limited hardcover (dust-jacket art by Terry Lee, limited to 500 slipcased copies) also exists and is the collectible issue
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joe R. Lansdale |
| Publisher | Bantam |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Bantam mass-market paperback original, published February 1989, with a complete… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US Bantam mass-market paperback original, published February 1989, with a complete descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. A Mark V. Ziesing signed limited hardcover (dust-jacket art by Terry Lee, limited to 500 slipcased copies) also exists and is the collectible issue.

## Is this the true first?
The Bantam paperback original is the first trade appearance; the Ziesing signed limited hardcover is the sought-after collector issue. Verify the number line on the Bantam copy and the limitation page on the Ziesing copy.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; the trade first is a paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cold in July* by Joe R. Lansdale a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cold-in-july
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.