The points of issue
Cemetery Dance Publications signed limited hardcover first edition, June 1999; limited to 1,250 copies, all signed by Laymon; illustrated endpapers by Earl Geier; dust jacket art by Vince Natale.
Is this the true first?
The Cemetery Dance limited is the true first, and the publisher describes it as such. The UK Headline edition followed in 2000, and the Leisure US mass-market paperback came later still.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
N/A; small-press limited with a signed limitation page, no book club edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Come Out Tonight a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Cemetery Dance Publications signed limited hardcover first edition, June 1999; limited to 1,250 copies, all signed by Laymon; illustrated endpapers by Earl Geier; dust jacket art by Vince Natale.
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. The Cemetery Dance limited is the true first, and the publisher describes it as such. The UK Headline edition followed in 2000, and the Leisure US mass-market paperback came later still.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
N/A; small-press limited with a signed limitation page, no book club edition.
I have a first edition of Come Out Tonight — 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.