The points of issue
The first edition is a Bantam mass-market paperback original (catalog code Q8554), with 'Bantam edition / January 1975' on the copyright page and a full number line ending in '1.' No hardcover preceded it.
Is this the true first?
The true first is the paperback original; there was no prior US or UK hardcover. The later Gregg Press (1977) library hardcover is the first hardcover but not the true first, which the Bantam PBO precedes. The imprint reads January 1975, though copies reached shelves in December 1974.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book-club title in its first form. Distinguish the true first from the Gregg Press hardcover and from later Bantam printings whose number lines no longer end in '1.'
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Dhalgren a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The first edition is a Bantam mass-market paperback original (catalog code Q8554), with 'Bantam edition / January 1975' on the copyright page and a full number line ending in '1.' No hardcover preceded it.
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 true first is the paperback original; there was no prior US or UK hardcover. The later Gregg Press (1977) library hardcover is the first hardcover but not the true first, which the Bantam PBO precedes. The imprint reads January 1975, though copies reached shelves in December 1974.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Not a book-club title in its first form. Distinguish the true first from the Gregg Press hardcover and from later Bantam printings whose number lines no longer end in '1.'
I have a first edition of Dhalgren — 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.