# Is "Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process" by John McPhee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover first printing (New York, 2017), ISBN 978-0-374-14274-2. US true first (FSG, New York, 2017).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover first printing (New York, 2017), ISBN 978-0-374-14274-2
- First-printing copies carry FSG's 'First edition, 2017' statement on the copyright page together with the printer's key; a true first shows the complete number line running down to 1
- The FSG dust jacket should retain its printed price on the flap
- A later FSG paperback, ISBN 978-0-374-53797-5, is a separate reprint, not the first printing
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John McPhee |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2017 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover first printing (New York, 2017), ISBN… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover first printing (New York, 2017), ISBN 978-0-374-14274-2. First-printing copies carry FSG's 'First edition, 2017' statement on the copyright page together with the printer's key; a true first shows the complete number line running down to 1. The FSG dust jacket should retain its printed price on the flap. A later FSG paperback, ISBN 978-0-374-53797-5, is a separate reprint, not the first printing.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (FSG, New York, 2017).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No known book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process* by John McPhee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/draft-no-4-on-the-writing-process
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.