The points of issue
Issued as 'An Atlantic Monthly Press Book' (Atlantic Monthly Press / Little, Brown). Apple-green cloth with the publisher's emblem blindstamped on the front board, spine lettered in black; jacket design by Ivan Chermayeff with the price 4.50 on the front flap. First printings carry no later-printing line.
Is this the true first?
The US Atlantic Monthly Press / Little, Brown printing is the true first. Yates's second book and his principal early story collection.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are noted on the copyright page; a price-clipped jacket removes the 4.50 point and weakens first-issue status.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Eleven Kinds of Loneliness a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Issued as 'An Atlantic Monthly Press Book' (Atlantic Monthly Press / Little, Brown). Apple-green cloth with the publisher's emblem blindstamped on the front board, spine lettered in black; jacket design by Ivan Chermayeff with the price 4.50 on the front flap. First printings carry no later-printing line.
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 US Atlantic Monthly Press / Little, Brown printing is the true first. Yates's second book and his principal early story collection.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings are noted on the copyright page; a price-clipped jacket removes the 4.50 point and weakens first-issue status.
I have a first edition of Eleven Kinds of Loneliness — 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.