The points of issue
Tor hardcover, 1993 (ISBN 0-312-85202-9); dust jacket present; first printing indicated by the Tor/Tom Doherty Associates number line counting down to 1. Tor issued the title simultaneously in hardcover and trade paperback; the hardcover is the more sought-after first state.
Is this the true first?
The US Tor 1993 edition is the true first, with a US publication date that leads or runs alongside the UK HarperCollins hardcover (UK February 1993). Co-winner of the Philip K. Dick Award for 1993 (presented early 1994), tied with John M. Ford's Growing Up Weightless.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Science Fiction Book Club hardcover exists (blind gutter code on the rear board, no price on the jacket); it is not a true first. An Easton Press signed leather edition is a later collectible first thus. The UK HarperCollins hardcover is a separate first British edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Elvissey a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Tor hardcover, 1993 (ISBN 0-312-85202-9); dust jacket present; first printing indicated by the Tor/Tom Doherty Associates number line counting down to 1. Tor issued the title simultaneously in hardcover and trade paperback; the hardcover is the more sought-after first state.
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 Tor 1993 edition is the true first, with a US publication date that leads or runs alongside the UK HarperCollins hardcover (UK February 1993). Co-winner of the Philip K. Dick Award for 1993 (presented early 1994), tied with John M. Ford's Growing Up Weightless.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A Science Fiction Book Club hardcover exists (blind gutter code on the rear board, no price on the jacket); it is not a true first. An Easton Press signed leather edition is a later collectible first thus. The UK HarperCollins hardcover is a separate first British edition.
I have a first edition of Elvissey — 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.