# Is "Enchantment" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Enchantment by Orson Scott Card (Del Rey/Ballantine, 1999) is identified by: Del Rey / Ballantine Publishing Group octavo hardcover. US Del Rey hardcover (April 1999) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Del Rey / Ballantine Publishing Group octavo hardcover
- The copyright page carries the stated-edition line 'First Edition: April 1999' followed by the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; the presence of the 1 confirms the first printing
- Issued in a priced dust jacket; the printed price should be present on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Del Rey/Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | Del Rey/Ballantine |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Del Rey / Ballantine Publishing Group octavo hardcover |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Del Rey / Ballantine Publishing Group octavo hardcover. The copyright page carries the stated-edition line 'First Edition: April 1999' followed by the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; the presence of the 1 confirms the first printing. Issued in a priced dust jacket; the printed price should be present on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Del Rey hardcover (April 1999) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No separate book-club issue confirmed; first printings have a priced jacket. Later Del Rey trade and mass-market paperbacks lack the 'First Edition: April 1999' statement and full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Enchantment* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/enchantment
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.