# Is "Fifty-Two Pickup" by Elmore Leonard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Fifty-Two Pickup by Elmore Leonard (Delacorte Press, 1974) is identified by: Delacorte Press first, 1974; designated a 'Delacorte Suspense Novel of the Year'; copyright page states 'First printing' (Delacorte of this period used a stated 'First printing,' not a number line). US Delacorte (1974) is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Delacorte Press first, 1974; designated a 'Delacorte Suspense Novel of the Year'; copyright page states 'First printing' (Delacorte of this period used a stated 'First printing,' not a number line)
- First-issue black dust jacket lettered in red with the gun-and-film-reel graphic and the printed flap price
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Elmore Leonard |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Delacorte Press first, 1974; designated a 'Delacorte Suspense Novel of the Year'; copyright page states 'First printing' (Delacorte of this… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Delacorte Press first, 1974; designated a 'Delacorte Suspense Novel of the Year'; copyright page states 'First printing' (Delacorte of this period used a stated 'First printing,' not a number line). First-issue black dust jacket lettered in red with the gun-and-film-reel graphic and the printed flap price.

## Is this the true first?
US Delacorte (1974) is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed the same year. One of Leonard's first crime hardcovers; the black jacket is notoriously hard to find without flaws.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the printed flap price and typically show a blind-stamped dot to the rear board; later printings drop the 'First printing' statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Fifty-Two Pickup* by Elmore Leonard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/fifty-two-pickup
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.