The points of issue
First printing hardcover, Houghton Mifflin, Boston and New York, June 8 2006, ISBN 0-618-47794-2 (978-0-618-47794-4). First printing carries the full descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page with no later-printing statement. Bound in neon-orange decorative paper boards under a pictorial jacket showing the family house; price present on the jacket flap.
Is this the true first?
US true first by an American author published first in the United States. Distinguish from the UK Jonathan Cape edition and from the later trade-paperback issue, which is a separate later printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition; the common trap is later printings under the same ISBN, so confirm the number line ends in 1. The paperback (2007) is a separate later issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing hardcover, Houghton Mifflin, Boston and New York, June 8 2006, ISBN 0-618-47794-2 (978-0-618-47794-4). First printing carries the full descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page with no later-printing statement. Bound in neon-orange decorative paper boards under a pictorial jacket showing the family house; price present on the jacket flap.
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. US true first by an American author published first in the United States. Distinguish from the UK Jonathan Cape edition and from the later trade-paperback issue, which is a separate later printing.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No notable book-club edition; the common trap is later printings under the same ISBN, so confirm the number line ends in 1. The paperback (2007) is a separate later issue.
I have a first edition of Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic — 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.