# Is "Garden of Shadows" by V.C. Andrews a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Garden of Shadows by V.C. Andrews (Pocket Books, 1987) is identified by: Published by Pocket Books (a Simon and Schuster imprint) in 1987, not Poseidon Press. US Pocket Books first printing is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Published by Pocket Books (a Simon and Schuster imprint) in 1987, not Poseidon Press
- The true first was issued as a Pocket Books trade hardcover with dust jacket, identifiable by the Pocket Books first-printing statement on the copyright page; a Pocket Books mass-market paperback also appeared in 1987
- This is the Dollanganger prequel and the first title completed by ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman after Andrews's death, marking the start of the ghostwritten 'V.C. Andrews' brand
- Publisher imprint reads Pocket Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | V.C. Andrews |
| Publisher | Pocket Books |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Published by Pocket Books (a Simon and Schuster imprint) in 1987, not Poseidon Press |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Published by Pocket Books (a Simon and Schuster imprint) in 1987, not Poseidon Press. The true first was issued as a Pocket Books trade hardcover with dust jacket, identifiable by the Pocket Books first-printing statement on the copyright page; a Pocket Books mass-market paperback also appeared in 1987. This is the Dollanganger prequel and the first title completed by ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman after Andrews's death, marking the start of the ghostwritten 'V.C. Andrews' brand.

## Is this the true first?
US Pocket Books first printing is the true first. Poseidon Press is a different Simon and Schuster imprint and was not the publisher of this title; the original record's attribution to Poseidon is an error.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition is a separate 1987 Pocket hardcover carrying a blind gilt stamp on the rear board and lacking the publisher's first-printing statement; distinguish it from the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Garden of Shadows* by V.C. Andrews a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/garden-of-shadows
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.