The points of issue
Full title 'Giles Goat-Boy: Or, The Revised New Syllabus.' The first trade printing does NOT carry a 'First Edition' statement (the record's claim that it is stated is incorrect); Doubleday departed from its usual convention, and the first printing is identified by the gutter code (reported as H18 or H32) on the final text page. Publisher's cloth; first-issue jacket carries the printed price 6.95 at the top of the front flap.
Is this the true first?
A signed, numbered limited edition (Doubleday, 250 copies, issued in a slipcase without a dust jacket) preceded the trade issue and is the most desirable state. UK: Secker & Warburg, 1967.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A large book-club printing exists. Because the true first trade issue also lacks a 'First Edition' line, do NOT use that absence to identify a book club; instead distinguish the trade first by the gutter code and priced jacket, versus the lighter, blind-stamped, unpriced book-club copies.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Giles Goat-Boy a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Full title 'Giles Goat-Boy: Or, The Revised New Syllabus.' The first trade printing does NOT carry a 'First Edition' statement (the record's claim that it is stated is incorrect); Doubleday departed from its usual convention, and the first printing is identified by the gutter code (reported as H18 or H32) on the final text page. Publisher's cloth; first-issue jacket carries the printed price 6.95 at the top of the front 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. A signed, numbered limited edition (Doubleday, 250 copies, issued in a slipcase without a dust jacket) preceded the trade issue and is the most desirable state. UK: Secker & Warburg, 1967.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A large book-club printing exists. Because the true first trade issue also lacks a 'First Edition' line, do NOT use that absence to identify a book club; instead distinguish the trade first by the gutter code and priced jacket, versus the lighter, blind-stamped, unpriced book-club copies.
I have a first edition of Giles Goat-Boy — 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.