The points of issue
'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; issued under the Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence imprint, New York, 1978. Light green cloth boards with the author's facsimile signature stamped in gilt at the foot of the front board; dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
The US Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence hardcover is the true first. It won the National Book Award for Fiction announced in 1979 for the 1978 publication. The Jonathan Cape UK edition follows.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition is smaller, has a blind stamp to the rear board, and its jacket lacks a printed price and is marked as a book-club issue on the flap.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Going After Cacciato a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; issued under the Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence imprint, New York, 1978. Light green cloth boards with the author's facsimile signature stamped in gilt at the foot of the front board; dust jacket carries the printed price on 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. The US Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence hardcover is the true first. It won the National Book Award for Fiction announced in 1979 for the 1978 publication. The Jonathan Cape UK edition follows.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The book-club edition is smaller, has a blind stamp to the rear board, and its jacket lacks a printed price and is marked as a book-club issue on the flap.
I have a first edition of Going After Cacciato — 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.