# Is "Good as Gold" by Joseph Heller a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Good as Gold by Joseph Heller (Simon and Schuster, 1979) is identified by: A full number line including the low digit on the copyright page indicates the first printing, with no later-printing notice. The Simon and Schuster trade first is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- A full number line including the low digit on the copyright page indicates the first printing, with no later-printing notice
- Jacket design by Paul Bacon; first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Simon and Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joseph Heller |
| Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | A full number line including the low digit on the copyright page indicates the first printing, with no later-printing notice |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
A full number line including the low digit on the copyright page indicates the first printing, with no later-printing notice. Jacket design by Paul Bacon; first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The Simon and Schuster trade first is the true first. A signed/numbered limited issue (specially bound copies signed on the limitation page) and a separate Franklin Library signed edition exist apart from the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies lack the first-printing number line and the front-flap price and may be blind-stamped.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Good as Gold* by Joseph Heller a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/good-as-gold
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.