The points of issue
Notable finalist: the 1974 Pulitzer fiction jury recommended 'Gravity's Rainbow' but the advisory board declined to make an award, so no Fiction Pulitzer was given for 1974. Viking issued the book simultaneously in 1973 as a hardcover (4,000 copies) and a Viking Compass trade paperback (16,000 copies). The first-issue hardcover dust jacket shows the printed price at upper right and the code '0273' at lower right of the front flap; the first paperback is Viking Compass C 374 with the printed price and 'SBN 670-00374-3' on the lower back cover.
Is this the true first?
US Viking 1973 is the true first; the hardcover is the primary collector's first, issued simultaneously with the trade paperback original. No Pulitzer for Fiction was awarded for 1974.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Book-of-the-Month Club hardcover lacks the printed price and the '0273' flap code and uses a non-laminated, less glossy jacket. The paperback original is a separate, legitimate first state, not a reprint; Bantam mass-market printings are later.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Gravity's Rainbow (notable Pulitzer finalist, no 1974 award) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Notable finalist: the 1974 Pulitzer fiction jury recommended 'Gravity's Rainbow' but the advisory board declined to make an award, so no Fiction Pulitzer was given for 1974. Viking issued the book simultaneously in 1973 as a hardcover (4,000 copies) and a Viking Compass trade paperback (16,000 copies). The first-issue hardcover dust jacket shows the printed price at upper right and the code '0273' at lower right of the front flap; the first paperback is Viking Compass C 374 with the printed price and 'SBN 670-00374-3' on the lower back cover.
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 Viking 1973 is the true first; the hardcover is the primary collector's first, issued simultaneously with the trade paperback original. No Pulitzer for Fiction was awarded for 1974.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The Book-of-the-Month Club hardcover lacks the printed price and the '0273' flap code and uses a non-laminated, less glossy jacket. The paperback original is a separate, legitimate first state, not a reprint; Bantam mass-market printings are later.
I have a first edition of Gravity's Rainbow (notable Pulitzer finalist, no 1974 award) — 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.