The points of issue
True first is the Pynson Printers signed limited edition: a small quarto designed by Elmer Adler, printed on Italian handmade paper, with a title-page drawing and several text illustrations by Donald McKay. Issued in a small printing (roughly 300 copies) as a Christmas keepsake, typically signed by the author.
Is this the true first?
The first edition was published by Pynson Printers, New York, not Coward-McCann. It is a privately printed signed limited keepsake, not a trade book.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Because the first appearance was a small signed limited, there is no ordinary trade first printing under Coward-McCann; later collected or anthologized appearances are not the first edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Here Lies Holly Springs a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first is the Pynson Printers signed limited edition: a small quarto designed by Elmer Adler, printed on Italian handmade paper, with a title-page drawing and several text illustrations by Donald McKay. Issued in a small printing (roughly 300 copies) as a Christmas keepsake, typically signed by the author.
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 first edition was published by Pynson Printers, New York, not Coward-McCann. It is a privately printed signed limited keepsake, not a trade book.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Because the first appearance was a small signed limited, there is no ordinary trade first printing under Coward-McCann; later collected or anthologized appearances are not the first edition.
I have a first edition of Here Lies Holly Springs — 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.