The points of issue
Full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (ending in 1) indicates the first printing; priced trade dust jacket. A signed/numbered limited slipcased issue of 250 copies was produced, and the Franklin Library issued a signed deluxe edition with a Special Message by Vonnegut.
Is this the true first?
True first is the 1990 G. P. Putnam's Sons trade edition, identified by the complete number line ending in 1. UK: Jonathan Cape, 1990.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the full number line and the priced jacket; identify the first by the complete 1-10 number line and an unclipped priced jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Hocus Pocus a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (ending in 1) indicates the first printing; priced trade dust jacket. A signed/numbered limited slipcased issue of 250 copies was produced, and the Franklin Library issued a signed deluxe edition with a Special Message by Vonnegut.
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. True first is the 1990 G. P. Putnam's Sons trade edition, identified by the complete number line ending in 1. UK: Jonathan Cape, 1990.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club edition lacks the full number line and the priced jacket; identify the first by the complete 1-10 number line and an unclipped priced jacket.
I have a first edition of Hocus Pocus — 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.