The points of issue
New Directions imprint, 1980. Issued simultaneously in clothbound and in pictorial printed wrappers (New Directions Paperbook). The cloth issue carries a dust jacket with the printed price on the flap; the wrappers issue is a printed-paper softcover. Confirm the New Directions printing statement on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
The US New Directions edition of 1980 is the true first; it won the inaugural 1981 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. The key distinction is the clothbound issue versus the simultaneously published paperbound trade issue, both dated 1980.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of How German Is It (Wie Deutsch Ist Es) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: New Directions imprint, 1980. Issued simultaneously in clothbound and in pictorial printed wrappers (New Directions Paperbook). The cloth issue carries a dust jacket with the printed price on the flap; the wrappers issue is a printed-paper softcover. Confirm the New Directions printing statement on the copyright page.
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 New Directions edition of 1980 is the true first; it won the inaugural 1981 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue. The key distinction is the clothbound issue versus the simultaneously published paperbound trade issue, both dated 1980.
I have a first edition of How German Is It (Wie Deutsch Ist Es) — 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.