The points of issue
The true first edition is the 1947 E. P. Dutton HARDCOVER (this title is NOT a paperback original). The famous Signet paperback (Signet 699, 1948, 25 cents) is the first paperback printing and is what made Spillane a phenomenon. The hardcover first has the Dutton imprint with no later-printing statements; the dust jacket is rare.
Is this the true first?
Included here as a caution: the iconic mass-market Signet is NOT the true first; the Dutton hardcover precedes it. The Signet edition is a 'first thus' (first paperback). The Signet number 699 is the first paperback issue; later Signet printings carry higher numbers and printing statements.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish the 1947 Dutton hardcover first from book-club and later trade reprints. For the Signet, later printings state the printing number; the 25-cent 699 with no additional printing line is the first paperback printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of I, the Jury a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The true first edition is the 1947 E. P. Dutton HARDCOVER (this title is NOT a paperback original). The famous Signet paperback (Signet 699, 1948, 25 cents) is the first paperback printing and is what made Spillane a phenomenon. The hardcover first has the Dutton imprint with no later-printing statements; the dust jacket is rare.
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. Included here as a caution: the iconic mass-market Signet is NOT the true first; the Dutton hardcover precedes it. The Signet edition is a 'first thus' (first paperback). The Signet number 699 is the first paperback issue; later Signet printings carry higher numbers and printing statements.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Distinguish the 1947 Dutton hardcover first from book-club and later trade reprints. For the Signet, later printings state the printing number; the 25-cent 699 with no additional printing line is the first paperback printing.
I have a first edition of I, the Jury — 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.