The points of issue
Macmillan hardcover, copyright 1989, ISBN 0-02-744831-2, with print code/number line ending in 1 per Macmillan practice. Yellow cloth with grey spine lettering, white paper-covered boards, in dust jacket. Homes's debut novel.
Is this the true first?
The US Macmillan hardcover of 1989 is the true first. A later Vintage Contemporaries paperback (ISBN 0-679-73221-7) is a first-thus reprint, not the first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Vintage trade paperback is the copy most often mistaken for a first; any Vintage or Random House imprint is a reprint.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Jack a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Macmillan hardcover, copyright 1989, ISBN 0-02-744831-2, with print code/number line ending in 1 per Macmillan practice. Yellow cloth with grey spine lettering, white paper-covered boards, in dust jacket. Homes's debut novel.
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 Macmillan hardcover of 1989 is the true first. A later Vintage Contemporaries paperback (ISBN 0-679-73221-7) is a first-thus reprint, not the first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The Vintage trade paperback is the copy most often mistaken for a first; any Vintage or Random House imprint is a reprint.
I have a first edition of Jack — 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.