# Is "Just Kids" by Patti Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Just Kids by Patti Smith (Ecco, 2010) is identified by: Ecco (an imprint of HarperCollins), 2010. The US Ecco first is the true first; the cornerstone modern music memoir.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ecco (an imprint of HarperCollins), 2010
- National Book Award winner
- The first printing has 'FIRST EDITION' stated with the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the printed price on the front jacket flap; publisher's blindstamped cloth with a photographic jacket designed by Allison Saltzman
- Later printings break the number line
- Publisher imprint reads Ecco
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patti Smith |
| Publisher | Ecco |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ecco (an imprint of HarperCollins), 2010 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ecco (an imprint of HarperCollins), 2010. National Book Award winner. The first printing has 'FIRST EDITION' stated with the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the printed price on the front jacket flap; publisher's blindstamped cloth with a photographic jacket designed by Allison Saltzman. Later printings break the number line.

## Is this the true first?
The US Ecco first is the true first; the cornerstone modern music memoir.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No separate book-club issue is the usual concern. Verify the number line ending in 1 and the priced jacket flap; signed copies exist in fair numbers from the author's touring.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Just Kids* by Patti Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/just-kids
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.