Is My Kiss Me, Deadly a First Edition?

The points of issue

• "First Edition" is stated on the reverse of the title page of the first printing
• E. P. Dutton first editions are identified either by that stated imprint on the title-page verso or, alternatively, by the absence of any mention of printings or editions — so the stated point is the one to look for here, and it is reported as present by the cataloguing dealer
• The book is a small octavo of 251 pp. in terra cotta / rust-colored cloth with the title stamped in gilt on the spine; that cloth color and pagination are corroborated by independent ABAA catalogue entries
• The title was issued in Dutton's "Guilt Edged Mystery" series (the house pun on gilt-edged)
• A first-issue dust jacket point is reported: a triangular framing device around the words "A New Mike Hammer Mystery," on a priced jacket with the price present at the bottom front flap
• CAUTION: that triangular-framing-device point is attested by a single dealer (James Cummins Bookseller) and no independent corroboration was located; it is recorded here as a single-source jacket point and should not be treated as settled without further evidence

How E. P. Dutton marked a first edition

• Pre-1929: same date on title page and copyright page, no additional printings listed.
• 1929 onward: state 'First Published (year)' or 'First Edition' on the copyright page.

Full E. P. Dutton first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

US E. P. Dutton (New York) 1952 is the true first edition; the census claim is confirmed. The first British edition followed — Arthur Barker, London, 1953, a shorter setting at roughly 191-192 pp. — and is collected as the first UK edition only, not as the true first. Signet and later paperback issues, and printings following Robert Aldrich's 1955 film adaptation, are reprints or "first thus" traps. Note the comma in the book title ("Kiss Me, Deadly") against the film's uncommaed "Kiss Me Deadly" — a frequent cataloguing discrepancy that can mask or surface listings.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No book-club edition tells specific to this title are documented in the sources consulted. The working reprint tell is the Dutton rule itself: the first printing states "First Edition" on the title-page verso, so a copy carrying a later-printing statement, or lacking the stated point where it should appear, is not the first. Given the volume of Spillane reprinting in this period, verify the copyright page rather than relying on the terra cotta cloth, which alone is not diagnostic.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Kiss Me, Deadly a first edition?

A first edition of Kiss Me, Deadly by Mickey Spillane (E. P. Dutton) is identified by: "First Edition" is stated on the reverse of the title page of the first printing.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. US E.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No book-club edition tells specific to this title are documented in the sources consulted. The working reprint tell is the Dutton rule itself: the first printing states "First Edition" on the title-page verso, so a copy carrying a later-printing statement, or lacking the stated point where it should appear, is not the first. Given the volume of Spillane reprinting in this period, verify the copyright page rather than relying on the terra cotta cloth, which alone is not diagnostic.

I have a first edition of Kiss Me, Deadly — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.