The points of issue
A signed limited edition of 300 copies (285 numbered for sale, 15 reserved) precedes the trade and is the true first; issued in a tan paper-covered slipcase with top edge gilt and a yellow silk ribbon marker, signed on the limitation page. The trade first printing carries no statement of later printing on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
US first overall is the signed limited of 300 copies, which precedes the trade edition; the unsigned trade printing follows. UK Secker edition followed.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later trade printings are noted on the copyright page; a Grosset & Dunlap reprint exists and is not the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Kneel to the Rising Sun and Other Stories a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: A signed limited edition of 300 copies (285 numbered for sale, 15 reserved) precedes the trade and is the true first; issued in a tan paper-covered slipcase with top edge gilt and a yellow silk ribbon marker, signed on the limitation page. The trade first printing carries no statement of later printing 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. US first overall is the signed limited of 300 copies, which precedes the trade edition; the unsigned trade printing follows. UK Secker edition followed.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later trade printings are noted on the copyright page; a Grosset & Dunlap reprint exists and is not the first.
I have a first edition of Kneel to the Rising Sun and Other Stories — 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.