# Is "Lethal White" by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) (Sphere / Little, Brown, 2018) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Sphere' with a full number line descending to 1. UK Sphere edition is conventionally cataloged as the first edition (published September 2018), released alongside the US Mulholland edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Sphere' with a full number line descending to 1
- UK Sphere hardcover ISBN 9780751572858
- The US first (Mulholland Books) carries its own number line to 1
- Signed copies exist, signed 'Robert Galbraith' on the title page, typically with a Rowling hologram sticker to the verso of the half-title; these were distributed as competition or promotional copies, not a numbered limited edition
- Publisher imprint reads Sphere / Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) |
| Publisher | Sphere / Little, Brown |
| Year | 2018 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Sphere' with a full… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Sphere' with a full number line descending to 1. UK Sphere hardcover ISBN 9780751572858. The US first (Mulholland Books) carries its own number line to 1. Signed copies exist, signed 'Robert Galbraith' on the title page, typically with a Rowling hologram sticker to the verso of the half-title; these were distributed as competition or promotional copies, not a numbered limited edition.

## Is this the true first?
UK Sphere edition is conventionally cataloged as the first edition (published September 2018), released alongside the US Mulholland edition. UK precedence rests on cataloging convention rather than a clear date gap.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings advance the number line so that 1 is no longer present.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Lethal White* by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/lethal-white
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.