The points of issue
First printing has the Putnam first-edition statement on the copyright page. The unclipped trade-edition dust jacket flap carries the original published price (verified copies show the original figure intact); priced jackets distinguish the trade first from club issues.
Is this the true first?
True first is the 1979 G. P. Putnam's Sons edition, New York. UK first followed from Secker & Warburg, 1980. A signed, numbered limited issue of the novel (500 copies, signed on a limitation leaf) was also produced.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club issue has a blind-stamp to the rear board and an unpriced jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of LETTERS a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has the Putnam first-edition statement on the copyright page. The unclipped trade-edition dust jacket flap carries the original published price (verified copies show the original figure intact); priced jackets distinguish the trade first from club issues.
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. True first is the 1979 G. P. Putnam's Sons edition, New York. UK first followed from Secker & Warburg, 1980. A signed, numbered limited issue of the novel (500 copies, signed on a limitation leaf) was also produced.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book club issue has a blind-stamp to the rear board and an unpriced jacket.
I have a first edition of LETTERS — 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.