# Is "LETTERS" by John Barth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of LETTERS by John Barth (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1979) is identified by: First printing has the Putnam first-edition statement on the copyright page. True first is the 1979 G.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Barth |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the Putnam first-edition statement on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *LETTERS* by John Barth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/letters
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.