The points of issue
Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (Smith later served as US Poet Laureate). The Graywolf Press first edition (Minneapolis, 2011, ISBN 978-1-55597-584-5) is a trade paperback original in printed wrappers. Confirm the first printing by the first-printing indicia and full number line on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
US Graywolf Press (2011) is the true first, issued as a trade paperback original.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; later printings advance the number line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Life on Mars a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (Smith later served as US Poet Laureate). The Graywolf Press first edition (Minneapolis, 2011, ISBN 978-1-55597-584-5) is a trade paperback original in printed wrappers. Confirm the first printing by the first-printing indicia and full number line 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 Graywolf Press (2011) is the true first, issued as a trade paperback original.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition; later printings advance the number line.
I have a first edition of Life on Mars — 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.