Is My Lord Foul's Bane a First Edition?

The points of issue

• The Holt, Rinehart and Winston trade printing states First Edition on the copyright page and carries a priced jacket; it is the first trade edition and the form most collectors seek
• Note, however, that it does not have precedence: the Science Fiction Book Club edition (Nelson Doubleday) appeared several months earlier in 1977 and is the actual first printing of the text in book form, identifiable by its smaller format, a blind gutter code on the rear board, and an unpriced jacket

How Holt, Rinehart and Winston marked a first edition

• Pre-1945: identified by the LACK of a later-printing statement on the copyright page.
• 1945 onward: usually placed a first-edition statement on the copyright page of US-produced books (no statement on books produced outside the US).

Full Holt, Rinehart and Winston first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
5. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

Precedence is reversed from the common assumption: the Science Fiction Book Club edition preceded the Holt trade edition by roughly four months in 1977, so the club edition is the true first appearance in book form. The Holt edition with the First Edition statement is the first TRADE edition, not the precedence first.P-029954

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The book-club edition is not merely a later reprint here; it precedes the trade edition. It can be distinguished by the gutter code on the rear board, the smaller trim, and the unpriced jacket.P-029955

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Lord Foul's Bane a first edition?

A first edition of Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (Holt, Rinehart and Winston) is identified by: The Holt, Rinehart and Winston trade printing states First Edition on the copyright page and carries a priced jacket; it is the first trade edition and the form most collectors seek.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. Precedence is reversed from the common assumption: the Science Fiction Book Club edition preceded the Holt trade edition by roughly four months in 1977, so the club edition is the true first appearance in book form.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

The book-club edition is not merely a later reprint here; it precedes the trade edition. It can be distinguished by the gutter code on the rear board, the smaller trim, and the unpriced jacket.

I have a first edition of Lord Foul's Bane — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.