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First-Edition Identification · Bobbie Ann Mason

Is My Love Life: Stories a First Edition?

Harper & Row, 1989

The points of issue

First printing identified by the Harper first-printing code line on the copyright page. A collection of stories; first-issue jacket priced on the flap.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder · Harper & Row first-edition guide.

Is this the true first?

US first edition (Harper & Row, New York); the UK edition (Chatto & Windus) follows.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The copyright code line changes on later printings.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Love Life: Stories a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: First printing identified by the Harper first-printing code line on the copyright page. A collection of stories; first-issue jacket priced on the flap.

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 first edition (Harper & Row, New York); the UK edition (Chatto & Windus) follows.

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

The copyright code line changes on later printings.

I have a first edition of Love Life: Stories — 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.

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