# Is "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" by August Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August Wilson (Plume, 1985) is identified by: First edition was issued by Plume (New American Library / Dutton) as a trade-paperback original in 1985; there is no trade hardcover first. The Plume trade-paperback original is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition was issued by Plume (New American Library / Dutton) as a trade-paperback original in 1985; there is no trade hardcover first
- The Plume title and copyright pages identify the edition, and the first printing is identified by the lowest number in the printing line with no later-printing statement
- This was Wilson's first major published play and his first book
- Publisher imprint reads Plume
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | August Wilson |
| Publisher | Plume |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition was issued by Plume (New American Library / Dutton) as a trade-paperback original in 1985; there is no trade hardcover first |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition was issued by Plume (New American Library / Dutton) as a trade-paperback original in 1985; there is no trade hardcover first. The Plume title and copyright pages identify the edition, and the first printing is identified by the lowest number in the printing line with no later-printing statement. This was Wilson's first major published play and his first book.

## Is this the true first?
The Plume trade-paperback original is the true first edition. Wilson's early Century Cycle plays were published as paperback originals, not as trade hardcovers, so there is no precedent hardcover trade first to seek; any hardcover is a later book-club issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No trade hardcover precedes the paperback original; a book-club hardcover, if encountered, is a later secondary issue. The first printing is identified by the full printing number line and the absence of a later-printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ma Rainey's Black Bottom* by August Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ma-raineys-black-bottom
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.