The points of issue
First Edition stated on the copyright page above a full descending number line; Atheneum (New York) imprint; quarter black cloth over maroon paper boards, gilt spine lettering and blind stamping to the front board; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
The US Atheneum hardcover of 1990 is the true first edition. It won the 1990 National Book Award for Fiction and had a comparatively small first printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the first-edition statement and the printed jacket price, are usually smaller and lighter, and carry a blind stamp to the rear board.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Middle Passage a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First Edition stated on the copyright page above a full descending number line; Atheneum (New York) imprint; quarter black cloth over maroon paper boards, gilt spine lettering and blind stamping to the front board; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front 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. The US Atheneum hardcover of 1990 is the true first edition. It won the 1990 National Book Award for Fiction and had a comparatively small first printing.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club editions lack the first-edition statement and the printed jacket price, are usually smaller and lighter, and carry a blind stamp to the rear board.
I have a first edition of Middle Passage — 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.