The points of issue
First printing has a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; clothbound in dust jacket. ISBN 9781556592188. The National Book Award seal is a publisher-applied sticker, not a printing point.
Is this the true first?
The Copper Canyon clothbound US edition of 2005 (ISBN 9781556592188) is the true first and the collector's first. There was no simultaneous 2005 paperback: the trade paperback (ISBN 9781556592614) is a later 2007 issue, not a true-first state.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 2007 paperback is a reprint, not a first. Later printings show a shortened number line not reaching 1. No book-club edition noted.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Migration: New and Selected Poems a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; clothbound in dust jacket. ISBN 9781556592188. The National Book Award seal is a publisher-applied sticker, not a printing point.
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 Copper Canyon clothbound US edition of 2005 (ISBN 9781556592188) is the true first and the collector's first. There was no simultaneous 2005 paperback: the trade paperback (ISBN 9781556592614) is a later 2007 issue, not a true-first state.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The 2007 paperback is a reprint, not a first. Later printings show a shortened number line not reaching 1. No book-club edition noted.
I have a first edition of Migration: New and Selected Poems — 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.