The points of issue
True first issued by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1969, a posthumous collection of essays and lectures selected and edited by Sally and Robert Fitzgerald. Identify by the first-printing statement on the copyright page (FSG of this era states the first printing, typically with the year) and a first-issue dust jacket carrying the original price on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
US FSG first (1969) is the true first; this is the first-thus gathering of O'Connor's nonfiction.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition; later printings note subsequent printings.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first issued by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1969, a posthumous collection of essays and lectures selected and edited by Sally and Robert Fitzgerald. Identify by the first-printing statement on the copyright page (FSG of this era states the first printing, typically with the year) and a first-issue dust jacket carrying the original price 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. US FSG first (1969) is the true first; this is the first-thus gathering of O'Connor's nonfiction.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No significant book-club edition; later printings note subsequent printings.
I have a first edition of Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose — 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.