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First-Edition Identification · Harry Crews

Is My Naked in Garden Hills a First Edition?

William Morrow, 1969

The points of issue

Original olive/light-green cloth boards stamped in black and red, in an unclipped dust jacket priced 5.95; first-state jacket carries a review of 'The Gospel Singer' on the rear panel. Crews's second novel.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder · William Morrow first-edition guide.

Is this the true first?

The US William Morrow 1969 edition is the true first.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Book-club reprints lack the price on the jacket flap and the first-issue jacket text.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Naked in Garden Hills a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: Original olive/light-green cloth boards stamped in black and red, in an unclipped dust jacket priced 5.95; first-state jacket carries a review of 'The Gospel Singer' on the rear panel. Crews's second novel.

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 William Morrow 1969 edition is the true first.

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

Book-club reprints lack the price on the jacket flap and the first-issue jacket text.

I have a first edition of Naked in Garden Hills — 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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