The points of issue
First printing has no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Bound in black cloth with the spine stamped in gilt. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap.
Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown is the true first. The UK edition (Hamish Hamilton, 1953) was retitled 'For Esmé with Love and Squalor' and is a separate publication, not the US first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition has no price on the jacket flap and a blind-stamp impressed on the rear board.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Nine Stories a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Bound in black cloth with the spine stamped in gilt. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the 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 Little, Brown is the true first. The UK edition (Hamish Hamilton, 1953) was retitled 'For Esmé with Love and Squalor' and is a separate publication, not the US first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club edition has no price on the jacket flap and a blind-stamp impressed on the rear board.
I have a first edition of Nine Stories — 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.