The points of issue
Gass's debut novel, New American Library, 1966. Half black cloth over blue boards; jacket carries blurbs by Susan Sontag and Walker Percy and is priced 5.95 on the front flap. First printing identified by the absence of any later-printing line on the copyright page. A small printing was made.
Is this the true first?
The US New American Library printing (1966) is the true first. Although an early draft was notoriously stolen and adapted as a play, no commercially published version predates the NAL trade first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add a printing record; a book-club copy would show 'Book Club Edition' and lack the flap price. Confirm the NAL imprint and a clean first-printing copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Omensetter's Luck a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Gass's debut novel, New American Library, 1966. Half black cloth over blue boards; jacket carries blurbs by Susan Sontag and Walker Percy and is priced 5.95 on the front flap. First printing identified by the absence of any later-printing line on the copyright page. A small printing was made.
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 New American Library printing (1966) is the true first. Although an early draft was notoriously stolen and adapted as a play, no commercially published version predates the NAL trade first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add a printing record; a book-club copy would show 'Book Club Edition' and lack the flap price. Confirm the NAL imprint and a clean first-printing copyright page.
I have a first edition of Omensetter's Luck — 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.