# Is "Omensetter's Luck" by William Gass a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Omensetter's Luck by William Gass (New American Library, 1966) is identified by: Gass's debut novel, New American Library, 1966. The US New American Library printing (1966) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads New American Library
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Gass |
| Publisher | New American Library |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gass's debut novel, New American Library, 1966 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Omensetter's Luck* by William Gass a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/omensetters-luck
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.