# Is "On Directing Film" by David Mamet a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of On Directing Film by David Mamet (Viking, 1991) is identified by: First edition, Viking, New York, 1991, the copyright page stating first published in 1991 with a full number line beginning with 1; 107 pages. US Viking edition of 1991 is the true first; the Faber & Faber British edition followed in 1992.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Viking, New York, 1991, the copyright page stating first published in 1991 with a full number line beginning with 1
- 107 pages
- Bound in quarter black cloth over black boards with an embossed design and the author's name to the top of the front board
- Issued in a glossy black dust jacket lettered in gilt (author, title, and publisher), the jacket designed by Neil Stuart with the back-panel photograph by Mike Hausman; the first-state jacket should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Mamet |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Viking, New York, 1991, the copyright page stating first published in 1991… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Viking, New York, 1991, the copyright page stating first published in 1991 with a full number line beginning with 1; 107 pages. Bound in quarter black cloth over black boards with an embossed design and the author's name to the top of the front board. Issued in a glossy black dust jacket lettered in gilt (author, title, and publisher), the jacket designed by Neil Stuart with the back-panel photograph by Mike Hausman; the first-state jacket should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking edition of 1991 is the true first; the Faber & Faber British edition followed in 1992.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is a factor for the identified first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *On Directing Film* by David Mamet a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/on-directing-film
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.