The points of issue
Bantam hardcover, December 2001. Copyright page carries a full number line ending in 1. First printing runs 606 pages and includes a poem from The Book of Counted Sorrows before the author's note, which is absent from advance copies.
Is this the true first?
The UK Headline edition (November 2001) preceded the Bantam by several weeks; the Bantam is the true first US edition and the standard collected first for this US author.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies lack a jacket price and the full number line treatment of the trade first; mass market paperbacks followed in October 2002.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of One Door Away from Heaven a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Bantam hardcover, December 2001. Copyright page carries a full number line ending in 1. First printing runs 606 pages and includes a poem from The Book of Counted Sorrows before the author's note, which is absent from advance copies.
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 UK Headline edition (November 2001) preceded the Bantam by several weeks; the Bantam is the true first US edition and the standard collected first for this US author.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book club copies lack a jacket price and the full number line treatment of the trade first; mass market paperbacks followed in October 2002.
I have a first edition of One Door Away from Heaven — 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.