The points of issue
Copyright page states the first edition and carries a number line with 1 as the lowest number, the Farrar, Straus and Giroux convention of the period; dust jacket priced on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover of 1986 is the true first; it won the 1987 National Book Award for Fiction.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are smaller, blind-stamped, and carry an unpriced jacket sometimes marked Book Club Edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Paco's Story a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page states the first edition and carries a number line with 1 as the lowest number, the Farrar, Straus and Giroux convention of the period; dust jacket priced on the front 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. The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover of 1986 is the true first; it won the 1987 National Book Award for Fiction.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club editions are smaller, blind-stamped, and carry an unpriced jacket sometimes marked Book Club Edition.
I have a first edition of Paco's Story — 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.