Is My Copy of Pawn of Prophecy a First Edition?

The points of issue

• The true first is the Del Rey/Ballantine mass-market paperback original, New York, April 1982, Ballantine catalogue number 29637 (ISBN 0-345-29637-0)
• There was no US hardcover: the book was issued only in wraps
• Per Biblio's Ballantine publisher guide, Ballantine/Del Rey paperback firsts of this period carry "First Edition (month, year)" or "First Printing (month, year)" on the copyright page together with a number line that must still retain the 1 — judge by the number line, not by the statement alone, since later printings can carry the original edition line forward
• Later Del Rey reissues under different Ballantine numbers/ISBNs (0-345-30997-9, 0-345-33551-1) are not the first printing; dealers do list some of these as "firsts," which is a known mis-listing
• Sources consulted do not document a first-state text error or variant wrapper for this title

How Del Rey / Ballantine Books marked a first edition

• Number line on copyright page; first printing has the '1' present. Modern PRH-era Ballantine uses the full descending line '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' with no edition statement, OR with 'First Edition' stated.
• Mass-market paperback originals: copyright page reads 'First Edition: (Month Year)' or 'First Printing: (Month Year)' with NO later printings listed.

Full Del Rey / Ballantine Books first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The framing needs correction. The US paperback original precedes everything, and hardcover editions are indeed later, for a specific reason: there was no UK hardcover contemporary with the first at all. The UK first was a Corgi (London) paperback, and the LoC-derived catalogue record for the Corgi printing reads "Originally published: New York : Ballantine, 1982," independently fixing US precedence. The Transworld hardcover (ISBN 0-593-02616-0) is a 1992 book, not an early UK hardcover. Only the Del Rey pbo is collected as the first edition.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The alt.fan.eddings FAQ records that the only hardcover of the Belgariad available before 1995 was a two-volume Science Fiction Book Club omnibus — so any pre-1995 Belgariad hardcover is a club omnibus, not a first edition. The Easton Press signed collector's edition (1997) is a later "first thus."P-043803

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Pawn of Prophecy a first edition?

A first edition of Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (Del Rey / Ballantine Books) is identified by: The true first is the Del Rey/Ballantine mass-market paperback original, New York, April 1982, Ballantine catalogue number 29637 (ISBN 0-345-29637-0).

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). The framing needs correction.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

The alt.fan.eddings FAQ records that the only hardcover of the Belgariad available before 1995 was a two-volume Science Fiction Book Club omnibus — so any pre-1995 Belgariad hardcover is a club omnibus, not a first edition. The Easton Press signed collector's edition (1997) is a later "first thus."

I have a first edition of Pawn of Prophecy — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.