The points of issue
First edition, first printing has the full number line ending in '1' and/or the Harper's Magazine Press first-issue copyright state, 1974. First-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap with NO mention of the Pulitzer Prize (Dillard won the 1975 Pulitzer for this book, so a Pulitzer-free jacket = first issue).
Is this the true first?
US Harper's Magazine Press / Harper & Row (1974) is the true first—Dillard's landmark nature work and 1975 Pulitzer winner. The absence of any Pulitzer notice on the first-issue jacket is the key point; later printings/jackets add the award. Signed firsts are sought.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the number-line/first-issue state and carry a blind-stamp and price-clipped jacket. Any jacket touting the Pulitzer is a later printing or state, not the first issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, first printing has the full number line ending in '1' and/or the Harper's Magazine Press first-issue copyright state, 1974. First-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap with NO mention of the Pulitzer Prize (Dillard won the 1975 Pulitzer for this book, so a Pulitzer-free jacket = first issue).
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. US Harper's Magazine Press / Harper & Row (1974) is the true first—Dillard's landmark nature work and 1975 Pulitzer winner. The absence of any Pulitzer notice on the first-issue jacket is the key point; later printings/jackets add the award. Signed firsts are sought.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club editions lack the number-line/first-issue state and carry a blind-stamp and price-clipped jacket. Any jacket touting the Pulitzer is a later printing or state, not the first issue.
I have a first edition of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek — 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.