The points of issue
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2005 (hardcover published November 2005). The first printing carries a complete descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and a priced first-state dust jacket on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin (Boston) is the true first, dated 2005. The book won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2006, but the first-printing copyright date is 2005, not 2006.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings show a number line that no longer ends in 1; book-club issues lack the jacket price. Confirm the full number line ending in 1 and the 2005 date.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Pilgrim companion — instead: The Worst Hard Time a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2005 (hardcover published November 2005). The first printing carries a complete descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and a priced first-state dust jacket 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. US Houghton Mifflin (Boston) is the true first, dated 2005. The book won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2006, but the first-printing copyright date is 2005, not 2006.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings show a number line that no longer ends in 1; book-club issues lack the jacket price. Confirm the full number line ending in 1 and the 2005 date.
I have a first edition of Pilgrim companion — instead: The Worst Hard Time — 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.