# Is "Ragtime" by E.L. Doctorow a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow (Random House, 1975) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with no added printing line; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and shows no review excerpt on the rear flap. The US Random House printing is the true first; the UK Macmillan edition (1976) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with no added printing line; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and shows no review excerpt on the rear flap
- From the first printing, 150 specially-bound, numbered copies signed by Doctorow were issued as presentation copies, a distinct and more desirable state (a larger unnumbered signed binding also exists; the 150 numbered copies are the priority)
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E.L. Doctorow |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with no added printing line; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and shows no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page with no added printing line; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and shows no review excerpt on the rear flap. From the first printing, 150 specially-bound, numbered copies signed by Doctorow were issued as presentation copies, a distinct and more desirable state (a larger unnumbered signed binding also exists; the 150 numbered copies are the priority).

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House printing is the true first; the UK Macmillan edition (1976) follows. The 150 signed/numbered presentation copies precede in desirability.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions are smaller, often blind-stamped on the rear board, and the jacket lacks the printed price; later trade printings carry a printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ragtime* by E.L. Doctorow a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ragtime
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.