The points of issue
US Apex Book Company trade paperback original, published 15 November 2016 (about 287 pages, ISBN 9781937009298); small-press first printing. The Orbit edition (19 October 2018, about 390 pages) is the later, more common reissue.
Is this the true first?
The Apex Book Company 2016 paperback original is the true first. The Orbit 2018 edition is 'first thus' and accounts for most copies. Winner of the 2019 Arthur C. Clarke Award and the inaugural Nommo Award.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The ubiquitous Orbit 2018 reissue is a reprint, not the true first; it is easy to mistake the common Orbit edition for the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Rosewater a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Apex Book Company trade paperback original, published 15 November 2016 (about 287 pages, ISBN 9781937009298); small-press first printing. The Orbit edition (19 October 2018, about 390 pages) is the later, more common reissue.
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 Apex Book Company 2016 paperback original is the true first. The Orbit 2018 edition is 'first thus' and accounts for most copies. Winner of the 2019 Arthur C. Clarke Award and the inaugural Nommo Award.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The ubiquitous Orbit 2018 reissue is a reprint, not the true first; it is easy to mistake the common Orbit edition for the first.
I have a first edition of Rosewater — 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.