# Is "Running Dog" by Don DeLillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Running Dog by Don DeLillo (Alfred A. Knopf, 1978) is identified by: "First Edition" is stated on the copyright page with the Knopf number line ending in 1. US Knopf 1978 is the true first edition; a UK Jonathan Cape edition also appeared in 1978 and follows the American issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" is stated on the copyright page with the Knopf number line ending in 1
- DeLillo's sixth book, about 246 pages, bound in quarter burgundy cloth over dark gray paper-covered boards with the spine lettered in silver
- The first-state trade dust jacket was designed by Lidia Ferrara using a painting by Karl Korab and carries the printed price to the front flap; the jacket should be present and unclipped on a fine copy
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Don DeLillo |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" is stated on the copyright page with the Knopf number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" is stated on the copyright page with the Knopf number line ending in 1. DeLillo's sixth book, about 246 pages, bound in quarter burgundy cloth over dark gray paper-covered boards with the spine lettered in silver. The first-state trade dust jacket was designed by Lidia Ferrara using a painting by Karl Korab and carries the printed price to the front flap; the jacket should be present and unclipped on a fine copy.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1978 is the true first edition; a UK Jonathan Cape edition also appeared in 1978 and follows the American issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the printed jacket price and show a blind-stamped (debossed) square on the rear board; they are also typically lighter in weight with cheaper paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Running Dog* by Don DeLillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/running-dog
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.