# Is "September September" by Shelby Foote a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of September September by Shelby Foote (Random House, 1978) is identified by: First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a Random House number line beginning with 2 (for example, 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9). US Random House is the true first; any UK edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a Random House number line beginning with 2 (for example, 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9)
- Per Random House convention of this era the line does NOT contain a 1; a copy whose lowest number is 1 is not how the first issue is identified
- First-issue dust jacket is unclipped
- Foote's return to fiction
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Shelby Foote |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a Random House number line beginning with 2 (for example, 2 3… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a Random House number line beginning with 2 (for example, 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9). Per Random House convention of this era the line does NOT contain a 1; a copy whose lowest number is 1 is not how the first issue is identified. First-issue dust jacket is unclipped. Foote's return to fiction.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first; any UK edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the 'First Edition' statement and the number line, have no price on the jacket flap, and are typically smaller with a blind-stamp dot/depression on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *September September* by Shelby Foote a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/september-september
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.