The points of issue
Three short novels issued together as a three-volume set housed in a publisher's slipcase: 'The Girl on the Baggage Truck,' 'Imagine Kissing Pete,' and 'We're Friends Again.' First printing carries no later-printing statement. A signed issue with a tipped-in leaf signed by O'Hara in the first volume was prepared for the Kroch's & Brentano's First Edition Circle.
Is this the true first?
US first (Random House, New York, 1960); UK Cresset Press 1961.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later trade reprints lose the original three-volume slipcased first-printing state.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Sermons and Soda-Water a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Three short novels issued together as a three-volume set housed in a publisher's slipcase: 'The Girl on the Baggage Truck,' 'Imagine Kissing Pete,' and 'We're Friends Again.' First printing carries no later-printing statement. A signed issue with a tipped-in leaf signed by O'Hara in the first volume was prepared for the Kroch's & Brentano's First Edition Circle.
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 first (Random House, New York, 1960); UK Cresset Press 1961.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later trade reprints lose the original three-volume slipcased first-printing state.
I have a first edition of Sermons and Soda-Water — 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.