# Is "Seven Guitars" by August Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Seven Guitars by August Wilson (Dutton, 1996) is identified by: Cloth in dust jacket; the E. The Dutton hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Cloth in dust jacket; the E. P. Dutton hardcover (ISBN 0-525-94196-7), published 1996, is the genuine trade hardcover first
- Copyright page shows First Edition and/or the number line
- A Plume trade paperback followed in 1997
- Publisher imprint reads Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | August Wilson |
| Publisher | Dutton |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Cloth in dust jacket; the E. P. Dutton hardcover (ISBN 0-525-94196-7), published 1996, is… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Cloth in dust jacket; the E. P. Dutton hardcover (ISBN 0-525-94196-7), published 1996, is the genuine trade hardcover first. Copyright page shows First Edition and/or the number line. A Plume trade paperback followed in 1997.

## Is this the true first?
The Dutton hardcover is the true first. The Plume paperback is a later, secondary issue (1997), so the record's core claim holds.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish the first printing from later printings by the number line; the Plume paperback is the later format and not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Seven Guitars* by August Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/seven-guitars
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.