The points of issue
First printing is bound in TAN cloth stamped in dark brown, and the date '1949' appears on the TITLE PAGE (as well as copyright). 214 pp; first-issue jacket priced the printed price on the front flap. Later printings are in BLUE cloth and have an UNDATED title page (the 1949 remains only on the copyright page).
Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin (1949) is the true first—Schaefer's first book and the landmark Western novel. The tan-cloth/dated-title-page combination is the decisive first-printing point. UK Andre Deutsch edition follows.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book-club issue of the 1949 first; the practical confusion is the second/later Houghton printings (blue cloth, undated title page) and the many later reprints/film tie-ins. Blue cloth = not first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Shane a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing is bound in TAN cloth stamped in dark brown, and the date '1949' appears on the TITLE PAGE (as well as copyright). 214 pp; first-issue jacket priced the printed price on the front flap. Later printings are in BLUE cloth and have an UNDATED title page (the 1949 remains only on the copyright page).
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 Houghton Mifflin (1949) is the true first—Schaefer's first book and the landmark Western novel. The tan-cloth/dated-title-page combination is the decisive first-printing point. UK Andre Deutsch edition follows.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No prominent book-club issue of the 1949 first; the practical confusion is the second/later Houghton printings (blue cloth, undated title page) and the many later reprints/film tie-ins. Blue cloth = not first printing.
I have a first edition of Shane — 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.