The points of issue
Full descending number line present on the copyright page; W. W. Norton (New York) imprint; half white cloth over white boards with copper lettering; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap. Issued in cloth and in a simultaneous trade paperback; the cloth first is the collectible issue and is genuinely scarce.
Is this the true first?
The US Norton hardcover of 1996 is the true first edition. It won the 1996 National Book Award for Fiction. The cloth first had a small print run and is uncommon.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The simultaneous Norton trade paperback is not the collectible first. Confirm the cloth binding and a complete number line ending in 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Ship Fever and Other Stories a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Full descending number line present on the copyright page; W. W. Norton (New York) imprint; half white cloth over white boards with copper lettering; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap. Issued in cloth and in a simultaneous trade paperback; the cloth first is the collectible issue and is genuinely scarce.
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. The US Norton hardcover of 1996 is the true first edition. It won the 1996 National Book Award for Fiction. The cloth first had a small print run and is uncommon.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The simultaneous Norton trade paperback is not the collectible first. Confirm the cloth binding and a complete number line ending in 1.
I have a first edition of Ship Fever and Other Stories — 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.