The points of issue
Copyright page reads 'First Scribner hardcover edition September 2017' with a full number line to 1 and the Scribner colophon; quarter-bound in paper and cloth over boards with a stamped spine.
Is this the true first?
The US Scribner edition (2017) is the true first; it won the National Book Award, Ward's second. The UK Bloomsbury edition followed.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; later printings drop the trailing numbers from the line and often add National Book Award winner blurbs to the jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Sing, Unburied, Sing a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page reads 'First Scribner hardcover edition September 2017' with a full number line to 1 and the Scribner colophon; quarter-bound in paper and cloth over boards with a stamped spine.
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 Scribner edition (2017) is the true first; it won the National Book Award, Ward's second. The UK Bloomsbury edition followed.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition; later printings drop the trailing numbers from the line and often add National Book Award winner blurbs to the jacket.
I have a first edition of Sing, Unburied, Sing — 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.