The points of issue
States 'First Delacorte printing' on the copyright page; first-state dust jacket priced and unclipped.
Is this the true first?
True first is the 1976 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence trade hardcover. Two collectible parallel states exist: a Delacorte signed/numbered limited issue (250 copies, slipcased, no jacket) and a Franklin Library leather edition, both released about a month after the trade issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition is blind-stamped and lacks the jacket price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Slapstick, or Lonesome No More! a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: States 'First Delacorte printing' on the copyright page; first-state dust jacket priced and unclipped.
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. True first is the 1976 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence trade hardcover. Two collectible parallel states exist: a Delacorte signed/numbered limited issue (250 copies, slipcased, no jacket) and a Franklin Library leather edition, both released about a month after the trade issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book club edition is blind-stamped and lacks the jacket price.
I have a first edition of Slapstick, or Lonesome No More! — 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.