The points of issue
Faulkner's first novel (his second book after the 1924 poetry collection The Marble Faun). Published February 1926 in a first printing of 2,500 copies. Binding: blue cloth, front board and spine stamped in yellow, spine also stamped in blind, with pictorial endpapers. The copyright page carries no statement of later printings. The key first-state dust jacket point: the rear panel lists five titles with An American Tragedy as the first.
Is this the true first?
True US first; precedes the UK Chatto & Windus edition of 1930. Note Faulkner's actual first book was the poetry collection The Marble Faun (1924); Soldiers' Pay is his first novel.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Later Boni & Liveright printings are noted on the copyright page; the first printing has no such notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Soldiers' Pay a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Faulkner's first novel (his second book after the 1924 poetry collection The Marble Faun). Published February 1926 in a first printing of 2,500 copies. Binding: blue cloth, front board and spine stamped in yellow, spine also stamped in blind, with pictorial endpapers. The copyright page carries no statement of later printings. The key first-state dust jacket point: the rear panel lists five titles with An American Tragedy as the first.
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 US first; precedes the UK Chatto & Windus edition of 1930. Note Faulkner's actual first book was the poetry collection The Marble Faun (1924); Soldiers' Pay is his first novel.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. Later Boni & Liveright printings are noted on the copyright page; the first printing has no such notice.
I have a first edition of Soldiers' Pay — 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.