# Is "Songmaster" by Orson Scott Card a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Songmaster by Orson Scott Card (The Dial Press, 1980) is identified by: Dial Press hardcover with 'First printing' stated on the copyright page. US Dial Press hardcover (1980) is the true first, with 'First printing' stated on the copyright page.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dial Press hardcover with 'First printing' stated on the copyright page
- Bound in beige (tan) cloth with blue lettering stamped on the spine, octavo
- The illustrated first-state dust jacket carries white title lettering on the front panel and spine and retains the printed price on the front flap (present, not clipped, on an unrestored first-issue jacket)
- Publisher imprint reads The Dial Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orson Scott Card |
| Publisher | The Dial Press |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dial Press hardcover with 'First printing' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Dial Press hardcover with 'First printing' stated on the copyright page. Bound in beige (tan) cloth with blue lettering stamped on the spine, octavo. The illustrated first-state dust jacket carries white title lettering on the front panel and spine and retains the printed price on the front flap (present, not clipped, on an unrestored first-issue jacket).

## Is this the true first?
US Dial Press hardcover (1980) is the true first, with 'First printing' stated on the copyright page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Dial Press book-club edition was issued in the same year and appears nearly identical; it lacks the 'First printing' statement and the printed price on the jacket flap, and typically shows a blind-stamped depression on the rear board, which distinguishes it from the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Songmaster* by Orson Scott Card a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/songmaster
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.