# Is "Sourcery" by Terry Pratchett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sourcery by Terry Pratchett (Victor Gollancz in association with Colin Smythe, 1988) is identified by: First impression of 7,200 copies published 26 May 1988, title page reading Victor Gollancz in association with Colin Smythe; the book was reprinted the same month under Gollancz's sole imprint, so the joint imprint plus the absence of any reprint statement identifies the first. UK Gollancz/Colin Smythe joint-imprint first impression is the true first; the last Discworld novel to carry the joint imprint.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Discworld 5
- First impression of 7,200 copies published 26 May 1988, title page reading Victor Gollancz in association with Colin Smythe; the book was reprinted the same month under Gollancz's sole imprint, so the joint imprint plus the absence of any reprint statement identifies the first
- Dust jacket with Josh Kirby artwork
- Publisher imprint reads Victor Gollancz in association with Colin Smythe
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Terry Pratchett |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz in association with Colin Smythe |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Discworld 5 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Discworld 5. First impression of 7,200 copies published 26 May 1988, title page reading Victor Gollancz in association with Colin Smythe; the book was reprinted the same month under Gollancz's sole imprint, so the joint imprint plus the absence of any reprint statement identifies the first. Dust jacket with Josh Kirby artwork.

## Is this the true first?
UK Gollancz/Colin Smythe joint-imprint first impression is the true first; the last Discworld novel to carry the joint imprint. US publication followed later, the Roc/Signet NAL paperback appearing in December 1989.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The May 1988 reprint and later printings under Gollancz alone, BCA book club copies, and Corgi paperbacks are not firsts.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sourcery* by Terry Pratchett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sourcery
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.