The points of issue
Harper & Brothers, New York, 1958. The first printing carries the Harper letter-code cipher H-H on the copyright page, denoting the first printing under Harper's month-year code system. First-state dust jacket is priced on the front flap. This was King's first book.
Is this the true first?
US Harper & Brothers (New York) is the true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings carry a different Harper code (for example I-H on the second printing); the H-H code is the first-printing point. Book-club issues lack the jacket price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Harper & Brothers, New York, 1958. The first printing carries the Harper letter-code cipher H-H on the copyright page, denoting the first printing under Harper's month-year code system. First-state dust jacket is priced on the front flap. This was King's first book.
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. US Harper & Brothers (New York) is the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings carry a different Harper code (for example I-H on the second printing); the H-H code is the first-printing point. Book-club issues lack the jacket price.
I have a first edition of Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story — 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.