Is My Suttree a First Edition?

The points of issue

• 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page ABOVE the publisher's number line; the first printing carries the full number line ending in 2 (Random House's convention of the 1970s-the printed price for a first printing), so the absence of a number line is NOT the point
• Light yellow boards with a black cloth spine, gilt spine lettering, octavo, 471 pages
• First-issue dust jacket designed by Jack Ribik with the printed price on the front flap and the code 'the printed price' on the rear flap
• Many copies were remaindered with a red stamp to the textblock edge; unmarked copies are scarcer

How Random House marked a first edition

• Classic paradox era (c.1970–2002/03) — THE famous Random House rule: a true first printing states 'First Edition' AND carries a number line whose lowest digit is 2 — the line ENDS (or begins) in 2 and NEVER reaches 1, e.…
• Classic-era reprint mechanics (c.1970–2002/03): on going to a second printing Random House simply DELETED the words 'First Edition' from the copyright page and left the number line intact — so a bare '2'-ending line with…

Full Random House first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

US Random House is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition (1980) follows.P-005279

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No major book-club edition; later Vintage printings lack the 'First Edition' line and the number line ending in 2.P-005280

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Suttree a first edition?

A first edition of Suttree by Cormac McCarthy (Random House) is identified by: 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page ABOVE the publisher's number line; the first printing carries the full number line ending in 2 (Random House's convention of the 1970s-the printed price for a first printing), so the absence of a number line is NOT the point.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). US Random House is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition (1980) follows.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No major book-club edition; later Vintage printings lack the 'First Edition' line and the number line ending in 2.

I have a first edition of Suttree — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.