# Is "Swag (also as Ryan's Rules)" by Elmore Leonard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Swag (also as Ryan's Rules) by Elmore Leonard (Delacorte Press, 1976) is identified by: Delacorte Press first, 1976, hardcover under the title 'Swag'; copyright page states 'First printing' (stated first printing rather than a number line); first-issue dust jacket with printed flap price. US Delacorte (1976) hardcover titled 'Swag' is the true first published edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Delacorte Press first, 1976, hardcover under the title 'Swag'; copyright page states 'First printing' (stated first printing rather than a number line); first-issue dust jacket with printed flap price
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Elmore Leonard |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Delacorte Press first, 1976, hardcover under the title 'Swag'; copyright page states 'First printing' (stated first printing rather than a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Delacorte Press first, 1976, hardcover under the title 'Swag'; copyright page states 'First printing' (stated first printing rather than a number line); first-issue dust jacket with printed flap price.

## Is this the true first?
US Delacorte (1976) hardcover titled 'Swag' is the true first published edition. 'Ryan's Rules' (a Dell paperback, 1978) is a later retitle of the same text; the hardcover under 'Swag' precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
'Ryan's Rules' paperbacks are later issues; book-club copies lack the printed flap price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Swag (also as Ryan's Rules)* by Elmore Leonard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/swag-also-as-ryans-rules
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.