The points of issue
Paperback original (PBO), June 1987, 956 pp, cover art by Rowena Morrill. The first printing carries a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. Co-winner of the 1987 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel.
Is this the true first?
The 1987 Pocket Books paperback original is the true first edition. The Dark Harvest hardcover came in 1989 as the first hardcover (a later 'first thus'), not the first edition. Spine creasing is common given the bulk.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Pocket printings show a number line that no longer descends to 1. The 1989 Dark Harvest hardcover and its signed/limited states are the first hardcover but not the first edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Swan Song a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Paperback original (PBO), June 1987, 956 pp, cover art by Rowena Morrill. The first printing carries a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. Co-winner of the 1987 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel.
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. The 1987 Pocket Books paperback original is the true first edition. The Dark Harvest hardcover came in 1989 as the first hardcover (a later 'first thus'), not the first edition. Spine creasing is common given the bulk.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Pocket printings show a number line that no longer descends to 1. The 1989 Dark Harvest hardcover and its signed/limited states are the first hardcover but not the first edition.
I have a first edition of Swan Song — 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.