# Is "Terms of Endearment" by Larry McMurtry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry (Simon & Schuster, 1975) is identified by: Simon & Schuster, New York, 1975. True first is the Simon & Schuster US edition; McMurtry's own account of the Aurora Greenway novel and a highly collected title.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster, New York, 1975
- First printing identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Issued in cloth-backed boards with the original pictorial dust jacket
- Basis for the 1983 film
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Larry McMurtry |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster, New York, 1975 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster, New York, 1975. First printing identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Issued in cloth-backed boards with the original pictorial dust jacket. Basis for the 1983 film.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the Simon & Schuster US edition; McMurtry's own account of the Aurora Greenway novel and a highly collected title.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club concern for the trade first; confirm the number line ends in 1 to distinguish the first printing from later printings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Terms of Endearment* by Larry McMurtry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/terms-of-endearment
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.