The points of issue
Peter Rabe's 'Stop This Man!' is a true paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal #846 (1955), 25 cents (Rabe's debut). Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Gold Medal logo and catalog number; first printing has the original price and no later-printing statement.
Is this the true first?
Paperback is the true first. Peter Rabe was a Gold Medal PBO author; his novels are paperback firsts. Modern reprints (Stark House) are first-thus only.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. First Gold Medal #846 printing has the original price and no later-printing line; later printings raise price/add printing data.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Big Heat — Houghton/Pocket caution duplicate removed; see Stop This Man a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Peter Rabe's 'Stop This Man!' is a true paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal #846 (1955), 25 cents (Rabe's debut). Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Gold Medal logo and catalog number; first printing has the original price and no later-printing statement.
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. Paperback is the true first. Peter Rabe was a Gold Medal PBO author; his novels are paperback firsts. Modern reprints (Stark House) are first-thus only.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. First Gold Medal #846 printing has the original price and no later-printing line; later printings raise price/add printing data.
I have a first edition of The Big Heat — Houghton/Pocket caution duplicate removed; see Stop This Man — 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.