The points of issue
Faber and Faber first, 1975; publisher's grey cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket priced £2.75 net (unclipped). Copyright verso carries a single first-published statement with no later-impression line.
Is this the true first?
The UK Faber edition of 1975 is conventionally taken as the true first; the US Scribner edition also appeared in 1975. Adam Dalgliesh novel; Silver Dagger winner.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add a printing statement to the verso. Price-clipped jackets lose the £2.75 net point. The US Scribner is a separate first American edition of the same year.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Black Tower a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Faber and Faber first, 1975; publisher's grey cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket priced £2.75 net (unclipped). Copyright verso carries a single first-published statement with no later-impression line.
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 UK Faber edition of 1975 is conventionally taken as the true first; the US Scribner edition also appeared in 1975. Adam Dalgliesh novel; Silver Dagger winner.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions add a printing statement to the verso. Price-clipped jackets lose the £2.75 net point. The US Scribner is a separate first American edition of the same year.
I have a first edition of The Black Tower — 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.