The points of issue
First printing in blind-stamped black cloth with red spine titling; dust jacket with Howard Zimmon black-and-white illustrations printed in red, unclipped with original price. Copyright page states the first printing with no later-printing line. Cloth ISBN 0395120977 (a simultaneous wrappers issue, ISBN 0395120985, also exists; the cloth is the collector's first).
Is this the true first?
The US Houghton Mifflin 1971 edition is the true first. A UK Bodley Head edition with slightly revised text followed, so the US precedes. Signed copies exist. The work is a single long poem in ten parts.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish from the UK Bodley Head issue and from the simultaneous softcover, and from later printings retaining the same jacket; check the copyright page for the printing statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Book of Nightmares a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing in blind-stamped black cloth with red spine titling; dust jacket with Howard Zimmon black-and-white illustrations printed in red, unclipped with original price. Copyright page states the first printing with no later-printing line. Cloth ISBN 0395120977 (a simultaneous wrappers issue, ISBN 0395120985, also exists; the cloth is the collector's first).
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 US Houghton Mifflin 1971 edition is the true first. A UK Bodley Head edition with slightly revised text followed, so the US precedes. Signed copies exist. The work is a single long poem in ten parts.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Distinguish from the UK Bodley Head issue and from the simultaneous softcover, and from later printings retaining the same jacket; check the copyright page for the printing statement.
I have a first edition of The Book of Nightmares — 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.