The points of issue
Pocket Books mass-market paperback original, published 1989 (ISBN 0671670050). The first printing carries the original cover price and no statement of a later printing; Pocket Books (a Simon & Schuster imprint) prints printing-number lines and later-printing notices on subsequent printings, so a first printing shows the lowest number present and no second-printing notice. Among the most-reprinted historical romances, so unread firsts in fine condition are the scarce state.
Is this the true first?
The paperback original is the true first; there was no hardcover first edition. Later hardcover and reissue editions are first thus only.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later printings update the cover price and the printing-number line; verify the 1989 date and absence of any later-printing statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Bride a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Pocket Books mass-market paperback original, published 1989 (ISBN 0671670050). The first printing carries the original cover price and no statement of a later printing; Pocket Books (a Simon & Schuster imprint) prints printing-number lines and later-printing notices on subsequent printings, so a first printing shows the lowest number present and no second-printing notice. Among the most-reprinted historical romances, so unread firsts in fine condition are the scarce state.
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 paperback original is the true first; there was no hardcover first edition. Later hardcover and reissue editions are first thus only.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. Later printings update the cover price and the printing-number line; verify the 1989 date and absence of any later-printing statement.
I have a first edition of The Bride — 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.