The points of issue
First edition published under the Colin Smythe imprint, 1983. The sheets were in fact printed in the United States by St. Martin's Press; only about 506 copies were issued in the UK by Smythe, a large share of them going to libraries, which makes a fine jacketed copy very scarce. The UK jacket bears NO printed price, only a Colin Smythe price sticker; jacket art is by Alan Smith. A first-state jacket has the original blurb on the front flap, before the pasted-on printed overlay that corrects inaccuracies; the overlaid state is far more common.
Is this the true first?
Precedence is genuinely debated. St. Martin's Press in New York printed the sheets and released the US issue first (commonly cited as 21 October 1983), while the Colin Smythe UK issue followed (24 November 1983). The Smythe UK issue is the publisher of record for the first Discworld novel and is far scarcer and more sought-after, but it is not unambiguously earlier than the US issue by date.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Corgi paperback (1985) and later reprints are common. The US St. Martin's hardcover is a separate, larger issue. Verify the Colin Smythe imprint, the absence of a printed jacket price (sticker only), and ideally the first-state flap blurb without the printed overlay.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Colour of Magic a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition published under the Colin Smythe imprint, 1983. The sheets were in fact printed in the United States by St. Martin's Press; only about 506 copies were issued in the UK by Smythe, a large share of them going to libraries, which makes a fine jacketed copy very scarce. The UK jacket bears NO printed price, only a Colin Smythe price sticker; jacket art is by Alan Smith. A first-state jacket has the original blurb on the front flap, before the pasted-on printed overlay that corrects inaccuracies; the overlaid state is far more common.
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. Precedence is genuinely debated. St. Martin's Press in New York printed the sheets and released the US issue first (commonly cited as 21 October 1983), while the Colin Smythe UK issue followed (24 November 1983). The Smythe UK issue is the publisher of record for the first Discworld novel and is far
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The Corgi paperback (1985) and later reprints are common. The US St. Martin's hardcover is a separate, larger issue. Verify the Colin Smythe imprint, the absence of a printed jacket price (sticker only), and ideally the first-state flap blurb without the printed overlay.
I have a first edition of The Colour of Magic — 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.