The points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi/Knopf colophon. Black boards with gilt spine and cover lettering, deckled fore-edge, red top stain; octavo, 426 pp. Dust jacket (designed by Chip Kidd, sepia cattle-skull photograph) carries the printed price.
Is this the true first?
The US Knopf 1994 edition is the true first, Volume Two of the Border Trilogy. A signed limited issue of 1,000 copies 'for friends of the author and publisher' has a publisher's inserted signed/limitation leaf. The UK Picador edition is a separate first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
There is no mass book-club edition diluting the first. The trade first is identified by the stated 'First Edition,' the priced jacket, and the Knopf binding; later printings drop the 'First Edition' statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Crossing a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi/Knopf colophon. Black boards with gilt spine and cover lettering, deckled fore-edge, red top stain; octavo, 426 pp. Dust jacket (designed by Chip Kidd, sepia cattle-skull photograph) carries the printed price.
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 Knopf 1994 edition is the true first, Volume Two of the Border Trilogy. A signed limited issue of 1,000 copies 'for friends of the author and publisher' has a publisher's inserted signed/limitation leaf. The UK Picador edition is a separate first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
There is no mass book-club edition diluting the first. The trade first is identified by the stated 'First Edition,' the priced jacket, and the Knopf binding; later printings drop the 'First Edition' statement.
I have a first edition of The Crossing — 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.