# Is "The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) (Sphere / Little, Brown, 2013) is identified by: UK Sphere (Little, Brown imprint) first printing, April 2013, published under the pseudonym 'Robert Galbraith' BEFORE the Rowling authorship was revealed. UK Sphere 2013 is the true first, preceding the US Mulholland/Little, Brown edition (2013).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Sphere (Little, Brown imprint) first printing, April 2013, published under the pseudonym 'Robert Galbraith' BEFORE the Rowling authorship was revealed
- First printing has the number line descending to 1
- The true first was a small run printed before the July 2013 unmasking, making early jacketed firsts scarce and valuable
- Publisher imprint reads Sphere / Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) |
| Publisher | Sphere / Little, Brown |
| Year | 2013 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Sphere (Little, Brown imprint) first printing, April 2013, published under the pseudonym 'Robert Galbraith' BEFORE the Rowling… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Sphere (Little, Brown imprint) first printing, April 2013, published under the pseudonym 'Robert Galbraith' BEFORE the Rowling authorship was revealed. First printing has the number line descending to 1. The true first was a small run printed before the July 2013 unmasking, making early jacketed firsts scarce and valuable.

## Is this the true first?
UK Sphere 2013 is the true first, preceding the US Mulholland/Little, Brown edition (2013). Pre-revelation first printings are the prize; genuine 'Robert Galbraith'-signed copies (some later signed by Rowling) command high premiums — beware forged signatures.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings (post-revelation) show a number line not reaching 1. Confirm by the line ending in 1 and the early UK Sphere imprint; book-club issues lack the priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Cuckoo's Calling* by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-cuckoos-calling
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.