The points of issue
Grant first edition, first printing; trade issue of about 40,000 copies plus a limited issue of 1,250 signed/numbered copies (signed by King and illustrator Ned Dameron on the limitation page) and 26 lettered copies, both slipcased. Illustrated with color plates by Ned Dameron.
Is this the true first?
Grant true first; the signed/numbered issue is the collectible signed first. NAL/Plume trade paperback followed in 1992.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
N/A; later trade reprints exist but no standard book-club hardcover issue of the Grant edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Grant first edition, first printing; trade issue of about 40,000 copies plus a limited issue of 1,250 signed/numbered copies (signed by King and illustrator Ned Dameron on the limitation page) and 26 lettered copies, both slipcased. Illustrated with color plates by Ned Dameron.
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. Grant true first; the signed/numbered issue is the collectible signed first. NAL/Plume trade paperback followed in 1992.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
N/A; later trade reprints exist but no standard book-club hardcover issue of the Grant edition.
I have a first edition of The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands — 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.