# Is "The Free-Lance Pallbearers" by Ishmael Reed a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Free-Lance Pallbearers by Ishmael Reed (Doubleday, 1967) is identified by: 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page. The true first is the 1967 Doubleday hardcover (Garden City, New York), Reed's debut novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page
- The book collates to 155 pages and is bound in black cloth boards with gilt spine lettering and red endpapers
- The illustrated first-issue dust jacket was designed by Bob Sullivan and carries the printed price on the flap; the price should be present on a true first-state jacket, though flap-clipping is common
- Reed's first novel
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ishmael Reed |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page. The book collates to 155 pages and is bound in black cloth boards with gilt spine lettering and red endpapers. The illustrated first-issue dust jacket was designed by Bob Sullivan and carries the printed price on the flap; the price should be present on a true first-state jacket, though flap-clipping is common. Reed's first novel.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the 1967 Doubleday hardcover (Garden City, New York), Reed's debut novel. The UK edition (MacGibbon & Kee) followed in 1968 and does not precede the US issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Doubleday book-club issues of the period carry a blind-stamp (small square or dot) to the lower rear board and lack the printed jacket price; the stated 'First Edition' priced Doubleday trade issue is the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Free-Lance Pallbearers* by Ishmael Reed a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-free-lance-pallbearers
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.