# Is "The Ghostway" by Tony Hillerman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman (Dennis McMillan Publications, 1984) is identified by: The true first is the Dennis McMillan Publications edition of 1984, a signed and numbered issue limited to 300 copies (part of McMillan's 'The Door Into Darkness' program). Correction: the original record's claim that 'US Harper & Row (1984) is the true first trade edition' is inaccurate on two counts.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the Dennis McMillan Publications edition of 1984, a signed and numbered issue limited to 300 copies (part of McMillan's 'The Door Into Darkness' program)
- It precedes the trade edition
- The Harper & Row trade first appeared in 1985 (copyright 1984), with a stated 'FIRST EDITION' and number line ending in 1 and a priced first-state jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Dennis McMillan Publications
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tony Hillerman |
| Publisher | Dennis McMillan Publications |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is the Dennis McMillan Publications edition of 1984, a signed and numbered issue limited to 300 copies (part of McMillan's… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first is the Dennis McMillan Publications edition of 1984, a signed and numbered issue limited to 300 copies (part of McMillan's 'The Door Into Darkness' program). It precedes the trade edition. The Harper & Row trade first appeared in 1985 (copyright 1984), with a stated 'FIRST EDITION' and number line ending in 1 and a priced first-state jacket.

## Is this the true first?
Correction: the original record's claim that 'US Harper & Row (1984) is the true first trade edition' is inaccurate on two counts. First, the Dennis McMillan limited edition of 1984 (300 signed/numbered copies) precedes everything and is the true first. Second, the Harper & Row trade edition is dated 1985, not 1984 (it carries a 1984 copyright). The UK Victor Gollancz edition also appeared in 1985.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
For the Harper & Row trade edition, book-club copies lack the printed jacket price and the full number line. The McMillan limited edition is a distinct signed/numbered issue and should not be confused with the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Ghostway* by Tony Hillerman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-ghostway
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.