# Is "The Gingerbread Lady" by Neil Simon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Gingerbread Lady by Neil Simon (Random House, 1971) is identified by: Quarter black cloth with boards, gilt spine, dust jacket; Random House, New York, 1971. US Random House is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Quarter black cloth with boards, gilt spine, dust jacket
- Random House, New York, 1971
- First printing states 'First Printing' on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Simon |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Quarter black cloth with boards, gilt spine, dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Quarter black cloth with boards, gilt spine, dust jacket; Random House, New York, 1971. First printing states 'First Printing' on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the stated 'First Printing' and typically carry a rear-board blindstamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Gingerbread Lady* by Neil Simon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-gingerbread-lady
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.