# Is "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" by Stephen King a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King (Scribner, 1999) is identified by: First Scribner edition (published April 6, 1999), a slim novel of about 224 pages. US Scribner true first (1999); the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Scribner edition (published April 6, 1999), a slim novel of about 224 pages
- The first printing is identified by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page together with the words First Edition
- Quarter-bound in amber cloth with black cloth boards and a gilt wasp (hornet) device stamped to the front board; the dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Scribner
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Scribner edition (published April 6, 1999), a slim novel of about 224 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First Scribner edition (published April 6, 1999), a slim novel of about 224 pages. The first printing is identified by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page together with the words First Edition. Quarter-bound in amber cloth with black cloth boards and a gilt wasp (hornet) device stamped to the front board; the dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Scribner true first (1999); the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the Scribner number line, carry a blind-stamp to the rear board, and have no printed jacket price; they are not the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon* by Stephen King a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-girl-who-loved-tom-gordon
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.