The points of issue
True first is the London Knopf imprint, published 20 January 1931 (Knopf published in Britain for only a few years, in small editions). Issued in cloth with dust jacket. Later British issues bear the Cassell imprint rather than Knopf.
Is this the true first?
The London Knopf edition (20 January 1931) precedes the New York Knopf edition (April 1931) by roughly three months and is the true first; the New York printing is generally catalogued as the First American Edition and carries the Borzoi device. The novel was serialized in Black Mask in 1930 before book publication.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and reprint editions (Grosset & Dunlap, Pocket, Modern Library, etc.) lack the Knopf Borzoi colophon, are on cheaper bulky paper, often have no price on the jacket flap, and carry reprint statements; no 'First Edition' indication on the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Glass Key a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first is the London Knopf imprint, published 20 January 1931 (Knopf published in Britain for only a few years, in small editions). Issued in cloth with dust jacket. Later British issues bear the Cassell imprint rather than Knopf.
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. The London Knopf edition (20 January 1931) precedes the New York Knopf edition (April 1931) by roughly three months and is the true first; the New York printing is generally catalogued as the First American Edition and carries the Borzoi device. The novel was serialized in Black Mask in 1930 before
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club and reprint editions (Grosset & Dunlap, Pocket, Modern Library, etc.) lack the Knopf Borzoi colophon, are on cheaper bulky paper, often have no price on the jacket flap, and carry reprint statements; no 'First Edition' indication on the copyright page.
I have a first edition of The Glass Key — 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.