The points of issue
Originally issued in 1996 as six serialized Signet mass-market paperback originals released about a month apart: 'The Two Dead Girls' (March 1996), 'The Mouse on the Mile,' 'Coffey's Hands,' 'The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix,' 'Night Journey,' and 'Coffey on the Mile' (August 1996). Each first printing carries a full number line beginning at 1; each is a paperback original priced at its printed cover price.
Is this the true first?
The true first is the set of six 1996 Signet paperback originals, not any one-volume hardcover. The later single-volume collected edition is a first thus. A complete first set requires all six parts in first printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings of any installment show a number line that no longer begins at 1. One-volume collected hardcovers, including book-club issues, are not the first. Match each of the six parts to its first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Green Mile a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Originally issued in 1996 as six serialized Signet mass-market paperback originals released about a month apart: 'The Two Dead Girls' (March 1996), 'The Mouse on the Mile,' 'Coffey's Hands,' 'The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix,' 'Night Journey,' and 'Coffey on the Mile' (August 1996). Each first printing carries a full number line beginning at 1; each is a paperback original priced at its printed cover price.
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 true first is the set of six 1996 Signet paperback originals, not any one-volume hardcover. The later single-volume collected edition is a first thus. A complete first set requires all six parts in first printing.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings of any installment show a number line that no longer begins at 1. One-volume collected hardcovers, including book-club issues, are not the first. Match each of the six parts to its first printing.
I have a first edition of The Green Mile — 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.