The points of issue
True first is the paperback original, Pocket Books/Permabooks M-4255 (1962), 35 cents. First Parker novel. Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Pocket/Perma imprint and the M-4255 number identify the first; first printing has no later-printing statement.
Is this the true first?
Paperback is the true first. Later reissued as 'Point Blank!' (film tie-in, after 1967) and 'Payback' (after 1999), which are reprints/first-thus. The University of Chicago Press 2008 reissue is a modern first-thus.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. The 1962 Pocket M-4255 titled 'The Hunter' is the true first; tie-in retitlings postdate the films and are clearly later.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Hunter (Point Blank / Payback) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first is the paperback original, Pocket Books/Permabooks M-4255 (1962), 35 cents. First Parker novel. Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Pocket/Perma imprint and the M-4255 number identify the first; first printing has no later-printing statement.
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. Paperback is the true first. Later reissued as 'Point Blank!' (film tie-in, after 1967) and 'Payback' (after 1999), which are reprints/first-thus. The University of Chicago Press 2008 reissue is a modern first-thus.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. The 1962 Pocket M-4255 titled 'The Hunter' is the true first; tie-in retitlings postdate the films and are clearly later.
I have a first edition of The Hunter (Point Blank / Payback) — 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.