# Is "The Influence" by Bentley Little a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Influence by Bentley Little (Cemetery Dance, 2013) is identified by: Cemetery Dance first edition, 2013: signed and numbered hardcover limited to 750 copies plus a trade hardcover, with two distinct dust-jacket artworks (one for the limited, one for the trade). Cemetery Dance is the true first; world's first publication of the title.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Cemetery Dance first edition, 2013: signed and numbered hardcover limited to 750 copies plus a trade hardcover, with two distinct dust-jacket artworks (one for the limited, one for the trade)
- World's first publication and Bentley Little's first trade hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Cemetery Dance
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Bentley Little |
| Publisher | Cemetery Dance |
| Year | 2013 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Cemetery Dance first edition, 2013: signed and numbered hardcover limited to 750 copies… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Cemetery Dance first edition, 2013: signed and numbered hardcover limited to 750 copies plus a trade hardcover, with two distinct dust-jacket artworks (one for the limited, one for the trade). World's first publication and Bentley Little's first trade hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
Cemetery Dance is the true first; world's first publication of the title.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Influence* by Bentley Little a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-influence
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.