The points of issue
First edition 1903 Houghton, Mifflin, illustrated by E. Boyd Smith, decorated cloth with the desert/landscape design; first-issue with the 1903 copyright and Riverside Press colophon, no later-printing line. Top edge gilt in the first issue.
Is this the true first?
US Houghton, Mifflin (1903) is the true first—the foundational California/Mojave desert nature classic. The 1903 first issue with the E. Boyd Smith decorations and Riverside Press imprint is the cornerstone; later printings/reprints are 'first thus.'
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; later Houghton printings and the many modern reprints (with new introductions) are obvious by added matter and printing statements. The 1903 decorated-cloth first issue is the target.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Land of Little Rain a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition 1903 Houghton, Mifflin, illustrated by E. Boyd Smith, decorated cloth with the desert/landscape design; first-issue with the 1903 copyright and Riverside Press colophon, no later-printing line. Top edge gilt in the first issue.
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. US Houghton, Mifflin (1903) is the true first—the foundational California/Mojave desert nature classic. The 1903 first issue with the E. Boyd Smith decorations and Riverside Press imprint is the cornerstone; later printings/reprints are 'first thus.'
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition; later Houghton printings and the many modern reprints (with new introductions) are obvious by added matter and printing statements. The 1903 decorated-cloth first issue is the target.
I have a first edition of The Land of Little Rain — 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.