The points of issue
Copyright page indicates first publication in 1995 by Viking with a complete number line descending to 1. Hardcover bound in black cloth lettered in silver at the spine, with dust jacket; ISBN 0-670-85053-5; first-issue jacket carries the printed price. The first printing run was modest, on the order of 25,000 copies.
Is this the true first?
The US Viking edition is the true first; the UK Picador edition (ISBN 0330335979) is a later 'first thus' for that market. Signed or inscribed first printings are scarce.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish from the later Penguin trade paperback and from the UK Picador first by the Viking imprint plus the full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. No US book-club hardcover of note precedes or imitates the Viking first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Liars' Club: A Memoir a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page indicates first publication in 1995 by Viking with a complete number line descending to 1. Hardcover bound in black cloth lettered in silver at the spine, with dust jacket; ISBN 0-670-85053-5; first-issue jacket carries the printed price. The first printing run was modest, on the order of 25,000 copies.
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 US Viking edition is the true first; the UK Picador edition (ISBN 0330335979) is a later 'first thus' for that market. Signed or inscribed first printings are scarce.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Distinguish from the later Penguin trade paperback and from the UK Picador first by the Viking imprint plus the full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. No US book-club hardcover of note precedes or imitates the Viking first.
I have a first edition of The Liars' Club: A Memoir — 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.