The points of issue
The first printing copyright page carries the odd-then-even number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' under the Miramax Books/Hyperion imprint; gray cloth with silver detailing to the spine; first-issue jacket with the original price and the first-state cover art (boy before the Brooklyn Bridge), no movie tie-in.
Is this the true first?
The US Miramax Books/Hyperion 2005 edition is the true first; the UK Puffin edition is a separate issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and book-club copies alter the number line (not the first-state '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' sequence), and movie-tie-in jackets postdate 2010; because reprints reuse plates, the number line is decisive.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The first printing copyright page carries the odd-then-even number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' under the Miramax Books/Hyperion imprint; gray cloth with silver detailing to the spine; first-issue jacket with the original price and the first-state cover art (boy before the Brooklyn Bridge), no movie tie-in.
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 Miramax Books/Hyperion 2005 edition is the true first; the UK Puffin edition is a separate issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings and book-club copies alter the number line (not the first-state '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' sequence), and movie-tie-in jackets postdate 2010; because reprints reuse plates, the number line is decisive.
I have a first edition of The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) — 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.