# Is "The Long Valley" by John Steinbeck a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Long Valley by John Steinbeck (The Viking Press, New York, 1938) is identified by: First edition, first printing: copyright page reads 'First published in September 1938' with no later printing noted. True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1939.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: copyright page reads 'First published in September 1938' with no later printing noted
- Bound in beige buckram-backed terracotta/red boards with the spine stamped in red
- First-issue dust jacket has a wraparound illustration by Elmer Hader, lettered in black and blue
- About 8,000 copies
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Steinbeck |
| Publisher | The Viking Press, New York |
| Year | 1938 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: copyright page reads 'First published in September 1938' with no later printing noted |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: copyright page reads 'First published in September 1938' with no later printing noted. Bound in beige buckram-backed terracotta/red boards with the spine stamped in red. First-issue dust jacket has a wraparound illustration by Elmer Hader, lettered in black and blue. About 8,000 copies.

## Is this the true first?
True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1939.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club for the first issue; later printings add a printing statement to the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Long Valley* by John Steinbeck a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-long-valley
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.