The points of issue
"First printing, 1975" stated on the copyright page. Bound in orange cloth boards with gilt spine titling; first printing has an UNstained top edge (the absence of a top stain is a supporting first-printing point). First-issue jacket priced 10.00. Full title: How Queer Man Is, How Queer Language Is, and What One Has to Do with the Other.
Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the true first; first-thus collection of Percy's essays on language and semiotics (his first nonfiction book).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints carry later printing statements on the copyright page in place of "First printing, 1975"; verify the stated first-printing line together with the orange cloth and unstained top edge.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Message in the Bottle a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: "First printing, 1975" stated on the copyright page. Bound in orange cloth boards with gilt spine titling; first printing has an UNstained top edge (the absence of a top stain is a supporting first-printing point). First-issue jacket priced 10.00. Full title: How Queer Man Is, How Queer Language Is, and What One Has to Do with the Other.
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 Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the true first; first-thus collection of Percy's essays on language and semiotics (his first nonfiction book).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Reprints carry later printing statements on the copyright page in place of "First printing, 1975"; verify the stated first-printing line together with the orange cloth and unstained top edge.
I have a first edition of The Message in the Bottle — 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.