# Is "The Moving Target" by Ross Macdonald (as John Macdonald) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Moving Target by Ross Macdonald (as John Macdonald) (Alfred A. Knopf, 1949) is identified by: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page. US Knopf (1949) precedes the UK Cassell edition (1951).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page
- Published April 1949 under the byline 'John Macdonald' (not yet 'Ross Macdonald')
- Brown cloth lettered and decorated in green; jacket designed by Bill English
- First Lew Archer novel
- First-issue jacket carries the printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald (as John Macdonald) |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page. Published April 1949 under the byline 'John Macdonald' (not yet 'Ross Macdonald'). Brown cloth lettered and decorated in green; jacket designed by Bill English. First Lew Archer novel. First-issue jacket carries the printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf (1949) precedes the UK Cassell edition (1951). Because John D. MacDonald objected to confusion over the name, later Archer titles appeared as 'John Ross Macdonald' before settling on 'Ross Macdonald'; this first book used 'John Macdonald' only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition is common (blind-stamp, no jacket price, lighter bulk). The 1966 film tie-in 'Harper' reprints postdate it.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Moving Target* by Ross Macdonald (as John Macdonald) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-moving-target
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.