# Is "The Name Is Archer" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Name Is Archer by Ross Macdonald (Bantam Books, 1955) is identified by: Bantam 1955 paperback original, Bantam #1295 (not #1340). Paperback original; true first of the story collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam 1955 paperback original, Bantam #1295 (not #1340)
- First book appearance of these seven Lew Archer short stories, collectible in that original paperback format
- Cover art by Mitchell Hooks
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam 1955 paperback original, Bantam #1295 (not #1340) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Bantam 1955 paperback original, Bantam #1295 (not #1340). First book appearance of these seven Lew Archer short stories, collectible in that original paperback format. Cover art by Mitchell Hooks.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; true first of the story collection. Bylined John Ross Macdonald on the 1955 first printing; later reprints use the shortened Ross Macdonald name.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Numerous later Bantam reprints exist; the later Mysterious Press hardcover (1983) is a reprint, thus not the first appearance.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Name Is Archer* by Ross Macdonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-name-is-archer
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.