The points of issue
Random House first edition has First Edition stated on the copyright page, in first-issue cloth and jacket bearing the printed price. A signed limited edition of 300 numbered copies (signed by Welty at the limitation, in a publisher's slipcase) was issued and precedes the trade. Won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Is this the true first?
The 300-copy signed, numbered limited edition is the true first issue; the First-Edition-stated trade printing follows.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the First Edition statement and carry a rear-board blind-stamp.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Optimist's Daughter a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Random House first edition has First Edition stated on the copyright page, in first-issue cloth and jacket bearing the printed price. A signed limited edition of 300 numbered copies (signed by Welty at the limitation, in a publisher's slipcase) was issued and precedes the trade. Won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
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 300-copy signed, numbered limited edition is the true first issue; the First-Edition-stated trade printing follows.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club copies lack the First Edition statement and carry a rear-board blind-stamp.
I have a first edition of The Optimist's Daughter — 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.