# Is "The Overstory" by Richard Powers a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Overstory by Richard Powers (W. W. Norton & Company, 2018) is identified by: Norton first printing: copyright page carries the full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. US W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US W. W. Norton first printing: copyright page carries the full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
- The defining point is the presence of the 1; later printings begin the line at a higher number (e.g
- 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10)
- Brown boards with metallic copper spine lettering; first-issue jacket carries the printed price
- Published April 2018
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Powers |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company |
| Year | 2018 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US W. W. Norton first printing: copyright page carries the full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US W. W. Norton first printing: copyright page carries the full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. The defining point is the presence of the 1; later printings begin the line at a higher number (e.g. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10). Brown boards with metallic copper spine lettering; first-issue jacket carries the printed price. Published April 2018.

## Is this the true first?
US W. W. Norton 2018 is the true first; the number line beginning with 1 confirms the first printing. The UK William Heinemann edition is a separate later issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings remove the leading 1 (the line then starts at 2 or higher). Do not rely on the presence of a the printed price to identify a first, since the line runs to literal 10.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Overstory* by Richard Powers a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-overstory
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.