The points of issue
Genuine first issue carries the Brewer, Warren & Putnam imprint at the foot of the spine and on the title page. Binding: green cloth with titles in gilt. Sheets were printed for about 2,500 sets but only a portion were bound under the Brewer imprint; the remaining sheets passed to later publishers, making the Brewer-imprint copies the true first issue. First-issue dust jacket carries the Brewer imprint.
Is this the true first?
True US first; precedes the UK Philip Allan edition of 1933. The original Brewer, Warren & Putnam imprint distinguishes the genuine first issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Later issues use leftover Brewer sheets reissued first by Robert Ballou (1932) and then by Covici-Friede (1935), the latter being the recognized fourth issue; the Covici-Friede issue is not the immediate 'second issue.'
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Pastures of Heaven a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Genuine first issue carries the Brewer, Warren & Putnam imprint at the foot of the spine and on the title page. Binding: green cloth with titles in gilt. Sheets were printed for about 2,500 sets but only a portion were bound under the Brewer imprint; the remaining sheets passed to later publishers, making the Brewer-imprint copies the true first issue. First-issue dust jacket carries the Brewer imprint.
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. True US first; precedes the UK Philip Allan edition of 1933. The original Brewer, Warren & Putnam imprint distinguishes the genuine first issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. Later issues use leftover Brewer sheets reissued first by Robert Ballou (1932) and then by Covici-Friede (1935), the latter being the recognized fourth issue; the Covici-Friede issue is not the immediate 'second issue.'
I have a first edition of The Pastures of Heaven — 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.