The points of issue
Random House trade first: the copyright page states 'FIRST PRINTING' (Random House's first-printing convention for this period, accompanied by the house code letter), not 'First Edition.' Red cloth lettered in gilt, red top-stain, octavo of about 305 pages, in a first-issue jacket carrying the printed price and a 6/62 date code on the front flap. A signed, numbered limited edition of 500 copies, specially bound, precedes the trade printing. Faulkner's last novel; awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1963.
Is this the true first?
US Random House 1962. The signed/numbered limited edition (500 copies, signed on the limitation leaf) is the true first issue and precedes the trade first. For the trade first, the point is the 'FIRST PRINTING' statement on the copyright page with the Random House house code, not a 'First Edition' statement.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later trade printings drop the 'FIRST PRINTING' line. Book-club copies are marked accordingly and typically show a blind-stamp and an unpriced jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Reivers a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Random House trade first: the copyright page states 'FIRST PRINTING' (Random House's first-printing convention for this period, accompanied by the house code letter), not 'First Edition.' Red cloth lettered in gilt, red top-stain, octavo of about 305 pages, in a first-issue jacket carrying the printed price and a 6/62 date code on the front flap. A signed, numbered limited edition of 500 copies, specially bound, precedes the trade printing. Faulkner's last novel; awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1963.
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. US Random House 1962. The signed/numbered limited edition (500 copies, signed on the limitation leaf) is the true first issue and precedes the trade first. For the trade first, the point is the 'FIRST PRINTING' statement on the copyright page with the Random House house code, not a 'First Edition' s
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later trade printings drop the 'FIRST PRINTING' line. Book-club copies are marked accordingly and typically show a blind-stamp and an unpriced jacket.
I have a first edition of The Reivers — 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.