The points of issue
First printing has the full number line '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (ending in 1) and 'FIRST EDITION' with the Borzoi device; first-issue dust jacket priced the printed price. Oprah's Book Club sticker is NOT on a true first-issue jacket (the selection came later).
Is this the true first?
US Knopf 2006 first printing is the true first; McCarthy rarely signed, so signed firsts are scarce and frequently forged. Beware the Oprah's Book Club printings, which followed.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later/Oprah printings have a printed Oprah seal on the jacket or a higher number line; any number line not ending in '1' or an applied Oprah seal indicates a later printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Road a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has the full number line '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (ending in 1) and 'FIRST EDITION' with the Borzoi device; first-issue dust jacket priced the printed price. Oprah's Book Club sticker is NOT on a true first-issue jacket (the selection came later).
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 Knopf 2006 first printing is the true first; McCarthy rarely signed, so signed firsts are scarce and frequently forged. Beware the Oprah's Book Club printings, which followed.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later/Oprah printings have a printed Oprah seal on the jacket or a higher number line; any number line not ending in '1' or an applied Oprah seal indicates a later printing.
I have a first edition of The Road — 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.