# Is "The Sellout" by Paul Beatty a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sellout by Paul Beatty (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015) is identified by: The true first is the US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition of 2015, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. The US FSG 2015 edition is the true first and precedes the UK Oneworld 2016.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition of 2015, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- One-piece black binding with red spine lettering, ivory endpapers
- First-issue jacket carries no Booker Prize award slug
- The UK Oneworld edition
- followed
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Paul Beatty |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2015 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is the US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition of 2015, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first is the US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition of 2015, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. One-piece black binding with red spine lettering, ivory endpapers. First-issue jacket carries no Booker Prize award slug. The UK Oneworld edition (2016) followed.

## Is this the true first?
The US FSG 2015 edition is the true first and precedes the UK Oneworld 2016. First printing is told by the number line down to 1. Beatty was the first US author to win the Booker (2016).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The UK Oneworld 2016 is distinguished by imprint and the 2016 date. No prominent book-club edition. First-issue jackets predate the Booker and carry no award sticker.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sellout* by Paul Beatty a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sellout
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.