The points of issue
First printing with the Scribner number line and no later-printing statement; dust jacket bearing the printed price, unclipped. Won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award; the first-state jacket carries no award stickers or printed award text. Byline "E. Annie Proulx."
Is this the true first?
US Scribner's is the true first; the UK 4th Estate edition (1993) follows. The most-collected Proulx title; fine first-state jacketed copies are prized.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club editions are smaller, lack the number line, are blind-stamped on the rear board, and have no printed price on the jacket; later printings carry a printing statement and may add the Pulitzer/NBA to the jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Shipping News a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing with the Scribner number line and no later-printing statement; dust jacket bearing the printed price, unclipped. Won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award; the first-state jacket carries no award stickers or printed award text. Byline "E. Annie Proulx."
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 Scribner's is the true first; the UK 4th Estate edition (1993) follows. The most-collected Proulx title; fine first-state jacketed copies are prized.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-of-the-Month Club editions are smaller, lack the number line, are blind-stamped on the rear board, and have no printed price on the jacket; later printings carry a printing statement and may add the Pulitzer/NBA to the jacket.
I have a first edition of The Shipping News — 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.