The points of issue
A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1903, in decorated cloth stamped in gilt on spine and front cover. The first printing is identified by the copyright-page reading Published April, 1903 with no statement of a later edition or printing. The book reprinted rapidly, so later impressions and editions add edition or date statements on the title page or copyright page.
Is this the true first?
US A. C. McClurg (Chicago) is the true first, 1903. Multiple printings and editions appeared within the first year and in following years (for example a Fifth Edition dated November 1, 1904).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish the first printing by the absence of any later-edition statement; later 1903 impressions and subsequent McClurg editions carry edition statements. A first British edition (Archibald Constable) appeared in 1905 and is not the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Souls of Black Folk a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1903, in decorated cloth stamped in gilt on spine and front cover. The first printing is identified by the copyright-page reading Published April, 1903 with no statement of a later edition or printing. The book reprinted rapidly, so later impressions and editions add edition or date statements on the title page or copyright page.
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 A. C. McClurg (Chicago) is the true first, 1903. Multiple printings and editions appeared within the first year and in following years (for example a Fifth Edition dated November 1, 1904).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Distinguish the first printing by the absence of any later-edition statement; later 1903 impressions and subsequent McClurg editions carry edition statements. A first British edition (Archibald Constable) appeared in 1905 and is not the true first.
I have a first edition of The Souls of Black Folk — 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.