The points of issue
For this title the Doubleday trade first does NOT state 'First Edition' on the copyright page. The first trade printing is identified by the Doubleday gutter code (reported as R10) printed vertically at the foot of the last text page, with the price present on the dust jacket front flap.
Is this the true first?
The true first edition is the Franklin Library leather-bound issue (Franklin Center, 1976), produced for its First Edition Society and preceding the Doubleday trade edition. The Doubleday trade printing is the first widely available trade first. The novel won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1977.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Doubleday book-club reprints lack the trade gutter code and an original printed jacket price and may carry a blind-stamped dot on the rear board. The first trade printing is identified by the gutter code at the foot of the final page, not by a stated 'First Edition' line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Spectator Bird a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: For this title the Doubleday trade first does NOT state 'First Edition' on the copyright page. The first trade printing is identified by the Doubleday gutter code (reported as R10) printed vertically at the foot of the last text page, with the price present on the dust jacket front flap.
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. The true first edition is the Franklin Library leather-bound issue (Franklin Center, 1976), produced for its First Edition Society and preceding the Doubleday trade edition. The Doubleday trade printing is the first widely available trade first. The novel won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Doubleday book-club reprints lack the trade gutter code and an original printed jacket price and may carry a blind-stamped dot on the rear board. The first trade printing is identified by the gutter code at the foot of the final page, not by a stated 'First Edition' line.
I have a first edition of The Spectator Bird — 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.