The points of issue
PAPERBACK ORIGINAL — no preceding hardcover. First printing has no printing history stated on the copyright page; ISBN 0-394-74325-3; cover carries its printed price; Rick Lovell cover illustration with Lorraine Louie series design; 375 pp. Frank Bascombe #1.
Is this the true first?
The Vintage Contemporaries trade paperback IS the true first (Ford's third book); there is no hardcover first. The UK Collins Harvill hardcover (1986) follows but does not precede.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No club edition; later Vintage printings add a printing line/number (second printing April 1986; third May 1986; fourth August 1986). Note the 1996 Knopf hardcover is a later reissue of the text, not the first appearance.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Sportswriter a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: PAPERBACK ORIGINAL — no preceding hardcover. First printing has no printing history stated on the copyright page; ISBN 0-394-74325-3; cover carries its printed price; Rick Lovell cover illustration with Lorraine Louie series design; 375 pp. Frank Bascombe #1.
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 Vintage Contemporaries trade paperback IS the true first (Ford's third book); there is no hardcover first. The UK Collins Harvill hardcover (1986) follows but does not precede.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No club edition; later Vintage printings add a printing line/number (second printing April 1986; third May 1986; fourth August 1986). Note the 1996 Knopf hardcover is a later reissue of the text, not the first appearance.
I have a first edition of The Sportswriter — 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.