# Is "The Stepford Wives" by Ira Levin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin (Random House, 1972) is identified by: First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page beneath a Random House number line reading '98765432' (the line ending in 2 is correct when accompanied by the First Edition slug). True first is the US Random House edition (New York, October 1972); the first UK edition (Michael Joseph, London, 1972) followed the same year and is collected separately.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page beneath a Random House number line reading '98765432' (the line ending in 2 is correct when accompanied by the First Edition slug)
- The binding is cream cloth-backed tan boards (half cloth) lettered in gold on the spine, 145 pages, in the Paul Bacon-designed dust jacket with the author photo on the rear panel (name lower left, ISBN lower right) and no review blurbs
- A documented quirk: the publisher clipped the jacket flap corners and applied small round price stickers beside the clip before release, so an as-issued first jacket looks 'price-clipped' — this is normal for this title, not a fault
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ira Levin |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page beneath a Random House number line reading '98765432' (the line ending in 2 is… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page beneath a Random House number line reading '98765432' (the line ending in 2 is correct when accompanied by the First Edition slug). The binding is cream cloth-backed tan boards (half cloth) lettered in gold on the spine, 145 pages, in the Paul Bacon-designed dust jacket with the author photo on the rear panel (name lower left, ISBN lower right) and no review blurbs. A documented quirk: the publisher clipped the jacket flap corners and applied small round price stickers beside the clip before release, so an as-issued first jacket looks 'price-clipped' — this is normal for this title, not a fault.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the US Random House edition (New York, October 1972); the first UK edition (Michael Joseph, London, 1972) followed the same year and is collected separately.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club hardcovers dated 1972 are common: they lack the number line and stated First Edition and use cheaper materials. Do not confuse the trade first's publisher-clipped, stickered flap with a club copy's plain unpriced jacket — check the copyright page first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Stepford Wives* by Ira Levin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-stepford-wives
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.