The points of issue
First printing has Scribner's seal 'A' with the 1926 imprint. Primary point: on p.181 line 26 'stoppped' is misspelled with three p's (corrected in the second printing). First-issue dust jacket lists the quotation 'This is an unimportant story...' and the jacket carries the period quotation from Ecclesiastes/Gertrude Stein.
Is this the true first?
US Scribner's 1926 is the true first. UK title is 'Fiesta' (Jonathan Cape, 1927), a 'first thus'. No signed/limited trade issue of the first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Second printing corrects 'stoppped' to 'stopped' and drops the 'A'; book-club and Grosset reprints lack the 'A' seal and the misprint.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Sun Also Rises a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has Scribner's seal 'A' with the 1926 imprint. Primary point: on p.181 line 26 'stoppped' is misspelled with three p's (corrected in the second printing). First-issue dust jacket lists the quotation 'This is an unimportant story...' and the jacket carries the period quotation from Ecclesiastes/Gertrude Stein.
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 1926 is the true first. UK title is 'Fiesta' (Jonathan Cape, 1927), a 'first thus'. No signed/limited trade issue of the first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Second printing corrects 'stoppped' to 'stopped' and drops the 'A'; book-club and Grosset reprints lack the 'A' seal and the misprint.
I have a first edition of The Sun Also Rises — 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.