# Is "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag by Robert A. Heinlein (Gnome Press, 1959) is identified by: True first is the Gnome Press hardcover (Gnome title number 80), with First Edition stated on the copyright page and the price on the unclipped jacket. US Gnome Press hardcover is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the Gnome Press hardcover (Gnome title number 80), with First Edition stated on the copyright page and the price on the unclipped jacket
- Tan cloth, jacket by W. I. van der Poel
- This story collection was later reissued in paperback under the alternate title 6xH; that is a separate later edition, not a state of the Gnome first
- Publisher imprint reads Gnome Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | Gnome Press |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the Gnome Press hardcover (Gnome title number 80), with First Edition stated on the copyright page and the price on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is the Gnome Press hardcover (Gnome title number 80), with First Edition stated on the copyright page and the price on the unclipped jacket. Tan cloth, jacket by W. I. van der Poel. This story collection was later reissued in paperback under the alternate title 6xH; that is a separate later edition, not a state of the Gnome first.

## Is this the true first?
US Gnome Press hardcover is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition of the Gnome hardcover; later reprints and the 6xH paperback lack the Gnome Press imprint and the stated First Edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-unpleasant-profession-of-jonathan-hoag
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.