The points of issue
Essay collection. Boards with gilt-lettered spine; full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; dust jacket priced £20.00 net. Published 26 April 2001.
Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape (2001) precedes the US Talk Miramax/Hyperion edition (2001). Cape is the true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add an impression statement; the first carries a full descending number line ending in 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The War Against Cliché: Essays and Reviews 1971–2000 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Essay collection. Boards with gilt-lettered spine; full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; dust jacket priced £20.00 net. Published 26 April 2001.
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. UK Jonathan Cape (2001) precedes the US Talk Miramax/Hyperion edition (2001). Cape is the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions add an impression statement; the first carries a full descending number line ending in 1.
I have a first edition of The War Against Cliché: Essays and Reviews 1971–2000 — 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.