Is My They Shoot Horses, Don't They? a First Edition?

The points of issue

• First printings carry no printing statement: before 1952 Simon and Schuster did not mark first editions but did mark later printings, so the copyright page of a first printing shows no additional-printing notice
• The book is bound in oatmeal (creme) cloth stamped in black and red, with the spine title printed in black over red and the top edge stained red
• The first-issue dust jacket is priced, with the price present at the back flap rather than the front — a distinctive point for this title

How Simon and Schuster marked a first edition

• ERA 1 — Founding era (1924–1936): Identify by absence, not by a positive statement. A true first has NO printing or edition notice on the copyright page; later printings are the ones that carry information — a printing d…
• CROSS-CHECK across all number-line eras: A 1-bearing number line is frequently paired with a spelled-out first-issue statement (which may read 'First Printing' OR 'First Edition' — both occur at S&S). When a positive sta…

Full Simon and Schuster first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Verify this is the UK true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The Simon and Schuster (New York, 1935) edition is the true first — McCoy's first book. Arthur Barker Ltd. issued the first UK edition in London the same year, bound in khaki buckram stamped in red; it is cataloged and collected separately as the UK first and is uniformly treated as following the American edition.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No book-club issue is documented. Later Simon and Schuster printings are marked on the copyright page, so any printing statement identifies a reprint.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? a first edition?

A first edition of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? by Horace McCoy (Simon and Schuster) is identified by: First printings carry no printing statement: before 1952 Simon and Schuster did not mark first editions but did mark later printings, so the copyright page of a first printing shows no additional-printing notice.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. The Simon and Schuster (New York, 1935) edition is the true first — McCoy's first book.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No book-club issue is documented. Later Simon and Schuster printings are marked on the copyright page, so any printing statement identifies a reprint.

I have a first edition of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.