The points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page; a collected gathering of Styron's essays and occasional writings. A separately bound signed limited edition of 250 copies was also issued alongside the trade first printing.
Is this the true first?
US first; first-thus as Styron's first nonfiction collection. Both the trade issue and the numbered, signed limited issue are first-printing states.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings revise the copyright-page statement; distinguish the trade issue from the signed limited issue of 250 copies.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of This Quiet Dust and Other Writings a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page; a collected gathering of Styron's essays and occasional writings. A separately bound signed limited edition of 250 copies was also issued alongside the trade first printing.
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 first; first-thus as Styron's first nonfiction collection. Both the trade issue and the numbered, signed limited issue are first-printing states.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings revise the copyright-page statement; distinguish the trade issue from the signed limited issue of 250 copies.
I have a first edition of This Quiet Dust and Other Writings — 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.