Is My Copy of Timequake a First Edition?

The points of issue

• First trade edition, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1997
• The first printing is identified by the full number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page (a printing is denoted by the lowest digit present; a line beginning in 1 marks the first)
• The dust jacket carries art by Paul Bacon and bears the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on a first-issue jacket
• A signed limited edition was issued separately, numbered and signed by Vonnegut on the limitation page
• Some early first-printing copies are noted with speckled endpapers, reportedly preceding copies bound with plain slate-colored endpapers; the number line, not the endpapers, is the primary first-printing point
• Vonnegut's last novel

How G. P. Putnam's Sons marked a first edition

• MODERN PENGUIN ERA (1993–present): with the shift to Putnam & Grosset / Penguin house style, many firsts are marked only by the copyright year, but a printer's-key number line remains the primary tell — a first must…

Full G. P. Putnam's Sons 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. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
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?

True first is the 1997 G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York) trade edition, first printing identified by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. The UK edition followed from Jonathan Cape, 1997.P-018272

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

None notable.P-018273

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Timequake a first edition?

A first edition of Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut (G. P. Putnam's Sons) is identified by: First trade edition, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1997.

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

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). True first is the 1997 G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York) trade edition, first printing identified by the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2.

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

None notable.

I have a first edition of Timequake — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

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.