Skip to main content

First-Edition Identification · Robert Silverberg

Is My Tower of Glass a First Edition?

Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970

The points of issue

Scribner's seal with the capital 'A' present on the copyright page (Scribner's first-printing convention for this period); priced dust jacket.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder · Charles Scribner's Sons first-edition guide.

Is this the true first?

US Charles Scribner's Sons first hardcover edition.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No separate book club edition issue noted; later Scribner printings carry a letter-number code (for example B-2.71 for the February 1971 second printing) in place of the 'A'.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Tower of Glass a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: Scribner's seal with the capital 'A' present on the copyright page (Scribner's first-printing convention for this period); priced dust jacket.

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 Charles Scribner's Sons first hardcover edition.

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

No separate book club edition issue noted; later Scribner printings carry a letter-number code (for example B-2.71 for the February 1971 second printing) in place of the 'A'.

I have a first edition of Tower of Glass — 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.

Keep identifying