The points of issue
First printing in publisher's cloth bearing the Coward-McCann imprint on the title page, with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. A short work illustrated by Amos Sewell, the story told through the eyes of a retiring school janitor on graduation evening.
Is this the true first?
US first edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints exist; only the 1939 Coward-McCann printing is the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Valedictory a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing in publisher's cloth bearing the Coward-McCann imprint on the title page, with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. A short work illustrated by Amos Sewell, the story told through the eyes of a retiring school janitor on graduation evening.
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 edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later reprints exist; only the 1939 Coward-McCann printing is the first.
I have a first edition of Valedictory — 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.