# Is "Wanderer of the Wasteland" by Zane Grey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wanderer of the Wasteland by Zane Grey (Harper & Brothers, 1923) is identified by: Harper & Brothers first printing carries the code L-W on the copyright page (first letter = month, L = November; second letter = year of printing, W = 1922, printed late 1922 for 1923 publication), with the 'First Edition' statement. True first edition, first printing (world first).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Brothers first printing carries the code L-W on the copyright page (first letter = month, L = November; second letter = year of printing, W = 1922, printed late 1922 for 1923 publication), with the 'First Edition' statement
- Frontispiece and plates by W. Herbert Dunton; issued in a dust jacket
- The second printing shows M-X
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Zane Grey |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1923 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Brothers first printing carries the code L-W on the copyright page (first letter… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Harper & Brothers first printing carries the code L-W on the copyright page (first letter = month, L = November; second letter = year of printing, W = 1922, printed late 1922 for 1923 publication), with the 'First Edition' statement. Frontispiece and plates by W. Herbert Dunton; issued in a dust jacket. The second printing shows M-X.

## Is this the true first?
True first edition, first printing (world first).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Grosset & Dunlap reprints are common and lack the Harper code; the true first must show the L-W code, not the M-X of the second printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wanderer of the Wasteland* by Zane Grey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wanderer-of-the-wasteland
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.