# Is "Well of Shiuan" by C.J. Cherryh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Well of Shiuan by C.J. Cherryh (DAW Books, 1978) is identified by: DAW paperback original, catalogue number UJ1371, first printing April 1978, in pictorial wrappers with the yellow DAW emblem and the UJ1371 number on the cover. The US DAW paperback original (April 1978, UJ1371) is the true first edition of this individual title.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- DAW paperback original, catalogue number UJ1371, first printing April 1978, in pictorial wrappers with the yellow DAW emblem and the UJ1371 number on the cover
- Michael Whelan cover art
- Small octavo, 252 pages
- First-printing copies show the printed cover price present and no later-printing statement on the copyright page; the DAW catalogue number stayed constant while later printings raised the price
- Morgaine volume 2
- Publisher imprint reads DAW Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.J. Cherryh |
| Publisher | DAW Books |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | DAW paperback original, catalogue number UJ1371, first printing April 1978, in pictorial wrappers with the yellow DAW emblem and the UJ1371… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
DAW paperback original, catalogue number UJ1371, first printing April 1978, in pictorial wrappers with the yellow DAW emblem and the UJ1371 number on the cover. Michael Whelan cover art. Small octavo, 252 pages. First-printing copies show the printed cover price present and no later-printing statement on the copyright page; the DAW catalogue number stayed constant while later printings raised the price. Morgaine volume 2.

## Is this the true first?
The US DAW paperback original (April 1978, UJ1371) is the true first edition of this individual title. Its first hardcover appearance came only later in the Nelson Doubleday SFBC omnibus The Book of Morgaine (1979).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Nelson Doubleday SFBC omnibus The Book of Morgaine (1979) is a book club edition containing this novel; it is not the first edition of the individual title. Later DAW paperbacks carry a higher printed price and reissue catalogue numbers rather than UJ1371.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Well of Shiuan* by C.J. Cherryh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/well-of-shiuan
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.