# Is "What It Was" by George Pelecanos a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of What It Was by George Pelecanos (Reagan Arthur / Little, Brown, 2012) is identified by: Issued simultaneously in three formats in 2012: a trade hardcover, a signed deluxe limited edition housed in a black slipcase (no dust jacket, afro-pick graphic on the slipcase), and a trade paperback original priced at 9.99 (this was a trade paperback, not a mass-market paperback). A Derek Strange novel released across multiple formats at once by Reagan Arthur/Little, Brown in early 2012; the paperback issue is a trade paperback original, not a mass-market paperback.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued simultaneously in three formats in 2012: a trade hardcover, a signed deluxe limited edition housed in a black slipcase (no dust jacket, afro-pick graphic on the slipcase), and a trade paperback original priced at 9.99 (this was a trade paperback, not a mass-market paperback)
- On the hardcover and paperback, look for a Little, Brown full number line ending in 1
- Because the formats appeared together, no single format is the sole true first; identify by format and first printing
- Publisher imprint reads Reagan Arthur / Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Pelecanos |
| Publisher | Reagan Arthur / Little, Brown |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued simultaneously in three formats in 2012: a trade hardcover, a signed deluxe… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Issued simultaneously in three formats in 2012: a trade hardcover, a signed deluxe limited edition housed in a black slipcase (no dust jacket, afro-pick graphic on the slipcase), and a trade paperback original priced at 9.99 (this was a trade paperback, not a mass-market paperback). On the hardcover and paperback, look for a Little, Brown full number line ending in 1. Because the formats appeared together, no single format is the sole true first; identify by format and first printing.

## Is this the true first?
A Derek Strange novel released across multiple formats at once by Reagan Arthur/Little, Brown in early 2012; the paperback issue is a trade paperback original, not a mass-market paperback. Collectors distinguish the signed limited slipcase edition from the ordinary trade hardcover and the paperback original.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *What It Was* by George Pelecanos a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/what-it-was
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.