# Is "Where the Line Bleeds" by Jesmyn Ward a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward (Agate Bolden, 2008) is identified by: Original publisher Agate (Bolden imprint); issued as a paperback original with the number line ending in 1. Debut novel; the true first is the 2008 Agate Bolden paperback original, well preceding the 2018 Scribner reissue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Original publisher Agate (Bolden imprint); issued as a paperback original with the number line ending in 1
- No separate 2008 Agate hardcover is documented, so any claimed hardcover first should be treated with caution
- Publisher imprint reads Agate Bolden
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jesmyn Ward |
| Publisher | Agate Bolden |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Original publisher Agate (Bolden imprint); issued as a paperback original with the number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Original publisher Agate (Bolden imprint); issued as a paperback original with the number line ending in 1. No separate 2008 Agate hardcover is documented, so any claimed hardcover first should be treated with caution.

## Is this the true first?
Debut novel; the true first is the 2008 Agate Bolden paperback original, well preceding the 2018 Scribner reissue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 2018 Scribner edition is a later reissue, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Where the Line Bleeds* by Jesmyn Ward a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/where-the-line-bleeds
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.