The points of issue
First edition so stated with number line; issued in cloth (priced dust jacket) with a simultaneous wrappered issue. Collection of essays and reviews.
Is this the true first?
True first is the 1988 Atheneum (New York) edition. Note the correct subtitle is 'Thirty-Seven Years of Boxing on Paper,' not 'Thirty-Three Years'; the title as given is incorrect. A revised, expanded edition appeared from Addison-Wesley in 1998 as 'Writing Is Fighting: Forty-Three Years of Boxing on Paper.'
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Writin' Is Fightin': Thirty-Three Years of Boxing on Paper a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition so stated with number line; issued in cloth (priced dust jacket) with a simultaneous wrappered issue. Collection of essays and reviews.
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. True first is the 1988 Atheneum (New York) edition. Note the correct subtitle is 'Thirty-Seven Years of Boxing on Paper,' not 'Thirty-Three Years'; the title as given is incorrect. A revised, expanded edition appeared from Addison-Wesley in 1998 as 'Writing Is Fighting: Forty-Three Years of Boxing o
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
None notable.
I have a first edition of Writin' Is Fightin': Thirty-Three Years of Boxing on Paper — 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.