# Is "Zone One" by Colson Whitehead a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Zone One by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday, 2011) is identified by: Doubleday first edition, first printing: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page with the full number line descending to 1. The US Doubleday first, published 18 October 2011, precedes the UK Harvill Secker edition published 27 October 2011, so the Doubleday printing is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday first edition, first printing: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page with the full number line descending to 1
- Bound in black boards with the spine titles stamped in silver
- Priced first-issue dust jacket (the printed jacket price should be present on the front flap)
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Colson Whitehead |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday first edition, first printing: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday first edition, first printing: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page with the full number line descending to 1. Bound in black boards with the spine titles stamped in silver. Priced first-issue dust jacket (the printed jacket price should be present on the front flap). Octavo.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday first, published 18 October 2011, precedes the UK Harvill Secker edition published 27 October 2011, so the Doubleday printing is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition; the first trade printing is the black-boards Doubleday copy with the full number line and priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Zone One* by Colson Whitehead a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/zone-one
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.