# Is "Sleeping Beauty" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sleeping Beauty by Ross Macdonald (Alfred A. Knopf, 1973) is identified by: Knopf (Borzoi imprint), New York, 1973, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing indicators. The US Knopf edition is the true first; there was no earlier UK issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi imprint), New York, 1973, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing indicators
- Bound in dark blue cloth-covered boards with gilt titling to the spine and a pink top-edge stain
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed retail price at the top of the front flap (a priced flap; price-clipping does not itself demote a first)
- A Lew Archer novel
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi imprint), New York, 1973, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing indicators |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi imprint), New York, 1973, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing indicators. Bound in dark blue cloth-covered boards with gilt titling to the spine and a pink top-edge stain; 271 pp. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed retail price at the top of the front flap (a priced flap; price-clipping does not itself demote a first). A Lew Archer novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf edition is the true first; there was no earlier UK issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and book-club editions lack the 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page. Book-club copies are typically printed on thinner bulk, often carry a blind-stamp to the rear board, and their jackets lack the printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sleeping Beauty* by Ross Macdonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sleeping-beauty
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.