Is My Copy of The Ghostway a First Edition?

The points of issue

• The true first is the Dennis McMillan Publications edition of 1984, a signed and numbered issue limited to 300 copies (part of McMillan's 'The Door Into Darkness' program), with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on its copyright page
• It precedes the trade edition
• The Harper & Row trade edition followed in 1985 (copyright 1984): its copyright page reads 'FIRST HARPER & ROW EDITION 1985' above a number line ending in 1, in a priced first-state jacket designed by David Myers

How Dennis McMillan Publications marked a first edition

• The first edition is a signed, numbered limited: a printed limitation page (often in a distinctive ink such as red) states the total edition and gives the copy number, signed by the author on the limitation page.
• Hardcover, usually issued in dustjacket; the limitation statement and author signature on the limitation/colophon leaf are the controlling first-edition points.

Full Dennis McMillan Publications first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The US Dennis McMillan limited edition of 1984 (300 signed and numbered copies) is the true first and precedes the Harper & Row edition. The Harper & Row edition is the first trade edition, dated 1985 rather than 1984: its copyright page reads 'FIRST HARPER & ROW EDITION 1985', though the text carries a 1984 copyright. The UK Victor Gollancz edition also appeared in 1985.P-045947

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

For the Harper & Row trade edition, book-club copies lack the printed jacket price and the full number line. The McMillan limited edition is a distinct signed/numbered issue and should not be confused with the trade first.P-031723

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Ghostway a first edition?

A first edition of The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman (Dennis McMillan Publications) is identified by: The true first is the Dennis McMillan Publications edition of 1984, a signed and numbered issue limited to 300 copies (part of McMillan's 'The Door Into Darkness' program), with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on its copyright page.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). The US Dennis McMillan limited edition of 1984 (300 signed and numbered copies) is the true first and precedes the Harper & Row edition.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

For the Harper & Row trade edition, book-club copies lack the printed jacket price and the full number line. The McMillan limited edition is a distinct signed/numbered issue and should not be confused with the trade first.

I have a first edition of The Ghostway — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.