# Is "The Name Is Archer" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Name Is Archer by Ross Macdonald (Bantam Books, 1955) is identified by: Bantam Books 1955 paperback original, Bantam #1295 (not the later #1340), with the price printed on the cover and cover art by Mitchell Hooks. Paperback original; true first of the story collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam Books 1955 paperback original, Bantam #1295 (not the later #1340), with the price printed on the cover and cover art by Mitchell Hooks
- First book appearance of these seven Lew Archer short stories, written between 1946 and 1954, collectible in that original paperback format
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam Books 1955 paperback original, Bantam #1295 (not the later #1340), with the price printed on the cover and cover art by Mitchell… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Bantam Books 1955 paperback original, Bantam #1295 (not the later #1340), with the price printed on the cover and cover art by Mitchell Hooks. First book appearance of these seven Lew Archer short stories, written between 1946 and 1954, collectible in that original paperback format.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; true first of the story collection. Bylined John Ross Macdonald on the 1955 first printing; later reprints use the shortened Ross Macdonald name.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Numerous later Bantam reprints exist, including a renumbered edition; the later Mysterious Press hardcover (1983) is a reprint, thus not the first appearance.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Name Is Archer* by Ross Macdonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-name-is-archer
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.