Points of Issue

Key points to identifying the first printing

The first edition of Gone With the Wind has been reprinted over 100 times since it was first published. That means that there are literally millions of copies of the book that can technically be referred to as "first editions." Additionally, there are millions of Book Club editions in print.

The most coveted and valuable of these books are those that were part of the first printing of the first edition. The first printing of Gone With the Wind is though to be limited to approximately 10,000 copies, so it is important to know how to identify them.

Since launching this web site, we have received many questions about identifying first editions and first printings. This section of the GWTW books web site is intended to answer most of the questions that arise in this area. Identifying a first printing of the first edition involves two basic steps:

The words “First Edition” do not appear anywhere on the pages of a first edition of Gone With the Wind unless they were stamped or printed by someone other than the publisher. Even so, identifying a first edition is fairly straightforward. The book must be identical to the one pictured below with the gray cloth binding. In many cases, the effects of time and exposure to the elements will have caused the color to appear almost brownish in tone. The title will be stamped in blue on the cover as well as the spine, as pictured below. The text will be typeset in one column, and will end on page 1037, slightly less than one-half way down the page.

If the title and scrollwork do not appear on the front cover, you are probably looking at a Book Club Edition rather than a true First Edition of the book.

Eliminate the possibility that it is a “Facsimile Edition.” These books are identical in appearance to the originals, but were printed after 1964. The Facsimile Editions will have a 1964 copyright renewal notice prominently displayed on the copyright page.

The copyright page of a first edition will state the following:

The "..." will be replaced by the month(s) and year(s) in which the book had been previously printed.

A Book Club Edition, on the other hand, will have a copyright notice like the one below:

Note in particular that the year is expressed in Roman numerals on the Book Club Editions. No specific dates (month or year) of publication appear on the Book Club Edition's copyright page.

Step Two: Identify the printing sequence

After identifying a book as a first edition of Gone With the Wind, there is only one point required to identify it as a first printing. The copyright notice must state that the book was published in May, 1936. A photograph of the copyright notice from a first printing is pictured below:

That's all there is to it! If the copyright notice shows June, 1936 or any other dates, it is a reprint of the first edition—not one of the coveted first printings.

Summary: Points to identify the first printing of the first edition

• Gray cloth binding
• Title and decorative scrollwork appear on the front cover as well as the spine
• 1037 pages of text
• Text is typeset in a single-column
• Copyright notice shows the year in Arabic numerals ("1936" rather than Roman Numerals ("MCMXXXVI')
• May, 1936 is stated to be the month and year published, with no additional reprint dates listed

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