First Edition Points and Criteria for Go Set a Watchman

Year Published: 2015
Author Last Name: Lee
Author First Name: Harper
Publisher: Harper Collins
Original Price: $27.99
Pages: 278

The first edition of Go Set a Watchman was published simultaneously in the United States by HarperCollins and in the United Kingdom by William Heinemann (a division of Random House). The UK first edition criteria is listed as a separate entry, and the US first edition criteria is listed below.

Copyright page states FIRST EDITION with full printing number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, a year number line beginning with 15 (15 16 17 18 19), and ISBN 978-0-06-240985-0. Boards are black textured paper with black paper spine. Dust Jacket has no critical reviews nor any statement of bestseller. Dust jacket features an illustration of a tree hanging over a railroad track with an approaching train. The back of the dust jacket has an illustration of the fictional town of Maycomb Alabama, and the single quote "Every man's island, Jean Louise, every man's watchman, is his conscience."

Note: The first edition was published on July 14, 2015, and at that time there were no limited or specially bound first editions produced by the publisher. Several book stores took the standard first edition, and created their own add-ons with special packaging, slipcases, and blindstamps. For example, The Ol' Curiosities & Book Shoppe in the author's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama affixed a blindstamp of their logo to the front end paper of every first edition they sold (see photos below), and laid in a document certifying that each book came from their store. Another bookstore in Homewood, Alabama sold some of their first editions in a leather slipcase designed by artist Nall. Other outlets bundled both a Watchman first edition and a modern printing of Mockingbird. These add-ons are not true publisher-produced special editions, but they might be desirable for those looking for something unique to enhance the mass-produced first edition which was reported to have a first printing run of 2 million copies.

Three months later, on October 27, 2015, HarperCollins issued a limited leather-bound edition with a copyright page that also stated FIRST EDITION with full printing number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and a year number line beginning with 15. But it has a different ISBN (978-0-06-245481-2). The issue price of this edition was $50.00, which is printed on a sticker placed on the back of the book. It is not a true first edition because it was issued three months later. But it is certainly less common than the true first.

On November 25, 2015, a month after the leather-bound edition was published, HarperCollins issued a signed collectors edition limited to just 500 copies. Again the copyright page stated FIRST EDITION with full printing number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and a year number line beginning with 15. But this edition also had a different ISBN (978-0-06-245491-1). Each of the 500 copies has a numbered page, signed by the author, and bound into the book. Each book was issued in a velvet lined cloth box. The issue price was $1,500.00, which is stated on the cardboard package box. While not a true first edition, it was issued in the same year as the first edition. It will likely become very collectible because it is signed and because there were only 500 copies produced.


Picture of the 2015 first edition dust jacket for Go Set a Watchman.


Picture of the first edition copyright page for Go Set a Watchman.


Picture of dust jacket where original $27.99 price is found for Go Set a Watchman.


Picture of the back dust jacket for the first edition of Go Set a Watchman.


Picture of the first edition Harper Collins boards for Go Set a Watchman.


Picture of the back dust jacket flap for the first edition of Go Set a Watchman.


Picture of the first edition title page for Go Set a Watchman.


The Ol' Curiosities & Book Shoppe in the author's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama affixed a blindstamp of their logo to the front end paper of every first edition they sold.


The Ol' Curiosities & Book Shoppe in the author's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama laid in a document in every first edition they sold certifying that each book came from their store. They also affixed a blindstamp of their logo to the front end paper.


In 2015, the U.S. publisher issued three editions of Go Set a Watchman. The true first edition was published on July 15, 2015 with a first printing of 2 million copies. A limited leather-bound edition was published three months later (on October 27, 2015). A month after that, a signed Collector's Edition was published that was limited to 500 copies. The issue price was $1,500.


On October 27, 2015, HarperCollins issued a limited leather-bound edition of Go Set a Watchman.


The Limited Leather-bound Edition of Go Set a Watchman states FIRST EDITION with full printing number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and a year number line beginning with 15. But it has a different ISBN than the true first edition.


The Limited Leather-bound Edition of Go Set a Watchman features gold end-papers with a leaf pattern. The same end-papers are also found on the Collector's Edition.


A sticker place on the back of the Limited Leather-bound Edition indicates that the issue price was $50.00.


Title page from the Limited Leather-bound Edition of Go Set a Watchman is the same as the title page from the true first edition.


The Limited Leather-bound Edition of Go Set a Watchman has gold page tops and a book ribbon marker.


On November 27, 2015, HarperCollins issued a Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman that was limited to just 500 copies.


The Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman states FIRST EDITION with full printing number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and a year number line beginning with 15. But this edition also has a different ISBN (978-0-06-245491-1) than the true first.


The cardboard packaging issued with the Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman has a sticker that states the issue price as $1,500.


The back cover of the Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman.


Each of the 500 copies of the Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman has a numbered page that was signed by the author and bound into the book. The page states that the signed edition was specially bound by the publisher.


The title page of the Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman is the same as the title page from the true first edition and the Limited Leather-bound Edition.


The Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman has gold page tops and a book ribbon marker just like the Limited Leather-bound Edition.


The Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman has gold end-papers with a leaf pattern similar to the end-papers on the Limited Leather-bound Edition.


The Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman was issued in a velvet lined cloth box.


Front of the velvet lined cloth box that contains the Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman.


Back of the velvet lined cloth box that contains the Signed Collector's Edition of Go Set a Watchman.

Other first edition points for books by Harper Lee include: To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman (UK).