First Edition Points and Criteria for The Pelican Brief

Year Published: 1992
Author Last Name: Grisham
Author First Name: John
Publisher: Doubleday
Original Price: $22.50
Pages: 371

"First Edition" is stated on copyright page above "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" number line, and below "March 1992". There are two issues of The Pelican Brief dust jacket. On the first issue jacket, there is a single set of bar codes located on the back panel. On the second issue jacket, the set of bar codes from the back panel was moved to the front flap, and there is an entirely different set of bar codes on the back panel. We have also seen dust jackets on the first three printings where the publisher placed bar code stickers on the front flap and/or on the back panel to affectively turn a first issues jacket into a second issue jacket. See photos for a comparison.

There was also a bound galley (paperback) that preceded the first edition and was limited to 150 copies and was signed by Grisham. The last two pictures are of that limited galley.


Picture of the 1992 first edition dust jacket for The Pelican Brief.


This is the copyright page from the first edition of The Pelican Brief.


This is the front flap from the first edition dust jacket of The Pelican Brief.


This is the back panel from the first edition dust jacket of The Pelican Brief.


The Pelican Brief first edition boards are brown with a black spine, and gold lettering.


This is the back flap from the first edition dust jacket of The Pelican Brief.


This photo show The Pelican Brief first issue dust jacket on the left, and the second issue dust jacket on the right. In the middle is an example of a bar code sticker that the publisher placed on some first issue jackets to affectively turn them into a second issue dust jackets. Some jackets have been found with a sticker on the flap, but not on the back; and some jackets have been found with stickers on both places.


This photo show The Pelican Brief first issue dust jacket flap on the left, and the second issue dust jacket flap on the right. In the middle is an example of a bar code sticker that the publisher placed on some first issue jackets to affectively turn them into a second issue dust jackets.


This soft cover bound galley of The Pelican Brief was signed by John Grisham and limited to 150 copies. It likely preceded the hardbound first edition.


This is the signature page from the bound galley. It says "This signed bound galley of THE PELICAN BRIEF has been specially produced for the Bantam Doubleday Dell sales force and is limited to 150 copies."

Other first edition points for books by John Grisham include: The Firm, The Client.