The Picador archive no longer retains data about proofs. However, Emma Bravo, Picador’s head of communications, told me that approximately 100 copies were available for public relations purposes. According to her, the proof was also sent to Waterstones bookstores and some independent booksellers. As Waterstones operated just under 300 stores in the United Kingdom in 2006, the total number of proof copies could have been around 450—an understandable figure for a book whose first printing totaled 6,051 copies. However, the dealer Scott Brown drew my attention to a document—received from a Picador proof collector (that I thanks for his explanations) and originating from the publisher marketing team (Rebecca Ikin and Ellen Wood)—which states that 907 copies were printed and that the proof was issued on “21/06/06.”

SIGNED COPY: In early 2021, an English bookseller listed a copy signed by McCarthy on a bookplate affixed to the title page. The asking price was $4,500, and it apparently sold for $3,600. This state was not issued by the publisher or by Waterstones. Rather, it was the work of a collector or bookseller who used one of the bookplates intended for the first English edition and affixed it to the advance proof.

COLLECTING TOPICS: In spite of the high number of copies produced for a proof, this one is scarce in its own right and is certainly much scarcer than its American counterpart. Rare Book Hub lists only one copy at auction. As of August 2025, only two copies were listed on AbeBooks, priced at $580 and $700. This uncommon proof is a clear example of how much McCarthy’s first editions have appreciated in recent years. Back in 2008, I bought a near-fine copy for just $32. In April 2023, three copies were offered online: the first, near fine, at $550; the second, merely good, at $450; and the third, about very good, sold for $290.

Because the white wrappers are fragile and prone to soiling, finding copies in collector’s condition is somewhat challenging. They command premium prices.