Guide
to Publishing Papers
The material included in the Publishing Papers
section provides a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the business
of fiction publishing in the Romantic period. All stages of the
production process are in evidence in these records: from the first
tentative approach by author to publisher about a MS novel, to the
acceptance (or, in some cases, rejection) of the novel, negotiations
over payment, and the reporting of sales. Used in conjunction with
other sections of the database, such as Anecdotal Records and Contemporary
Reviews, Publishing Papers allows us to track the life of a novel
from its inception to its contemporary reception by individual readers
and published reviews.
The Records have been compiled from MS sources
held in the archives of a number of early-nineteenth century publishing
houses: Archibald Constable & Co; William Blackwood; Longman
& Co; Oliver & Boyd; and John Murray II. In order to build
up a full record of the production of fiction in the Romantic period,
records also make use of material from 44 printed sources. In many
cases, the use of both MS and printed sources makes visible the
often delicate negotiations between authors and publishers, and
provides a remarkable insight into the publishing process from the
perspective of both writer and publisher. The information provided
in this section ranges from letters between publishers and authors
concerning all stages of the production process, ledger entries
that track the sales of a particular novel over the course of a
number of years, and advertising accounts that show which newspapers
carried advertisements for a particular novel. In addition to information
on first editions, records also provide details on any subsequent
editions that appeared before 1830.
In all, Publishing Papers are included here for
441 novels, or nearly 20 per cent of the total number in the database.
While in some cases a given novel only has a few records, in others—most
notably with authors such as John Galt, Frances Burney D’Arblay,
and Walter Scott—the number of records indicates the complexity
of the publishing arrangements for a work. However, the extent of
the entries has been in some degree determined by the availability
of archival material. Authors such as Galt and Scott, who published
with firms such as Blackwoods and Constable, for example, are well
served here in part because of the richness of archival materials
documenting the activities of these publishing houses.
Where anecdotal comments relating to the reception
of a novel appear in publishers’ archives, these comments
are normally given in Publishing Papers, rather than the Anecdotal
Comments file. Database users interested in anecdotal material are
encouraged to explore both the Anecdotal Records and the Publishing
Papers.
Entries for Publishing Papers are organised as
follows:
Correspondence, Journals and Memoirs relating to the production
of the novel
Ledger Entries
Advertising Accounts
Not all records will have entries from each of
these categories.
Correspondence, Journals
and Memoirs: This category primarily includes letters
to and from authors and publishers. Additionally, it includes journal
entries and memoirs by authors commenting on the publishing of their
works either at the time of publication or retrospectively. Also
included are lists of stock on hand. Where accounts appear within
a letter or accompanying a letter, these are given in the Correspondence
section.
Ledger Entries:
Ledger entries are available for Longman & Co, John Murray II,
and Oliver & Boyd. A summary of production costs and sales figures
for novels is given in the Publishing Papers entries, rather than
a complete breakdown of costs (e.g. itemised costs of paper, printing,
etc). There are three main types of ledgers: divide ledgers, impression
books, and commission ledgers.
I. Divide Ledgers:
Entries contain the following information, where available: impression
numbers; production costs (incorporating paper and printing); advertising
expenditure; copies sent to authors, reviewers, and other individuals
and members of the booktrade; sales figures; payments to authors
(either outright lump-sum payments for copyright, or the equal division
of profits between author and publisher). ‘Misc’ production
expenses include copies sent to Stationers’ Hall, commissions
and duties on sales, cost of carriage, corrections, and labels.
II. Impression Books:
(Only available for Longman & Co) Often provide the same information
as the divide ledgers. Accounts normally appear only in the impression
books in cases where the copyright for a work was purchased outright.
Where both a divide ledger and an impression book entry are available,
only the divide ledger entry is given, unless there are substantial
differences and/or important additional information provided by
the impression books. In cases where only the divide ledger is used,
the impression book reference is given in the Notes field to the
entry.
III. Commission Ledgers:
(Only available for Longman & Co) Used in cases where Longman
& Co shared costs of publishing a work or took a certain number
of copies of a given work on a sale-or-return basis. For a gloss
on commission publishing at this time, see Philip Gaskell, A
New Introduction to Bibliography (Oxford University Press,
1972; rpt. 1974), pp. 298–300.
Advertising
Accounts: For advertising account entries, the date
line gives the range of dates for the account, not the exact day
of the advertisement(s). Entries are ordered in the first instance
by the start date of the account, and then alphabetically by newspaper
title or proprietor name. For advertising accounts and ledger entries,
all monetary amounts are given in a standardised format in (British)
pounds, shillings, and pence (for example: 1 pound, six shillings,
seven pence is given as 1. 6. 7). In cases where amounts are given
in Irish pounds, this is stated in the Notes field.
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© 2004 Project
Director: Professor Peter Garside;
Research Associates: Dr Jacqueline
Belanger, Dr Sharon Ragaz;
Database/Website Developer:
Dr Anthony Mandal |
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