The origins of Publishing

The origins of publishing can be traced back to the invention of writing, when scribes would write and copy all works by hand (the celts and our monks have an interesting history here). This was a painstaking process and meant that written works were primarily for the wealthy or benefactors/sponsors.

The earliest known books are the clay tablets of Mesopotamia and the papyrus rolls of Egypt, dating back to the early 3rd millennium BCE. Before the invention of writing, information could only be spread by word of mouth, with all the accompanying limitations of place and time.

The history of publishing is characterised by a close interplay of technical innovation and social change, each promoting the other and activity has grown from small beginnings into a vast and complex industry responsible for the dissemination of many cultural materials.

The Chinese inventor Bi Sheng reportedly invented the first movable type with earthenware circa 1045, but it wasn’t until Johannes Gutenberg invented his own movable type with metal around 1450 that printing really took off. The printing press not only speeded up the book printing process, but it also reduced the production costs of books, making them more affordable. By printing books, the cost of production was reduced enormously and more books could be printed faster, allowing the 'common citizen' to afford books.

In the early 1800s, two publishing models emerged: an author could sell their copyright to a publisher and receive a one-time payment, or the book could be published “on commission”. In the latter model, the publisher would advance the cost of publishing the book and keep all the profits until the cost had been recouped. After that, the publisher would keep 10 percent and the author would get the rest.

The functions peculiar to the publisher include selecting, editing, and designing the material; arranging its production and distribution; and bearing the financial risk or the responsibility for the whole operation. Indeed, the concept of publishing began long before the invention of the printing press.

More recently, self-publishing is a trending and efficient publishing model in the current times (depending on distribution access and design/royalties payments). You might be surprised to learn that both Beatrix Potter and Mark Twain went down this avenue.

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