Victorian Literary Businesses : The Management and Practices of the British Publishing Industry

This book explores the business practices of the British publishing industry from 1843-1900, discussing the role of creative businesses in society and the close relationship between culture and business in a historical context. Marrisa Joseph develops a strong cultural, social and historical discussion around the developments in copyright law, gender and literary culture from a management perspective; analysing how individuals formed professional associations and contract law to instigate new processes. Drawing on institutional theory and analysing primary and archival sources, this book traces how the practices of literary businesses developed, reproduced and later legitimised. By offering a close analysis of some of publishing’s most influential businesses, it provides an insight into the decision-making processes that shaped an industry and brings to the fore the ‘institutional story’ surrounding literary business and their practices, many of which can still be seen today. Acknowledgements 5 About This Book/Conference 7 Contents 8 About the Author 11 List of Figures 12 1 Introduction 13 Victorian Publishing 14 Institutional Routines and the Victorian Publishing Industry 15 Definitions 18 Historical Sources 20 Why These Literary Businesses? 21 Book Structure 22 References 26 2 Institutional Routines and the Victorian Publishing Industry 30 Book History from a New Institutionalist Perspective 33 Professionalisation 38 Conclusion 42 References 50 3 Authorship: The Development and Legitimation of a Literary Profession 55 From Patronage to Professionals: The Rise of the Victorian Author 55 Payments and Profits: Copyright and the Effects on Professional Authorship 57 Gentlemanly Business: Authors and Gentlemen’s Clubs 64 First-Person Anonymous: The Victorian Woman Author 70 Conclusion 77 References 87 4 Commercialising on Copyrights: The Emergence of the Victorian Literary Agent 93 Origins of a Literary Middleman 93 Why Did the Literary Agent Emerge? 97 A. P. Watt: The Most Notable Victorian Agent 99 Professionalisation of the Literary Agency 104 Narratives on the Literary Agent 111 Conclusion 116 References 124 5 Publishing Power Houses: Publishers and the Mass Marketplace 127 Trade Transformations: From Booksellers to Publishers 128 Supplying Literature to the Masses: Mudie and the Circulating Library 135 Railways and Reprints: The Beginnings of the Paperback 142 Conclusion 149 References 156 6 The Macmillans: A Leviathan House 160 The Origins of a Victorian Academic House 160 The Tobacco Parliaments: Strategic Friendships and the Macmillan’s Magazine 168 Club Dinners: The Macmillans and the Garrick 172 Conclusion 180 References 186 7 Protecting the Future: Professional Associations and the Net Book Agreement 189 The Professional Association 190 The Fight for Authors Rights: The Founding of the Society of Authors 191 Retail Price Maintenance: The Origin of the Net Book Agreement 198 Rallying Together: Establishing the Publishers’ Association 207 Conclusion 211 References 218 8 Conclusion 222 References 229 Index 230 Front Matter ....Pages i-xv Introduction (Marrisa Joseph)....Pages 1-17 Institutional Routines and the Victorian Publishing Industry (Marrisa Joseph)....Pages 19-43 Authorship: The Development and Legitimation of a Literary Profession (Marrisa Joseph)....Pages 45-82 Commercialising on Copyrights: The Emergence of the Victorian Literary Agent (Marrisa Joseph)....Pages 83-116 Publishing Power Houses: Publishers and the Mass Marketplace (Marrisa Joseph)....Pages 117-149 The Macmillans: A Leviathan House (Marrisa Joseph)....Pages 151-179 Protecting the Future: Professional Associations and the Net Book Agreement (Marrisa Joseph)....Pages 181-213 Conclusion (Marrisa Joseph)....Pages 215-222 Back Matter ....Pages 223-229