The Provincial Book Trade in Eighteenth-Century England (Cambridge Studies in Publishing and Printing History)

It was not until the eighteenth century that books became widely available throughout the whole of England. Publishing remained largely London-based, but the provincial market grew steadily in importance. In this pioneering study, drawing on a wide range of primary sources, John Feather traces the economic, social, and cultural forces which made possible this fundamental change, and assesses the impact of the metropolitan printed word on provincial society. He discusses the important issues of copyright and piracy; the various financial arrangements between booksellers and publishers; and above all the elaborate distribution and agency systems that enabled London publishers to retain their effective stranglehold by penetrating the provincial market at every level.Feather, John P. is the author of 'The Provincial Book Trade in Eighteenth-Century England (Cambridge Studies in Publishing and Printing History)', published 1985 under ISBN 9780521303347 and ISBN 0521303346.