I'm sure book history historians will have other answers to this basic,
statistical question, but my experience in pursuit of the same question
for a particular author is that every book has a different set of print
runs that are related to but not the same as sales (think remainders and
pulping). The information is in the publishers ledgers. Ledger
information for some publishers has been microfilmed and for others has
been analyzed and summarized in print. But for many publishers, the
ledgers are lost and gone for ever.
I hope that a better answer emerges.
Peter Shillingsburg
-----Original Message-----
From: The list of the European Society for Textual Scholarship and the
Society for Textual Scholarship
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Fordham Finn
Sent: 30 November 2007 14:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Query about print runs etc.
Dear List,
Is anyone aware of how one finds out about print runs and sales? Is
there a resource that has centralised information on this for books
since, say, 1800?
Is this more a book history question than a question of textual
scholarship? If so, should I go ask another List?
Thanks in advance.
Finn Fordham
-----
Dr Finn Fordham
Lecturer in English Studies
School of English Studies
University of Nottingham
University Boulevard
Nottingham NG7 2RD
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