The History of Book Publishing

In ancient human history, it was a painfully slow process to write out a manuscript, let alone an entire book. However, the development of the publishing process has lead to a proliferation of written material a person of any status can read.

Print this article

Early Human History
- Before the printing press, copies made of books had to be hand written. This led to errors in the text, and, as copies were made of copies, more mistakes were made.
Europe
- Johannes Guttenberg invented the first printing press in 1455. This made it possible for a full page to be printed at one time. The first book he printed was the Bible.
Early America
- Printing press technology was brought over the Atlantic as America was colonized. One of the first books printed in this part of the world was the "Bay Psalm Book," printed by the Puritans.
Penny Press
- There were many book publishers by the mid-1800s, which bought the price of books down. In the 1880s most books were paperbacks and cost 5 to 15 cents. This gave everyone the chance to read and own books, not just the rich.
Today
- The number of book publishers has shrunken in today's world; many of the large companies are part of media conglomerates. Many books are also published electronically through programs such as Amazon's Kindle in conjunction with the classic ink-and-paper book.

Cyber College Book Publishing

Comments

Bose May 11, 2011
this is so grate..
keys8864 Oct 31, 2009
Chinese printing press technology could have filtered to Europe through the Middle East along with the Chinese invention of paper.
keys8864 Oct 31, 2009
Guttenberg did not invent the Movable Type Printing Press, The Movable type printing press was invented by Bi Sheng in China around 1040 AD, four hundred years before Guttenberg. Gutenbergs primary contributions were: The tin alloys he developed for the typeface. These alloys were far more durable than the wooden, clay and bonze typeface used by the Chinese. Invented a new uniform template which enabled the quick and precise moulding of type blocks. An oil base ink which was far more permanent than the water based inks of the time. Guttenberg also developed a far more efficient screw mechanism for the printing press which applied even pressure over a flat surface. This design was based on presses used for the manufacture of wine in Europe. Although there is no direct evidence that Guttenberg was influenced by Chinese printing technology, it remains a possibility. Chinese p...

History of the Johnson Publishing Company
Though the Johnson Publishing Company may not sound like a well-known name, you will surely recognize some of the products it publishes....
The History of Digital Publishing
The digital publishing revolution may, in retrospect, be as world-changing as Gutenberg's introduction of the printing press. Digital publishing makes works available...
What Is the History of Microsoft Office Publisher?
Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing program designed by Microsoft. The program is included in higher-end versions of the Microsoft Office Suite....
How to Publish a Leather Bound Family History Book
Family history is frequently lost to time. The jokes, oft-told stories and personality quirks are difficult to capture in snapshots alone. Go...
List of Fiction Short Story Publishing Companies
List of Fiction Short Story Publishing Companies. As a short story writer, you are most likely to get published in literary journals...
List of Book Publishing Companies
List of Book Publishing Companies. Book publishing companies print and distribute literature and other content to the public. Publishing houses often focus...
The History of the Marvel Comic Book World
Marvel's comic book world--commonly referred to as the Marvel Universe--is an alternate version of Earth in which the heroes and villains from...
Careers in Book Publishing
If you enjoy books--everything from writing them, reading them, or just figuring out how to make them better--there are lots of challenging...
The Invention of Letterpress Printing
The Chinese were performing woodblock printing as far back as the eighth century. In fact, it is believed that a Chinese man...
Facts on Children's Book Publishing
The children's book publishing industry is a rapidly growing facet of publishing. More and more children's books are hitting bestsellers' lists and...
Children's Literature Written in the 1800s
Children's literature has evolved quite a bit since it first emerged as an independent genre in the early 1700s. Even early books...
How to Create Own Your Comic Book for Free
Comic books combine literature and art to tell a story. They can be simple presentations for the amusement of children, sophisticated re-interpretations...
The Inventions in the Late 1800s
In the United States, more than 250,000 patents were issued from 1860 to 1900, compared to less than 40,000 patents from the...
The History of the Book Cover Design
There was a time when books were bound by wood and covers were made of leather or even gold. But things began...
The History of Tuberculosis in Europe
Tuberculosis (TB), also known as the Great White Plague of Europe reaches far into human history---the disease gets dishonorable mention in ancient...
The History of the Guinness Book of World Records
The history of the Guinness Book of World Records goes back to the 1950s and stretches around the world.
How to Cite a Printed Source
Most high school students and all college students write research papers. To avoid the appearance of plagiarism and to properly document your...

The History of Book Publishing

Other People Are Reading

Early Human History

Europe

Early America

Penny Press

Today

Resources

More Like This

Comments

You May Also Like

Related Ads

10 Odd Band Food Demands

You May Like