Praenumeration was an early form of the subscription business model, common in the 18th-century German book trade, in which a publisher sold a book that was planned but had not yet been printed, usually at a discount, so as to cover printing costs in advance. The practice was particularly common with magazines, since collecting payment beforehand helped a publisher determine in advance how many subscribers there would be. Johann Heinrich Zedler used praenumeration in the early 18th century to fund a planned collection of the works of Martin Luther, advertising the book for sale by praenumeration before its first volume was printed, though he ran into difficulty by the time the eleventh and final volume was issued years later, having already spent praenumeration payments intended for those future volumes.
Facts
Core MechanismA publisher sold a planned book that had not yet been printed, usually at a discount, so that advance payments from subscribers covered production costs before the book existed. 1 Origin YearThe source documents 1728 as an early instance of the practice, Johann Heinrich Zedler advertising his Luther edition by praenumeration; the practice was already established in the German book trade by then, so this is a documented early date, not a first-ever claim. Connections
Associated With
Praenumeration, the eighteenth-century practice of paying booksellers in advance to fund a book printing, is a documented historical precursor to the modern subscription business model.
Sources
1. Wikipedia, Praenumeration Encyclopedia Article
WikipediaWikipedia: Praenumeration, lead section, Zedler example
For example, when Johann Heinrich Zedler decided to issue a collection of works of Martin Luther he advertised that the book would be for sale through praenumeration at the Leipzig Easter Fair in 1728, with the first volume to be available at the following Michaelmas Fair in early October.
Wikipedia: Praenumeration, lead section
The publisher offered to sell a book that was planned but had not yet been printed, usually at a discount, so as to cover their costs in advance.
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