[DCRM-L] What is a book prospectus?

[Shiner, Elaine P.]

Hello All:

I am cataloging a binder’s collection of publishers advertisements and book prospectuses, mostly or entirely clipped from magazines ca. 1800-1825.  I’ve had several examples of what I understand to be book prospectuses; that is, they describe the general idea for the book, often with sample text, the conditions for its manufacture, sale, &c., and seeks subscribers or some other form of support. They can run to several pages. But I’m seeing more examples in this collection concerning book that have already begun publication, in numbers.  These items rarely include sample text, but include everything else, although the text is more abbreviated than in what I think of as a full-blown prospectus.  They usually inform the public that current subscribers are fully satisfied with the numbers produced so far, and seek more subscribers, to support the numbers still to come. They always have information about manufacture and conditions of sale.  I’m not sure whether these should be identified as book prospectuses, publisher’s advertisements, or both. For prospectuses, I add the “book prospectuses” genre term to the record, and a tracing for the eventual publication, if I can discover it.

Help appreciated.

Elaine


Elaine Shiner,
Rare Book Cataloger
Houghton Library, Harvard University

eshiner at fas.harvard.edu<mailto:eshiner at fas.harvard.edu>
617-998-5219




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserver.lib.byu.edu/pipermail/dcrm-l/attachments/20160720/13b33ffe/attachment.html>