A variety of elements go to make up the cost of the average academic book, quite apart from the profit margin which must itself be divided between the author, the printer, the publisher and the bookseller. The problems of the economics of book publishing are discussed, together with the implications of technological achievements and limitations. An alternative approach to the sponsoring and marketing of scholarly art books is suggested, one which could result in better produced books at lower prices.

This paper was delivered to the Association of Art Historians Conference at Cardiff on 1 April 1978. Anyone knowledgeable about the technology of printing or the economics of publishing will recognise short cuts and oversimplifications in the argument. I am only too aware of these deficiencies, but I believe that the thesis put forward is still essentially correct. J.N.