Publishing and packaging out-of-copyright classics can be a shrewd strategy financially—but only if publishers are able to add value to the product.
Most readers and prospective authors will think of publishers as swashbuckling adventurers, charming rogues or sharkish operators. The reality, as we know, is quite different, and if I had to find an apt description of my profession over the past 20 years, what rather comes to mind is the fusty figure of an archival sleuth or fine-art restorer.
Before setting up Hesperus Press in 2002, I did extensive research into the demand for rediscovered lost classics in English-speaking countries. I spoke to several publishers for advice, and the consensus was: “Nah. That market’s shot its bolt. It’s been done before. Many times. Everyone failed. Not a chance.” Of course, I disagreed—not out of stubbornness, but because I believed that the idea of resurrecting forgotten books could work if they were presented with passion, creativity and a touch of originality. Hesperus was an overnight hit, selling over half a million units in its first year and going on to achieve great commercial and critical success.
The main misconception about reissuing titles in the public domain is that, since there is no copyright protection, anyone can do it and no editorial value can be added. Another misapprehension is that, because of the low entry level, there must be dozens of competing editions, making it almost impossible for a book to stand out and become successful. People forget that classics publishing is, more often than not, about rediscovering the works of an author. Very few writers have achieved classic status during their lifetime or too recently after their departure from the world. For most, the journey to enduring posthumous recognition is fraught with adversity and uncertainty, and often punctuated by long spells of oblivion.
