The Untold Story of Books: A Writer's History of Publishing

Great book if you love books, or have an interest in publishing. Detailed and very readable and full of fun facts about books.

This book is a pleasure. The history of publishing is filled with surprises, especially the battle between authors, publishers and booksellers. Who knew there were so many twists and turns in this "No Exit" relationship. And lots of villains! Castleman's style is casual and engaging, and he captivates you with asides that you never expected - for example, who knew how important the Erie Canal was in the development of the early American literary development? How about the thorny question of whether libraries should pay royalties. I didn't know that library broyalties are the norm in many other countries. Anyway, I recommend this book for all book lovers. You will never look at a book inn the same way again.

Michael Castleman, author of many wonderful books I’ve enjoyed over the years, has delivered another winner. The book is well-written, engaging, chocked full of information and an impressive amount of research, including many fun and surprising facts. For example, where the term “blurbs” comes from.Before reading the book, thought I knew about “book business”. But was wrong. I learned so much about the history, realities and likely future of the industry.“The Untold Story of Books” was a pleasure to read and I’ve recommended it to friends.

This is one of the most comprehensive views of publishing I’ve ever come across, told from the point of view of a writer actually navigating the industry. Full of interesting and edify trivia, and also concrete information about the state of the industry and how it got that way.

My first job in college was working at a student-owned and operated bookstore at the University of Michigan. It introduced me to the world of margins and profit/loss that spawned a career as a business owner and later as a professor of management and entrepreneurship. Michael Castleman does a marvelous job of tracing the history of books back to Gutenberg, but his analysis and understanding of the modern digital world is something special. Whether you’re interested in how books come to be or if you’re one of the many many folks who actually want to write a book (h/t) then I highly recommend this short but fact-filled tome. Castleman has had 19 books published. He knows his stuff; part of the pleasure of reading it is that he shares his experiences, which add to the tone and texture. It’s a tour de force and a most enjoyable read.