Angus and Robertson as Publishers, 1888-1900: A Business History

The study is in the form of a business history of the early publishing activities of Angus and Robertson, Australia's longest running and most successful publishing firm. The study investigates why the firm was successful as a publisher, which involved an investigation of the role of George Robertson, founding partner in Angus and Robertson and initiator and director of the publishing program.

A model of a successful publisher was constructed from the writings of British and American publishers who flourished about the time of Robertson. The elements of the model are: (1) Ability to select the right books to publish. (2) Quality relations with authors. (3) Business ability of a high order. (4) Outstanding personal qualities and abilities. (5) Favourable publishing conditions. George Robertson's performance as a publisher is examined to see if he conformed to the model, or whether he was deficient or different in some areas. The contention that Robertson was only successful because of favourable publishing conditions and that another person might have done as well was also examined.

Material for the investigation comes from the Angus and Robertson Archives and consists of Ledgers, Journals, Registers, Account Books, financial statements, royalty payments and many thousands of business letters from the publishing department to booksellers, wholesalers, authors, newspaper editors, school teachers. These records provide information on the books published by the firm, the unsolicited manuscripts received and how these were handled, methods of advertising, promoting and selling the trade books, selling to the educational market, the pursuit of book reviews, print runs and sales figures for individual books, and the returns to the firm both financial and in reputation.

The study concluded that George Robertson performed very well as a publisher in all the categories of the model, that he did reap benefits from publishing in Australia in the 1890s, a period of change and growing nationalism, but that he brought unique and personal qualities to Australian publishing so that his success could not be attributed solely to favourable conditions.