8 Bizarre Publishing Practices Students Won’t Believe Were Real

8 Bizarre Publishing Practices Students Won’t Believe Were Real

1. Anthropodermic Bibliopegy: This macabre practice involved binding books in human skin. It was typically used for medical texts or criminal confessions.

2. Advertisements in Novels: During the 19th and early 20th centuries, publishers inserted advertisements directly into novels as a monetization strategy.

3. Book Wheel Reading Machines: In the 16th century, an innovative device allowed simultaneous access to multiple books by rotating them like a Ferris wheel.

4. Triple-Decker Novels: Victorian publishers released novels in three separate volumes, making them expensive and exclusive reading experiences.

5. Fore-Edge Painting: This decorative art technique concealed paintings on the edges of book pages, visible only when the pages were fanned out.

6. Locked Books for Restricted Reading: Books on controversial topics were physically secured with metal clasps to limit access.

7. Publishing Books with Pre-Drilled Holes: The "Farmer's Almanac" was sold with a hole so people could hang it in their house or outhouse.

8. Using Harmful Substances Marketed as Safe: In the past, substances like heroin were marketed as non-addictive cough suppressants and sold alongside other goods.