Wordsworth Editions
Wordsworth Editions is a British publisher. By 2017-45% of its sales were leaving the country as exports. That is a striking share for a firm whose whole business rests on selling books cheaply at home. Who built a publisher able to send nearly half its stock abroad? And how did it end up pricing classic literature so far below what most publishers charge?
Helen Trayler and Michael Trayler founded Wordsworth Editions in 1987. The company remains family-owned, still run from Ware, Hertfordshire, in England. That family control would go on to shape how the firm set its prices and built its catalogue.
In 1992, Wordsworth Editions began selling paperbacks priced at £1 each. That price point still shapes a catalogue of low-cost editions of classic literature and non-fiction that has grown to roughly 500 titles in print. Keeping cover prices low kept those classic texts within reach of readers who might otherwise choose costlier editions.
Common questions
Who founded Wordsworth Editions?
Wordsworth Editions was founded by Helen Trayler and Michael Trayler in 1987.
When did Wordsworth Editions start selling £1 paperbacks?
Wordsworth Editions began selling paperbacks priced at £1 each in 1992.
How many titles does Wordsworth Editions have in print?
Wordsworth Editions has approximately 500 titles in print.
Where is Wordsworth Editions based?
Wordsworth Editions is a family-owned publisher based in Ware, Hertfordshire, England.
What percentage of Wordsworth Editions sales are exported?
As of 2017-45% of Wordsworth Editions sales were exported.
What kind of books does Wordsworth Editions publish?
Wordsworth Editions is a British publisher known for low-cost editions of classic literature and non-fiction works.
All sources
4 references cited across the entry
- 2NewsWordsworth promotes Nichola Trayler to marketing directorNatasha Onwuemezi — 20 October 2015
- 3NewsCheap classics boom as rest of book trade strugglesFlood, Alison — December 9, 2011