Shy About Publishing Matthew Henry?

[bookslover]

I was thinking the other day that it's surprising (at least to me) that neither Banner of Truth nor Reformation Heritage Books has come out with an edition of Matthew Henry's six-volume commentary (unless they have in the past and I just missed it). One would think that Henry would be a perfect fit for either publisher. Yes, it would be an expensive proposition, doubtless (6 volumes totaling more than 5,000 pages). And I realize that it's still available from Hendrickson Publishers (my set, which I've had since 1994, has a fair number of typos in it which have not been corrected in subsequent printings).

Still, Henry has been popular with believers for more than 300 years now. Seems like a project worth undertaking. It's the kind of thing that, once published and established in the catalog, could be a steady seller for years, one would think.

How about it, guys?

 

[Polanus1561]

If I can think about it from a business sense:

1. Many who would want Henry already have him.

2. You often do not see a publisher printing a Puritan work that is already being published by someone and not out of print.

3. I would think Hendrickson has more sales channels than RHB and Banner and is selling the volume at a competitive 38 dollars

4. A reprint would mainly attract the usual crowd (like us here)… who already have Henry and I won’t be optimistic on the demand for a new set.

 

[RamistThomist]

CBD regularly sells the Hendrickson set for pennies on the dollar. Nobody can compete with that.

 

[Jack K]

I suppose I might be interested in a new edition if it updated the typesetting to a more spacious look and style that was easier to follow. That would be some "value added" a publisher might provide, and a key selling point for any new edition. Adding value is the only way to make such a venture worthwhile.

But surely, such a redesign would be an expensive undertaking for such a lengthy set of works. And the finished product would still have to be sold pretty cheaply, as it would be competing against (1) existing editions that other publishers can print for only the cost of paper and binding, and (2) inexpensive or free electronic access. Plus, a truly helpful redesign would probably have a higher page count than the cramped-looking existing editions, making it more expensive than the old editions to print going forward. How many customers will pay for that? I suspect it would take many, many years to recoup those significant costs. Few Christian publishers can afford to undertake a big project today that will only pay off long after they have passed on.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

I suppose I might be interested in a new edition if it updated the typesetting to a more spacious look and style that was easier to follow. That would be some "value added" a publisher might provide, and a key selling point for any new edition. Adding value is the only way to make such a venture worthwhile.

But surely, such a redesign would be an expensive undertaking for such a lengthy set of works. And the finished product would still have to be sold pretty cheaply, as it would be competing against (1) existing editions that other publishers can print for only the cost of paper and binding, and (2) inexpensive or free electronic access. Plus, a truly helpful redesign would probably have a higher page count than the cramped-looking existing editions, making it more expensive than the old editions to print going forward. How many customers will pay for that? I suspect it would take many, many years to recoup those significant costs. Few Christian publishers can afford to undertake a big project today that will only pay off long after they have passed on.

And if a publisher is going through that expense, he should also go ahead and compare the text used to the last edition of Henry's lifetime. It is very likely errors have crept in over the years and exist in the editions photo reprinted. Maybe not; but for such a large work it would not surprise me. I don't know if the Hendrickson is a reprint of the last edition (19th century?) or a new setting.

 

[bookslover]

And if a publisher is going through that expense, he should also go ahead and compare the text used to the last edition of Henry's lifetime. It is very likely errors have crept in over the years and exist in the editions photo reprinted. Maybe not; but for such a large work it would not surprise me. I don't know if the Hendrickson is a reprint of the last edition (19th century?) or a new setting.

The last edition printed in his lifetime would not include Romans - Revelation, since the notes on those books were developed after Henry's death in 1714. Also, as I noted in the OP, there are lots of typos throughout the text, so, even if a publisher wanted to use an existing printed text, the entire thing would have to be gone over with a fine-tooth comb to correct all the typos - a formidable task. In one place, the "d" has dropped out of the word "God"!

 

[NaphtaliPress]

The last edition printed in his lifetime would not include Romans - Revelation, since the notes on those books were developed after Henry's death in 1714. Also, as I noted in the OP, there are lots of typos throughout the text, so, even if a publisher wanted to use an existing printed text, the entire thing would have to be gone over with a fine-tooth comb to correct all the typos - a formidable task. In one place, the "d" has dropped out of the word "God"!

I forgot about the later work; "authors'" lifetimes.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Andrew Myers has a list of Matthew Henry's continuators.