Protecting the Future: Professional Associations and the Net Book Agreement
The final chapter is a discussion of how literary businesses were able to instigate institutional change through professional associations and societies. Beginning with an analysis of the origins of the Society of Authors who were active in lobbying for authors rights, their position the study argues aided the acceptance of literary agents. In addition, the narrative explores the Publishers Association who were responsible for the introduction of the Net Book Agreement (NBA) in 1900. This was led by Frederick Macmillan, son of the one of the founders of the Macmillan publishing house. From an analysis of archival sources, this chapter argues that professional associations were used to get practices accepted, as they forced members to comply with standards leading them to be reproduced and legitimised within the industry.
As important grassroots organizations in Song Dynasty,associations have always drawn scholars' attention.Though studies of their organizational form,nature and function,their social impact on the society and historical significance,have reached an unprecedented height,some deficiencies are obvious.This paper tries to examine the deficiencies of the previous studies to clear the path for further research.