The Business Of Reproduction Manuscripts

The field of Writing and Drawing remains as one of the most accessible careers and businesses to enter. And History is one of the most popular subjects there is. So It’s no coincidence that written books or manuscripts as a product exists.

I and many people in the world are interested in historical items. You don’t need to do a lot of research to prove how popular historical and mythical items are. Do you know these cult movies like Indiana Jones, The Da Vinci Code and National Treasure?

Of course you do. They give the illusion that our historical past was not boring, but very exciting. Filled with adventures and secrets. One recurring theme in these movies are old books that supposedly contain some secret that would either open some great knowledge or power.

And this is the beauty of historical books and documents. Once properly marketed, you can find a market for them because people have been exposed to them since their early school years. There are even university courses who study these old manuscripts in great details.

The Notebook of Leonardo da Vinci for example is repeatedly studied by people interested in inventing things. Many inventors and would be inventors even to this day find inspiration from the sketches in his notebook.

The missing notebook of Nikola Tesla is still being talked about even to this day. Many claim that whoever is in possession of his notebook has access to invention ideas that can change the world as we know it.

I think it’s clear that there are books and collections of papers that still interest people enough that they want to possess them. But the business of books and documents both old and new is a big one. For now, we’ll just concentrate on manuscripts which is a thriving business in itself.

But what are manuscripts? Fortunately for us, the definition of manuscripts is very precise and simple. Manuscripts are books, documents, or pieces of music written by hand rather than typed or printed.

The parchment of paper where the American constitution was written is a manuscript. So are all books written before the invention of the printing press. Your notebook is a manuscript as well.

But for this article’s business reasons, when we define manuscripts, we are talking about famous books, documents and pieces of music which have stood the test of time and are highly desirable. Most likely, they have become very expensive to own.

Enter reproduction manuscripts. And I think I don’t have to explain what reproduction manuscripts are, they are simply reproductions of famous manuscripts. Of course, there are two ways to reproduce a manuscript. One is to print a copy of them, the other is to make a handmade copy.

Are there companies that are doing this? I did a quick search online using the search keywords: “reproduction manuscripts”. Though I didn’t find a lot of companies advertising online, I found a few:

1. AP Manuscripts: This is company from America. This is good news. This means there is an American demand for such products. And America is a very profitable market to have.

2. Pazzini Stampatore Editore SRL: This is an Italian publishing company. But they also sell reproduction manuscripts using their printing technology.

They even advertise that they use a paper aging technology to make their manuscripts look more authentic. A professional printing company that has an entire business segment devoted to reproduction manuscripts means that at least in Italy, there is a good demand for these products.

3. Bygone Arts: This is a real example of a small business. From what I can tell, it’s a one person business. It even has a YouTube channel.

The YouTube videos of this business show the intricate and time consuming process that goes to making these reproduction manuscripts. If you are interested in the reproduction manuscript business, these videos are very educational. Simply search for the “bygone arts” YouTube channel.

I can’t seem to find any online information which indicate how well reproduction manuscripts are selling. Amazon for one doesn’t seem to be selling reproduction manuscripts. But the biggest online arts and crafts site, Etsy, shows a different picture.

There are a lot of sellers selling pieces of reproduction manuscripts. Then I finally realized that calligraphy is intertwined with manuscripts. Just like any forms of art, calligraphy has a ready market composed of people interested in calligraphy.

Before we proceed, it is important that we discuss two groups of people who might be interested in manuscripts. They are the Art Enthusiasts and the Historical Enthusiasts. There is a big difference between these two groups.

These people as you might have guessed it, are mostly interested in the visual appeal of manuscripts. They treat manuscripts the way they treat paintings. These people are more likely to display rather than touch their manuscripts.

They are more likely to demand that the manuscripts that they would be buying from you are as close to the original as possible. They are more likely to pay a higher price for the reproduction manuscripts you sell than history enthusiasts.

When it comes to manuscripts, I consider myself a history enthusiast rather than an art enthusiast. I don’t really care in what form my manuscripts come, as long as I can determine what the illustrations and the words mean, they are fine by me.

That’s why I consider myself a bad choice as a customer for reproduction manuscripts. It’s important that you determine which of your potential customers are like me so you don’t waste time marketing to us.

I would rather take pictures of the original manuscript than buy reproduction copies. This does not mean that I don’t have money, it only means that I am more interested in the potential knowledge I would gain from the manuscript rather than it’s cosmetic appeal.

One of the manuscripts I would like to own is Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebook. It is filled with sketches of his ideas. The appeal of Leonardo Da Vinci and his works never fade. Anyone interested in the sciences, engineering, woodwork, mechanics probably knows about him.

Why did I use Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebook as an example? It is because unlike medieval manuscripts which have a lot of colors as well as a high level of calligraphy, his is easier to recreate.

Also, because it continues to sell well in many forms. Not only is the contents of his notebooks printed and hand drawn, but they have become popular merchandises as well. They are in t-shirts, coffee mugs and so on.

But this article is mostly about a commission oriented business by a one person company like you. It is assumed that you have passable illustration and calligraphy skills. Take note of these skills you need to develop before going into this line of career or business.

Just like anything written or drawn in paper, there are various ways you can market reproduction manuscripts. Selling reproduction manuscripts is like selling cake in a way. You can sell the whole cake or pieces of it. You can also select how big they get to be.

As A Book:

This is a hard job but pays the most. This is because like a cake, you would have to spend a lot of time doing it. It might be hard to find clients who are willing to pay you good money to reproduce an entire book manuscript.

As Individual Documents:

This is an easier sell because you don’t have to spend a lot of time doing it. Your clients would not also be likely intimated by the price of your products and services as compared to when they are commissioning an entire book manuscript from you.

As Posters:

If you sell paintings and other large pieces of art, reproduction manuscripts are a welcome addition to your product line. Your clients may be more interested in pieces of art that relates closely to their company rather than paintings which have mostly cosmetic appeal.

Leonardo Da Vinci has a sketch of a helicopter invention. To a client involved in the aircraft and more specifically helicopters, having a reproduction manuscript of the sketch of Leonardo’s helicopter in their offices might give them an image as a company with a long helicopter history.

The same is true for Leonardo Da Vinci’s manuscript of his tank invention. A company who has a reproduction manuscript of this might give off an image to their clients that they have a long history of making tanks.

Although very remote, copyright restrictions might prevent you from creating reproductions of famous manuscripts. Newer manuscripts in some museums and art galleries for example might still have copyrights owned by these institutions.

As ByGone Arts which is one of the websites I linked to have proven, it is possible to create a one person company reproducing manuscripts. Even the manuscript and calligraphy sellers you would find in Etsy proves that a one person business is viable.

There is a market for reproduction manuscripts as what some of the companies involved in the business have proven. The general lack of online sellers when you do a Google search could be an indication that it is still a relatively untapped market.

More and more people are getting interested into history. Civil war reenactments are for example popular in the US, Medieval reenactments are popular not only in US but especially in Europe. There would be demand for more of these reproduction manuscripts as time passes by.

The Business Of Reproducing Famous and Very Expensive Paintings