ABSTRACT
Although women composed, circulated and published works throughout the sixteenth century in manuscripts, over one hundred French women published in print from the beginnings of print culture until the end of the sixteenth century. Many of these women specifically chose to present their writings through print publication, rather than circulate them in manuscripts. As David R. Carlson argues, ‘the means by which pieces of writing are built and circulated are themselves meaningful, and impinge on the sense of the writings’. 1 We have to ask, therefore, whether there were advantages for women in pursuing print publication for their works. What influence did printers and publishers have on the way women as authors and their writings were represented in print publication? Gérard Genette has argued convincingly that the role played by such ‘editorial peritext’ as format and presentation in constructing a text must not be under-rated. 2 Although print publication had different meanings and outcomes for individual women, there were also common elements in women’s print experiences throughout the century. We need to understand both in order to assess contextually women’s printed writings.
