ABSTRACT
The "communication circuit" for books printed in Brittany or for the Breton market in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries was principally managed by publishers. Their dominance rose from the regional market's requirement for particular literary genres and from the scarcity of local professional printers. Legal compendia—customs, ordinances, and other commandments—were printed after receiving royal or parliamentary approval. Despite the efficacious business model, Jean Mace and other regional booksellers still hired Parisian printers. The selected printers were not infrequently relatives or Breton natives who had moved and set up shop among the many other bookmen long attracted by university and church patronage. A successful business followed the needs of the market, and at this time, it required institutional patronage of the courts, church, and schools, with their anticipated communities of buyers and readers. With this market focus and an extensive publishing and distribution network, publishers and booksellers found a successful foothold in Brittany and adjacent regions.
