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Discusses the decline in the number of literary patrons during the final decade of Queen Elizabeth I in Great Britain. Action taken by printers, publishers and authors to offset the loss of potential income from wealthy benefactors; In-depth look at the advertising industry during this era; How products were promoted by printers and publishers; Methods used by business owners to sell books.

The article focuses on the importance of printed plays in the Elizabethan era. Printing conventions helped to create the literary status of the play. Their importance as bibliographical resources based on the number of different plays produced in England is explored. The lack of prefatory material, including prefaces and dedications, indicates that the plays were not meant to be read but acted. Details are given for the 1616 publication of "Workes" by Ben Jonson.