Commercial media and the popular dissemination of printed copies of Ming fiction

Abstract

Printed copies are a prerequisite for the realization of fiction reading. Ming popular fiction can be regarded as part of a commercial printing culture, and its spread and reception in the shape of printed copies were strongly influenced by the dissemination media. The involvement of commercial capital during the Ming promoted the large-scale development of private print shops, while the commercialization of print media led to the possibility of mass-published popular fiction. The degree of development of the print media determined the phases and characteristics of the spread and reception of Ming popular fiction. The highly developed commercial traffic and postal services of the Ming expanded the channels through which printed copies of popular fiction could be spread, and the diversification of dissemination methods in society expanded the range of popular fiction reading.