Readers got for their guinea-a-year as many books as they could read for less than the price of one new novel, and publishers secured a guaranteed sale, since Mudie would take the bulk of the first edition. An edition of 500 copies could secure for the publisher a decent profit, and Mudie would order 1,500 of an established author. … In effect, Mudie had secured himself a national monopoly on the publication of new fiction. What he chose not to take would not be published.

Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile Hist…, loc. 609