Research On Periodicals Ever Organized By The Commercial Press

The Commercial Press is a cultural and publishing institution experienced the longest period of time in Chinese publishing history, which was established in Shanghai on February 11,1897. As the first modern publishing enterprise in the country, the Commercial Press mainly deals with works on modern social science and natural science, besides modern-styled textbooks. The Commercial Press also pays much attention on periodical publishing, ever established a periodical cluster of 21 titles and over 50 versions by the end of 1948, since the first periodical publication (Journal of Novels with Tapestry Portraits, Xiuxiang Xiaoshuo) published in 1903. The periodicals the Commercial Press established "not only belongs to its past, but also belongs to the present and to the future, which have been considered as coordinates in the human cultural history."The paper studies the experiences of the Commercial Press in periodical industry at the beginning of 20 century with the purpose of providing certain referential knowledge to the present periodicals organized by publishing houses in the country by means of historical analyses, case illustrations and contrastive differences, based on a all-around retrospect to the process of periodicals' initiation, following development and measures taken to keep pace with the fast-changing times from the angle of historical evolution. First, the author searches for pristine message on Chinese library, Beijing university's library , the Commercial Press's library and he'nan university's library. Base on this, I present a list of names and index numbers of 21 periodicals initiated by the Commercial Press. And then, a retrospect on the background that the Commercial Press has priority to do this. The article seeks for the reason why the Press can obtain its periodical cluster in such a long time with case illustrations of Orient Magazine (Dongfang Zazhi) and Monthly Journal of Novels (Xiaoshuo Yuebao). It is because the Press could continuously carry out innovation to fasten the publications with the pace of times. For instance, the Press ever often replaced chiefeditors in time, and took innovative measures ranging from the publications' cover to cover, from the publications' mission to format, etc. Last, I conclude the secret why the Press could obtain such a large-scale periodical cluster is six points:1. the institution always breathed with the national and kept pace with times regarding Chinese nation's renaissance as the main thread; 2.its leaders had right foresight and judgments; it converged excellent staffs with powerful strength;3.it strictly observed the guideline of business is business;4.it could carry out particular marketing projects;5.it could make full use of the in-house superiority.Above all, it is the result that the publishing house initiated periodicals. If they want the periodicals have long time, they must keep pace with the time and obtain excellent staffs. The article aim at to tell the experience that the Commercial Press initiated periodicals and give some advice to the day.