With the printing press, a new reading public emerged.
(i) Printing reduced the cost of books.
(ii) The time and labour to produce each book came down. Multiple copies could be produced easily.
(iii) Books flooded the market, reaching out to an ever growing readership.
(iv) It created a new culture of reading.
(v) Common people could not read books earlier, only the elite could. Common people heard a story or saw a performance collectively.
(vi) Instead of a hearing public now there was a reading public.
(vii) The rate of literacy in European countries was also low till the 20th century. Publishers reached out to people by making them listen to books being read out.
(vii) Printers published popular ballads and folktales, profusely illustrated. These were then sung and recited at village gatherings in taverns in towns. Oral culture thus entered print and printed material was orally transmitted, Hearing and reading public, thus became one.
