Publishing for a diaspora: The development of publishing in the international Esperanto movement

The distribution of information is one of the key elements in maintaining an international community such as the Esperanto movement. This includes information about the language itself, appropriate to newcomers to the language and its community, as well as information regarding developments within the Esperanto community, and fiction, specialized literature and entertainment. This paper outlines some of the historical problems associated with the production, distribution and sales of both printed and electronic Esperanto-language materials. The large number of unknown and former students of Esperanto outside of the community’s (or movement’s) active core constitutes an element that may very well determine the profitability of publishing in Esperanto and, hence, its growth and degree of professionalism. Fortunately, recent trends in publishing, e.g. electronic publishing and online sales through established distribution channels, have the potential to include more of this diaspora in the exchange of information.