The period of 1880-1920 saw publishing in France move from an era of great editors to an era of great publishing houses. Although the early days of publishing are often seen as a golden age when publishers cared more about literary masterpieces than financial gain, in reality publishing has always been a capitalist enterprise. This study examines the history of publishing in France from 1880 to 1920, focusing on how the financial aspects of publishing affected editors, publishing houses, and authors.