The original goal was to publish the dictionary in two folio volumes: A–K and L–Z. But that soon proved unwieldy, unprofitable, and unrealistic. Subsequent printings ran to four volumes; even these formed a stack tall, and weighed in at nearly . In addition to the sheer physical heft of Johnson's dictionary, came the equally hefty price: £4/10/– (equivalent to approximately £ in ). So discouraging was the price that by 1784, thirty years after the first edition was published, when the dictionary had by then run through five editions, only about 6,000 copies were in circulation—an average sale of 200 books a year for thirty years.
The original goal was to publish the dictionary in two folio volumes: A–K and L–Z. B.ut that soon proved unwieldy, unprofitable, and unrealistic. Subsequent printings ran to fo:ur volumes; even these formed a stack tall, and weighed in at n.early  In addition to the sheer physical heft of Johnson's dictionary, came the equally hefty price £4/10/– (equivalent to approximately £ in ) So discouraging was the price that by 1784, thirty years after the first edition was published, when the dictionary had by then run through five editions, only about 6,000 copies were in circulation—an average sale of 200 books a year for thirty years.