Why did William Hogarth dislike relying on booksellers for illustration work?

William Hogarth’s dislike for relying on booksellers for illustration work stemmed primarily from his personal history and his father’s negative experiences. As a young man, Hogarth observed his father, a minor classical scholar, suffer from the "shabby treatment" he received at the hands of printers and booksellers.1

These early observations fostered a deep-seated resentment and distrust of the industry in Hogarth. Although he initially earned a living as a copper engraver executing book illustrations, he found the work unsatisfying because it required an unwelcome dependence on the very type of individuals who had exploited his father. This experience, combined with his desire for creative and financial independence, drove him to seek his own path, eventually leading him to publish his work independently and fight for legislation to protect artists' rights against piracy.12