Intentionally fixed at a precise moment in the development of electronic scholarly publishing specifically the electronic journal and drawing upon personal experience as an editor of one such journal, Early Modern Literary Studies, this paper surveys some recent developments that have affected and will affect scholarly publishing in the electronic medium. It considers, also, the forces of the marketplace that have been brought to bear on what may be called the existing 'humanistic' discourse of free exchange. In sum, the paper seeks to accentuate the value of the humanistic ideals which have had a strong shaping influence on many electronic publications in the Arts and, in consideration of some of the current pragmatic forces that affect publication projects in the new medium, I hope to urge that those involved in such projects consider participating in an open reconsideration of how such pragmatics already do, and possibly will moreso in the future, challenge these ideals.