All You Need to know About Vanity Press

''What ever you do, learn to spot out  a vanity press and stay away from it.''

On our page on publishing, we identified vanity publisher as a type of publishing. This type of publishing has become very common, especially among new writers, who fail to do enough research before deciding on who to send off their completed manuscript to.

This page tells us what it is; why it has a bad reputation in the publishing world and why it is important for writers to do enough research before publication.  

What is Vanity Press?

A vanity publisher is that publishing house in which writers PAY to have their book published.

In  a traditional publishing setting, a book goes through an editorial/approval process, where the publisher takes the financial risk on the author's ability to write effectively and successfully.

In this type of publishing, it is the other way round. Money is instead taken from the writer by the publisher.

In the publishing world, a vanity publisher is known to have a bad reputation. Thousands of writers, especially new ones have been victims of these rogue vanity publishers. Most of them have different and highly appealing names such as 'Joint Venture', 'Co-operative publishing', 'Subsidy Publishing', 'Shared Responsibility', or sometimes (incorrectly) 'Self Publishing'.

Vanity Press is not self-publishing and it is important to not confuse the two, as doing so may results to losses and regrets. If you confuse them you will pay the price. Do not publish until you have understood these terms- until you have understood publishing terms.

How to Identify a Vanity Publisher?

Falling for a vanity publisher's scheme can cost you thousands  of your hard earned money. Unfortunately, It's hard to identify a vanity publisher. If you are a writer, you have or have almost certainly  encountered a vanity press in the course of your career.

Of course, they rarely call themselves by that name. They have different, usually very captivating names such as 'Self-publishing Consultancy', 'Author Service Providers', just to name a few and they thrive through false promises and flattery. Sometimes, they pressure writers to buy their own copies or  sell to their family and friends. Other times, they just disappear with your money. 

Always check on their website. Google them. If they have a bad reputation, others might have identified it and written about it. If a company charges you for publishing your book, be wary of that company. 

In our next article, we will write an extensive article on how to identify these publishers and the next steps to take if you are a victim.

Vanity Press: What is your experience?

Many new writers have, without knowing, played into the hands of vanity publishers. Are you one of them? What's your experience? Use the comment box below to tell us more. You can also use it to comment on this topic and add more knowledge about vanity press.

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