A short while ago, I had a conversation with a Vanity Publisher.
I’m looking to write and publish a book that’s very different than anything I have published so far. I don’t intend to publish this book for a year or two at least (if not longer), but I came across what I thought might be a traditional publisher with some good connections and since I have considered traditional publishing for this future book, I thought I’d take a closer look.
It didn’t take long to find out they were a Vanity/Subsidy Publisher (a Vanity Publisher and Subsidy Publisher refer to the same thing). Subsidy Publishers certainly have their place, but they can be very costly with poor results.
As I interact with Self-Publishers, I am aware that many do not know how to recognize a Subsidy Publisher.
This blog is a bit of how to recognize one.
First, let me say this:
Vanity/Subsidy Publishers are not a bad way to go. They have their place, and if they can accomplish what you need, you should jump on board with them.
The advantage they have is they will do a lot of the work for you. You will not need to spend the time formatting, tracking down an editor, figuring out distribution, etc.
The problem is that Self-Publishers often want to Self-Publish quality work for an affordable price, but if they end up working with a Vanity/Subsidy Publisher, they could easily find they spend $1000-$2500 (or far more). In the end, they might walk away with five paperback copies of their book, one hardcover and some marketing and distribution that doesn’t seem to either make sense or produce results. On top of this, you might find you need to price your book at $15 for a paperback, just to make a profit. It’ll leave you wondering how other Self-Publishers are selling their books for closer to $10 and making about the same amount.
On top of this, sometimes Subsidy Publishers will not produce the quality you might want.
So, Vanity/Subsidy publishers are great if you need them to do the work for you, and if you pay close attention to all they are offering (you should, of course, be doing that with any service).
However, if you are willing to put the effort in, you can save yourself a lot of money.
So, let’s take a look at how to recognize a Subsidy/Vanity Publisher:
1. A Vanity/Subsidy Publisher will not identify themselves as a Vanity Publisher
A short while ago, I spoke with a sales rep from a Vanity Publisher. I had thought they were a traditional publisher, but as the conversation progressed, things weren’t adding up.
She referred to their company as a Self-Publishing company.
Let that one sink in for a moment.
Imagine you were going to write an autobiography. Now imagine I came to you and said, “Hey, tell you what… I’ll write your autobiography for you, and I’ll only charge you $1000.” Hasn’t it suddenly ceased to be an autobiography and become a biography?
The whole idea of an autobiography is that it’s written by the person who lived the life. If it’s not, it’s called a biography.
If you are a Self-Publisher, that means you self-published. If someone else publishes the book for you… it’s not… really… self-publishing. On top of that, how can a company be a self-publishing company… if they are publishing the books of other “selfs”? Doesn’t that make them a Somebody-Else-Publishing Company? Maybe I’m making too big of a deal of this one…
Vanity Publishers will not call themselves Vanity.
2. A Vanity/Subsidy Publisher is a company that you pay to publish your book for you.
This is the easiest way to identify one.
A traditional publisher will typically pay you a chunk of money ahead of time when they agree to publish your book and then you will make royalties on sales.
A Subsidy Publisher will charge you for all their services and you will have the opportunity to sign up for different packages that offer different levels of services.
Alright, that’s a quick intro into a Subsidy Publisher.
In the next blog, I’ll cover some areas you need to consider in terms of value when it comes to a Subsidy/Vanity Publisher.
Shawn
5 responses to “Recognizing Vanity Publishers”
Interestingly, I just wrote a message to a very good aspiring author about this exact same subject … the scams, the pitches, the publishing dilemma of a too crowded market filled up with poor quality writing that chokes the life out of the high quality, dedicated writer who has something to say and knows how to say it. It is a sad state of affairs that the publishing market has come to a climate where sheer poor or mediocre volume obscures true talent and creativity. Let the author beware!
Amen! I think a Vanity Publisher is great if you want 10 copies for yourself, family and a few friends (and have a lot of money to spend), but it’s generally not the ideal way to go! 🙂 I’m glad you were able to redirect this author. You are a good support to so many, Deborah!
Thank you, Shawn, and you are an inspiration to us all!
[…] week, we covered (briefly) how to identify a Vanity Publisher. This week, I want to cover a few considerations when looking at working with a vanity/subsidy […]
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