As an author who is new to the world of indie publishing, it’s easy to get taken advantage of. In my role as a managing editor, I run into disheartened authors who have been swindled by vanity publishers week after week. What’s even more sad than the fact that so many writers are being taken for a ride is the fact that avoiding this predicament is relatively simple. There are just two things you need to understand about vanity publishers. Once you do, you can avoid ever becoming one of their next victims!
First: What is a Vanity Publisher?
Vanity “publishers” are essentially printers. They will print and bind whatever you send them and charge you exorbitant fees—almost always AT LEAST $1,000—for the privilege. They are not trade publishers like HarperCollins or Penguin Random House. Some common culprits are:
«» AuthorHouse
«» Christian Faith Publishing
«» Dorrance Publishing
«» Xlibris
These are just a few of the ones I’ve had to “rescue” people from in the past. Now, on to the flags!
Vanity Publisher Flag #1: First Contact
Trade publishers have thousands of manuscripts thrown at them by authors and agents on a daily basis. It’s a never-ending stream of people who want publishing contracts from the likes of Tor, Scholastic, or Del Rey. So it makes zero sense that someone from companies like this would randomly message, call, email, or write to an unknown author.
Vanity publishers do this precisely because there are no people beating down their doors to get printed by them. They have to go hunt people down and try to convince them to purchase one of their overly expensive packages. They must resorting spamming and telemarketing in order to do this. All it takes is for you to tell people you’re writing a book on a social media site or do a few searches around the internet for things that tag you as someone who is looking for services (such as looking for books about writing, online writing classes, or in-person critique groups in your area), and you’ll start seeing ads from companies like this soon enough. But, of course, you’ll notice that Simon & Schuster, Hachette, McGraw Hill and other trade publishers never put out ads offering to publish people’s books. Why? Because they are looking for quality manuscripts to work with that they think they can actually make a profit on. And, in all the years of their existence, these companies have found that getting EVEN MORE random people so submit manuscripts just creates more work for them. Why pay to advertise when they’re getting submissions from authors, in droves, for free?
So, the first red flag when it comes to dealing with vanity publishers is that you were contacted by them instead of the other way around. This contact can come in the form of a text message, phone call, private social media message, mailed letter or postcard, or display advertising on sites like Google, Facebook, or Instagram. If you didn’t reach out to a company directly, (there’s a 99.999% chance) they are a vanity publisher.
Vanity Publisher Flag #2: Pay to Publish
Trade publishers commonly offer up an advance when you secure a publishing contract with them. This means that they pay you once you hand your manuscript off to them. Not the other way around.
Considering that you can publish your own (digital, paperback, hardcover, or audio) book on platforms like Amazon, Lulu, or Smashwords for free and in less than an hour, it doesn’t make much sense for someone to charge you thousands of dollars for publication.
But, this is exactly what a vanity publisher will do. They will request funds before they “accept” your work.
If anyone tells you that they have to get paid to publish your work, you can bet you’re dealing with a vanity publisher (some will hide behind the title of “hybrid publisher,” but that’s just the sheep’s clothing, in most cases).
Stay Sharp
There you have it. If you find yourself being contacted out of the blue by someone who wants you to pay them to publish your work, block/ignore them, save your money, and go indie instead if you don’t want to attempt trade publishing. If you need help understanding how to become an indie author, sign up for the next “How to Publish a Book” online class!
