Vanity press "publishing"

There's an interesting (and often nasty) discussion going on over at Lee Goldberg's blog regarding the merits of vanity press "publishing." (I put that in quotes because what these presses do is much closer to printing than it is publishing.) The discussion started with a particular vanity press operation and has expanded beyond that to include the method in general.

I've written on this subject before, but as vanity publishing (usually masquerading as POD publishing) becomes more and more popular, it becomes an increasingly important topic for writers to be aware of.

Obviously I don't think very much of the vanity press business. But regardless of your own views, it would behoove any prospective customer of such a company to do extensive research on the subject before they spend their money.

There are too many operations out there that are little more than con jobs, preying on the gullibility and desperation of aspiring writers. Be sure you've done your homework and educated yourself before handing over your credit card number.

Comments

[Ross Browne]

While the ability to produce books as they're ordered (Print on Demand) is interesting and full of potential for traditional and self-publication alike, the 'proceed with caution’ advice offered here is definitely on target. I'm an independent book editor, and while only a small portion of my company’s clients have any interest in vanity publishing, those that have gone this route have mostly been disappointed, even when the publisher is legit and delivers the book product as promised. The main problem is distribution and sales.

On the flipside, an author who has an existing platform and a reasonable amount of savvy on the production and marketing end can make out pretty handsomely, making much more per-copy than they would with a traditional publisher. And there are of course good self-published books out there that deserve an audience but simply aren’t likely to interest a traditional publisher.

But for all its popularity, POD publishing strikes me as really still being in its infancy. I just hope it can evolve into an increasingly valuable aspect of an industry I see as being in real trouble on a lot of levels.

[spyscribbler]

Why invest any money at all? Lulu is free, and although Amazon has a pricey option, they also have a free option. (They take a cut of the sale price, but still ...)

I think it could be wise for a niche thing that might not have a big enough market for a "big publisher." If you have the search ranking for a niche already, then you could be in better shape than what some small presses will get you, especially if you have multiple books to offer. I know someone who brings in $1,000 a month through Lulu, on books she wrote four - eight years ago.

The niche, though, is key. And niche doesn't translate well to "big publisher."

Target one or the other. They're not the same path.