Vanity publishing is a type of publishing in which authors pay a fee to have a book published, usually in exchange for a limited number of books. It differs from traditional publishing, where the publisher pays the author for the book, in that authors in vanity publishing pay for their own books. This generally means that vanity publishers print with thinner paper, on lower quality binding and production, and of course make more profit from each book sale.
Vanity publishers generally don’t reject authors, unlike traditional publishers who pick and choose from thousands of manuscripts every year. Vanity publishers are also known as ‘subsidy publishers’ or ‘self-publishing companies’, because authors are essentially paying to be published in exchange for services like book design, distribution and storage. Authors will also usually have to pay a fee for those services.
So the main differences between a vanity publishing company and a traditional publisher are:
- In vanity publishing, authors have to pay a fee to have their book printed, whereas in traditional publishing, the publisher pays the author.
- Vanity publishers do not pick and choose which authors they will publish, whereas a traditional publisher will be more choosy.
- Authors may be required to pay additional fees for services like book design, distribution and storage with a vanity publisher, whereas these services are usually included in the deal with traditional publishers.
If you are looking for a vanity publishing company to help you self-publish your book, it is important to research them and make sure you get a good deal. Look out for hidden fees and make sure that the publisher is offering good quality services in exchange for the money you are paying. There are plenty of reputable vanity publishing companies out there, so make sure to do your research and find the one that is right for you.
