Vanity Press
Traditionally, when an author wants to be published, he or she will query an agent, sign with an agent, and that agent will then shop for a publisher. When the agent finds a publisher who wants to publish the author’s work, the agent and the publisher will draw up a contract. Under the terms of this contract, the author, the agent and the publisher receive a percentage share of the royalties from the publication of the book. The publisher will usually pay the author (via the agent) an advance against royalties (usually in three or four payments), which is repaid via the author’s royalty share. If the book sells more than enough for the author’s royalty share to repay the advance, the author will start receiving royalty checks (usually in semi-annual payments). If the book doesn’t sell well enough to pay back the advance, the author is not required to make up the difference out of pocket, but he or she won’t receive royalty payments from the publisher, and the publisher may not want to publish the author’s next book.
“Vanity presses” take a different approach to publishing. Under this model, the author pays a publisher to publish his or her book. The publisher may also offer editing, design, and promotional services for an additional fee, otherwise the author is responsible for all other aspects of the design and marketing of his or her work. The advantages of this model are clear:
- the author doesn’t have to go through the cycle of agent/publisher submissions and rejections before getting published
- it provides an opportunity for authors to publish books that are not mainstream, or may have a limited audience (at least initially)
- authors receive a greater royalty share, since they paid the publisher up front, and they didn’t use the services of an agent
But there are downsides, too:
- the author doesn’t have the quality control usually provided by agents and editors (for free)
- the author has to become proficient with publishing contracts to avoid being scammed
- the author has to have the funds to get the book published
There are ways around these downsides. Authors can hire lawyers, editors, and marketers. Also, as self-publishing continues to gain respectability in the marketplace, some literary agencies provide their services to those who wish to self-publish.
The whole subject of self-publishing is more complex (and contentious) than I can deal with in 500 words, but as technology opens up opportunities for independent publishing (ebooks, Print-On-Demand, etc.), the self-publishing and “vanity press” option is one many authors are taking seriously. After all, the author wants to get his or her work into readers’ hands, and this is another way to accomplish that.
What are your thoughts about self-publishing? Is it something you would consider? Would you buy a book published by a “vanity press”? If you have, were you disappointed, pleasantly surprised, or did you get what you expected?
I have to admit, I probably won’t self-publish. There’s so much to know in the publishing business that I feel I’d need some assistance in working towards that goal. I wouldn’t know where to start.
I want to be traditionally published first, too, Robin. But I wouldn’t rule out self-publishing, especially once I’ve got an agent and perhaps have a few trad books under my belt. In a blog article yesterday, Janet Reid made the statement that it’s easier to be published than to stay published–a statement I hope she will elaborate on soon. But if that’s true, it might be wise to keep self-publishing as an option.
I’m not against self-publishing if it comes to it but I do think it is important to do that right, which probably means extra money on editing and cover design too.
When I was still at school I nearly got conned by a vanity publishing competition – one where you could buy a really really expensive book when you had ‘won’. My parents took me down to the library where they had record of the scam. I think I just thought my parents thought my poem was rubbish and were surprised I had won (to be fair it probably was pretty poor). Like you say you have to be careful to make sure you aren’t being ripped off. But in principle I think self publishing is fine.
I also like the quality control of the traditional route. not just for the reader’s sake, but for my sake. I don’t want to embarrass myself in public by putting out a second-rate book simply because I didn’t have an agent or an editor to tell me it still needs work. Granted, you can pay for those services, but having an agent is more than having an editor. An agent is the author’s advocate: they are invested in the author’s success long term, not just for one book. It may be hard getting an agent, but to me it’s still worth the trouble.
While I personally don’t plan to go the self-publishing route (I don’t have the business sense for that), I don’t see any problem with people who do provided they take it seriously. One of my Twitter friends has self-published YA and NA series, and she would never dream of letting people see her work without putting up the money for a copyeditor and a cover designer. The reason self-publishing gets a bad rap is because of the people who just throw a first draft up there and then expect people to pay money for it. Which I think is a double slap to the face because not only are you wasting people’s time by giving them less than your best work, it’s rude to expect them to PAY MONEY for that.
I do like how self-publishing can cater to more niche markets, though, like New Adult before it turned into a thing, YA paranormal now that it’s dying out, superheroes, aliens, etc.
Self-publishing is a force to be reckoned with now. And I agree with much of what you say about the dangers, Stephanie. I’m hoping someday to get an agent whose vision is broad enough to consider self-publishing options for my work. I can see one day perhaps being published traditionally, but then, with the help of my agent (in terms of editing, legal assistance, etc.), self-pubbing books that are not as mainstream, or that are of a completely different genre than the trad pubbed titles–perhaps even work that is a little more “niche.” Of course, it would mean handing my agent a cut of the profits, but I think it would be worth it to avoid the pitfalls.
I don’t have a problem with self-publishing but I personally wouldn’t go for that, at least not yet. There’s too much I don’t know about the industry for which an agent/publisher could help me with 🙂
Absolutely, and I get the feeling a lot of us yet-to-be-published writers think the same way. Especially if you’ve been hanging out on agent blogs for a while and know how beneficial they can be to someone starting out.