Vanity Publishing

The concept behind vanity publishing is simple.

A writer produces a work that they naturally wish to see published and approaches a publishing house to have it printed and distributed.

The traditional method of publishing would see the publishing house investing in the typesetting, printing, marketing and distribution of the work with no cost up front to the writer.

This is not the case with vanity publishing. Most mainstream publishers do not undertake vanity publishing; it is generally offered only by publishers that specialise in it.

The major difference between traditional and vanity publishing is that it is the author’s desire to publish that makes the work ‘get out there’. As a result, the vanity publisher will charge the author for the traditional preparatory work prior to the print run. This would normally include editing, proofreading, typesetting (or digital equivalent) and a minimum print run quantity, which the author is generally compelled to buy, irrespective of the potential for sale of the work.

This print quantity can sometimes be hundreds of copies and there can sometimes be no marketing as part of the deal. The author may be left to market their own work.

The risks in using this kind of publishing are evident. The writer can be asked to pay a large sum up front with no guarantee that any books will ever be sold. The author may be left with a large print run to sell, or dispose of, if sales are not forthcoming. The publisher will carry little or no risk.

Vanity publishing, however, can be successful for works with a defined or pre-determined market, or a niche market with potential for growth. Although this option is often derided by writers as risky, expensive and of benefit only to the publisher, it is still a guaranteed route to print (although not necessarily a route to market) for the determined writer and could be entirely appropriate for the writer who enters the deal knowing the potential pitfalls and risks.