In Part One of Vanity Presses, I discussed the nature of vanity publishing and the negative atmosphere surrounding this type of publishing. The truth is that because a vanity press is not selective in the work that it publishes, books published under a true vanity press are not seen as prestigious or as credible as those published elsewhere. This is unfortunate because this automatically lumps both good and bad books together by reputation only.
Why would an author choose to go with a vanity publisher? It could be that an author has a book for a very small business niche, or a collection of poetry, a memoir, a genealogy or family cookbook that they want published. They are more interested in making a name for themselves within their niche or giving away their book to friends and family than in profiting from the sale of their book. If they hire their own editors, cover designers and layout artists to create a great product, then publishing with a vanity publisher may be the most cost effective way of pulling everything together.
An author may want or need their book quickly. A traditional publishing house can take up to three years to get out a physical copy of a book. An author has little to no control over when the book will be out in print. Vanity publishing can get books out much quicker, in weeks rather than years, since there is no review process.
Other authors may see their first work published by a vanity press as a way to get into a traditional publishing house for a second work. Generally, traditional publishers rarely will even review an author who has not been previously published. If an author can publish a good product through a vanity press, do enough self promoting such that there are a reasonable number of sales, then those successful results may provide the foot-in-the-door needed to obtain a traditional publisher's attention for a second book.
Finally, some authors just do not want to give away control of their book. They know what they want and they do not want anyone to change how they present their book. They have their cover in mind, they have their content done. By publishing with a vanity house, control is kept by the author and they can publish whatever they want. However, an author has to balance keeping control against the stigma of going with a vanity publisher. But to some authors, control is more important than what people think.
A vanity press can be a legitimate publishing option. The assumption that a work published by a vanity press is one that could not be published elsewhere nor be a commercial success is no longer automatically correct, despite the fact that traditional publishers may want everyone to continue to believe that.
Authors need to be aware of the historically bad reputation that is attached to a vanity press when making their decision to go with such a publishing house. But by taking advantage of the extra services offered, an author may get a great book through a vanity publisher with the advantages of self-publishing and the look of traditional publishing.
Candace C. Davenport is a retired attorney and published author whose love of writing led to co-founding a small independent publishing company, Our Little Books. Our Little Books (http://www.ourlittlebooks.com) is dedicated to publishing inspirational, educational and fun little books for pocket or purse. Candace encourages all people to find their inner muse and become published authors with their own little book, either for pleasure or for their business. Sign up for a free report on how Becoming a Published Author Will Improve Your Credibility and Make You an Expert in Your Field at http://www.ourlittlebooks.com/free-report/. Enjoy!
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