01/11/2023
Vanity publishers: We want to publish your book! 😊
Me: Do I have to pay for this?
VP: yes
Me: Oh, so you’re a vanity publisher. I think I’ll take my chances with a real publisher.
VP: But…but…No debut novels are ever picked up by traditional publishers and they’ll never sell, so you should give your money to us!
Me: It’s not impossible. Now I have a question
VP: *goes in for the kill* what
Me: How does it feel to take advantage of wide-eyed, naive young authors and rip them off? How does it feel to convince them their book will never be accepted by an actual legit publisher, as if a typical debut author’s self-confidence isn’t flimsy already, just so you can make money off them? HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SELL YOUR SOUL TO THE F*CKING DEVIL?!
To anyone who’s just finished a book: If a “publishing house” asks you to pay for their “services” ( 🙄 ), RUN. Legitimate publishers will not ask you to do this. Vanity publishing houses are full of s**t people who want to take advantage of writers like YOU. They don’t care if your book sells, because they make money off you, not sales of your book. They do not care about you. Either get an agent and go the traditional route, submit to a legit indie publishing house, or self-publish on Amazon. It’s true that an unheard-of debut author is not likely to get picked up by a big-name publisher. Publishing is tough. But under no circumstances do you need to give your money to a con artist pretending to be a publisher. Have faith in your book and advocate for it, and for yourself. ❤️ 📚 ✍🏼
If you’re not sure if you should trust a publisher (some of them come off as pretty legit), here are some resources to help!
https://self-publishingschool.com/vanity-press/
https://www.tckpublishing.com/what-is-a-vanity-press/
https://blog.kotobee.com/vanity-publishers/
https://www.writingforums.com/threads/self-publishing-companies-to-avoid.198347/
https://gatekeeperpress.com/self-publishing-companies-to-avoid/
https://prenticepieces.com/2022/12/13/the-signs-of-vanity-publishing/ #:~:text=By%20contrast%2C%20a%20vanity%20house,there%20is%20in%20legitimate%20publishing.
https://getcovers.com/blog/publishing-companies-to-avoid/
