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| product, then publishing with a vanity publisher | | | | a vanity press is one that could not be published |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