The follows a chapter covering the options of traditional publishing, self-publishing, and the subsidy, co-op, and
vanity presses. Practical information is provided on how to craft a financially successful book; publishing fiction and non-fiction; writing proposal and query letters; working with a literary agent; understanding publisher contracts; a comprehensive explanation of self-publishing; and book designing.
"They try to look like genuine publishers," says Beall, "but they operate as
vanity presses. They basically accept any article and make a profit from authors.
Douglas Schatz of Maple Leaf Consultants points out, "The traditional book retailer is being bypassed by direct digital supply." And with the digital self-publishing phenomenon offering a much easier path than the
vanity presses of the past, Schatz says, "So too the roles of author, agent, and publisher are changing with new channels of communication now possible between content creator and reader or customer."
In 2002, two Amish-themed romance novels appeared; thus far in 2012, no fewer than eighty new books have been published, a figure that does not include self-published titles or those released by
vanity presses. In 2011 and 2012 a new Amish romance novel appeared at a rate of more than one per week.
Unlike the
vanity presses often associated with self-publishing, service agencies require almost no upfront costs beyond the purchase of one proof copy for the author.
Self-publishing has often been associated either with
vanity presses or with home-grown efforts that, while well-meaning, are often too long, too wordy, badly edited, badly illustrated, badly designed and badly marketed.
She also had the tools of the trade: indexes, professional book review journals, advertisements in the backs of books, including those published by
vanity presses; a reading knowledge of foreign languages; and a knack for making an educated guess and following up on it.
We sell to traditional publishers, not
vanity presses. We are paid on success only.
THE PLETHORA OF VOICES and books published in Poland today, often by no more than
vanity presses, is of course not unique to Poland or any other Eastern European nation, which treads water as it comes to grips with the free-market economy and its effects on publishing.
More to the point this book features more run-on sentences, sentences, fragments, inappropriate or misplaced punctuation marks, and other formal flaws than any other book I can remember, excepting a few published by
vanity presses or by the authors themselves.
Vanity presses of old charged huge fees and left writers with hundreds of unsold books.