Self Publishing vs. Hybrid Publishing vs. "Vanity Publishing"
Are self publishing and hybrid publishing the same as vanity publishing?
Somtimes. It all depends on whether or not the author is being taken advantage of.
In this post, I’ll explain where the term vanity publishing came from and why things are somewhat different these days. Then (click to skip ahead) I’ll explain what reputable companies can do to help you publish your book, scams you still need to watch out for today, and tell you how to avoid being scammed.
What is vanity publishing?
Vanity publishing is a derogatory term that started in the “old days” before electronic publishing.
If an author wasn’t able to get a traditional publishing deal – where a publishing house pays authors to publish their books – they might be preyed upon by unscrupulous companies who would charge enormous sums to print their books.
Oftentimes those vanity publishing companies would then own the rights to the author’s book. Talk about backwards. Instead of buying those rights, they were charging authors for the pleasure!
It occasionally worked out okay for authors with a niche topic and an audience to sell to at events, most writers would end up with an empty bank account and a garage full of books no one wanted to buy.
With brick-and-mortar bookstores as the only distribution source, there was almost no chance those authors were going to sell their inventory. People who spent a fortune just to see their book in print were looked at as vain, thus the term vanity publishing.
These days, publishing a book on your own is much less of a gamble. There’s no need for a garage full of books, and marketing a book without the backing of a big publishing house is doable.
Cost-wise, with print-on-demand services, you can sell paperbacks one at a time, only paying the publisher for the copies you sell. And you can publish an e-book for $100 or less…if you don’t plan to spend money on editing, marketing, and publicity. But I highly recommend you do invest in making your book the best it can be by hiring experts to do things that are out of your expertise or time constraints.
Types of Self-publishing and hybrid publishing services
You can hire freelance experts individually, from designers to editors to coaches (like me!), vetting their experience and reviews or client testimonials.
You can pay a one-stop-shop who has an employee working on each aspect of the process from editing through publicity – like The Jenkins Group or Girl Friday Productions. They won’t own the rights to your book, and you can hire them for one service or many.
You can work with a hybrid publisher – like Page Two, Amplify, or SheWrites– who does the publishing for you, but you cover almost all of the costs. Ideally, they keep working to sell your book long after it’s been published.
Why today’s authors still need to watch out for publishing scams
Self-publishing may not require the amount of money vanity publishing once did, but it takes a TON of work to do everything a traditional publishing house would do! Especially if you want to do it right.
Naturally, there is an entire industry built around helping authors write, edit, design, format, distribute, market, and publicize their books.
Sadly, although many of these service providers are reputable, many others are no better than the vanity publishers of yore.
With freelancers and a-la-cart service companies, the risk you’re taking isn’t too huge. They won’t own any part of your book, and if you don’t like one service, you don’t have to buy anything additional.
It gets a little trickier with hybrid publishers or companies passing themselves off as traditional publishers. You can be stuck with them for life if you sign over the rights to your book. You could get hit with endless bills if they have minimum sales requirements (more on this below) or if they keep upselling supposedly included services.
How to avoid vanity publishing scams
Vet Hybrid Publishers
Unfortunately, it’s really hard to tell the difference between a hybrid publisher and a vanity press. Neither pays the author an advance, and both charge the author for publishing costs. Also, there’s no official definition of hybrid publishing, so anything goes.
The Independent Book Publisher’s Association does have these helpful guidelines, and members of the Author’s Guild can see their take on hybrid publishing in their Guide to Self-Publishing.
In short, the big difference is that a hybrid publisher should be more of a partner with the author and expect to make money off the sale of books, not just off of the author’s fees.
How to recognize a legitimate hybrid publisher:
They should be selective about what they publish and clearly define their mission, editorial standards, and the types of titles they publish. If they accept every book that comes their way, they obviously feel they’re making enough money off the author.
They can demonstrate successful books that have sold well.
They also put their own time and money into selling the book because they stand to profit as much from sales as from authors.
They absolutely, 100%, should not ever require a minimum number of copies to be sold.
If the author is paying for the print run, the author should not be paying to order copies of their books, apart from shipping. You pay for the print run, you already own those books.
Royalties should be at least 50%.
They should also be upfront about the costs and should not try to pass themselves off as a traditional publishing company.
Even reputable hybrid publishers who meet the above guidelines, like SheWrites Press and their sister company SparkPress, will generally own the rights to their clients’ books. Before you sign a contract, make sure that’s something you’re okay with, and consider negotiating to retain your film, audio, and foreign rights.
Beware of Fake Traditional-Publishing Companies
In addition to the big-five publishers, there are a number of reputable small presses that do a comparable job of bringing top-notch books into the world. Powell’s Books offers a great list of their favorite small publishers.
Many of these small presses don’t require you to have a literary agent, but it’s important to know that they’re just as selective as the big houses. Also like those big guys in New York, they pay you, not the other way around, and they only make money on their cut of the book’s sales price.
Sadly, there are also a lot of unethical companies masquerading as small traditional publishers. They may or may not charge you upfront, but they will get you in the end with something called “backend” vanity publishing.
This works in one of two ways, both related to minimum sales requirements. One, they could require you to reimburse them for production costs if you don’t hit a minimum sales number. Or, they may require you to buy a certain number of books yourself, if you don’t hit that sales number, usually in the thousands. Again, not legit. Buying thousands of copies of your own book can cost you tens of thousands of dollars!
These “publishers” have no incentive to market or sell the book because they’ll make money off the author either way. This is not publishing. It’s scamming.
Be wary if a publisher approaches you, rather than you or your agent approaching them. Make sure you know why they’re contacting you. Sometimes it’s legit, like when I wrote an essay for the New York Times and an editor at a big-five asked to read my manuscript. Or maybe you won a prestigious literary award. If you haven’t done something to garner that level of interest, be suspicious.
What to look for in a reputable publishing company
Their authors have won prestigious awards or been recognized in other legitimate ways.
Their books are getting media attention and reviews in publications other than Kirkus, where anyone can pay to be reviewed.
They are selective about what they publish.
They do not ask you for money. If you’re paying them, they’re not a traditional publisher.
They do not require you to sell a certain number of books.
Conclusion
Done right, self-publishing can be awesome. It lets authors share books and readers find books that might not otherwise get published.
However, because it’s a lot of work and can cost a lot of money, there are unscrupulous people who will take advantage of new authors. Keep your eyes open so you don’t become a victim like the “vanity” authors of the past.
If you’re thinking of working with a service provider or fee-based publishing company, ask to speak with other clients. If they won’t let you do that, run the other way.
Ask their authors about the quality of the books themselves, what it was like to work with the editing staff, what kind of publicity and marketing they got. Then make sure that aligns with your vision and what’s being promised.
When in doubt, ask yourself if it’s too good to be true.
If someone is promising you’ll make hundreds of thousands of dollars from your book without a lot of effort, they’re full of it.
