A vanity press (also called vanity publisher) is an independent publishing house that accepts books at the author’s expense in exchange for payment to have them published instead of vice versa. Thus, authors who opt for vanity presses pay to have their works printed instead of having the other way around.
Vanity presses have existed for centuries; however, their prominence exploded with print-on-demand technology in the 20th century. Hundreds of vanity presses across the US advertise heavily to authors as an option to publish books themselves.
Authors often turn to vanity presses when traditional publishers will not publish their books due to commercial viability concerns or because the author is unknown. While certain vanity presses may set standards for publishing books they accept, many others accept anything provided the author pays the fee associated with publication.
Vanity presses often adhere to different quality control measures than traditional publishers and may produce books with poor editing, design, or printing standards. Furthermore, vanity presses typically don’t offer their authors any marketing or publicity support and, therefore, rely solely on the authors themselves to promote their books.
Although vanity presses have drawbacks, they are an invaluable option for authors unable to secure traditional publishers and need their work in print quickly without worrying about making money off sales of books sold through vanity press publishers.
Vanity Press is an award-winning printing and publishing firm known for producing top-quality custom books at competitive rates. Their unique printing process offers extensive customizability options – ideal for authors wanting a uniquely-branded book!
Although Vanity Press may be more costly than some printing and publishing options, their quality and customizability options make the expense worthwhile for authors who want their books to make an impressive first impression. This service offers quality options with customization features to give a professional appearance and ensure lasting reader impressions.