Self-Publishing versus Vanity Publishing

 In the comments posted to my last two articles, a lot of folks mentioned self-publishing in a negative light.  I think it might be important to clarify a few misconceptions folks have about real self-publishers, as opposed to vanity publishing.

I use lulu.com to print all of our Bards and Sages titles.  Lulu.com is normally grouped in with those "vanity" publishers that are "getting rich" off of authors.  But Lulu has never pretended to be a publisher.  Lulu is a print technology company.  They provide a technology that allows publishers to print books one at a time.  Now why would this be good news for a small press?  If you are familiar with offset printing, you know that it generally requires huge printing runs to be worthwhile.  The cost of a book is all in the initial set-up.  Paper is a relatively low expense in the process.  But the actual set-up is the bulk of the cost.  Now let's say you go to a regular printer.  The initial set-up for your book might be $1000.  If the paper cost of your book is $2 per copy, then if you only want 50 copies, you are actually paying $22 per book.  Print 100 copies, you pay $17 per book.  

Whereas with print on demand, there is no huge set-up.  Now POD costs more per book, so you might end up paying $6 per book to print one at a time.  But for short runs, it's still far more cost effective.

Also, POD doesn't require inventory.  Our books are available on Amazon and almost all of the online retailers.  And I didn't have to supply any inventory to anyone.  A customer orders a book, Amazon sends the data electronically to my distributor, they print however many copies are needed, and the books get shipped out.  So I don't have to worry about warehousing fees, transportation costs, returns, and all of those other headaches, giving me more time to focus on writing and publishing.

Why am I getting into all of this?  Because there are a lot of very talented self-publishing authors out there, and they do so for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with vanity.  Ron Miller, a Hugo award winning writer and illustrator, recently self-published some of his older fantasy novels in order to bring them back into circulation.  These are books that had previously been published through traditional publishing.  Maggie Pagratis, who publishes under her Athse Publishing label, donates up to half of her profits to various charities.  That's certainly an arrangement few traditional publishing houses would agree to!

But the difference between folks like this, and the more common "I wanna see my name on a cover and be famous" crowd, is that real self-publishers understand that they are, in fact, PUBLISHERS.  These are folks who have accepted the responsibilities of being a publisher, not just a writer.  They have taken the time to learn about and understand the process.  They acknowledge their own limitations and seek out professionals who can help them produce quality work.  They think about their works in terms of how a reader will relate to it, and strive to present it in a manner readers will appreciate.

Whereas the typical vanity press author not only has no clue how the real publishing world works, but they adamantly refuse to learn.  These are the people who think editors will "destroy" their work.  These are people who think the spellchecker function in Word is the same as an actual proofreader or, gods forbid, think they can proofread their own work.   They think about their work in terms of their own ego, and slap it together with no regard for how potential readers will perceive it. 

There is never a legitimate reason to use a vanity press.  Money flows toward the writer, not away.  If you are a writer, and your sole goal is to be published, using a vanity press will never help you succeed.  In fact, it will destroy any semblance of credibility you may have. 

There are legitimate reasons to self-publish, however.

*You have a very specific niche market product.  With the exception of Wizards of the Coast, White Wolf, and a handful of others, most roleplaying game companies are essentially self-publishers or started as self-publishers.  Most people who don't play roleplaying games don't understand the industry, and traditional publishing houses really don't take an interest in the market.  If you have a small niche market that is relatively ignored by traditional publishing outlets, you are probably better off self-publishing.

*You are an expert in your narrow field.  While your book on international shipping laws for the meatpacking industry may be in high demand in, well, the meatpacking industry, chances are a traditional publisher isn't going to be too interested.  But if you are an expert in your field, and you know your market, there is no reason not to self-publish.  If you have ever bought a specialized book for your career field, chances are the company that produced it is actually a self-publishing author who saw a need and filled it.

*Regional interest books.  The history of Anytown, Texas may be fascinating to the folks in Anytown, TX, but probably not so much to the rest of the U.S.  But if you are willing to do the work, regional interest books generally do quite well in self-publishing.  This includes fiction collections from local authors.  People generally love to read about their neighbors, and an anthology featuring work from the writers in your regional writer's group would be of interest to your area.

*Personal satisfaction.   There is a difference between personal satisfaction and vanity.  For me, I enjoy the entire process of book creation.  Watching a project evolve from an idea to a finished book is a fascinating journey.   I take pride in producing a quality book.  I take pride in my authors, and feel a responsibility to them to present their work in the best possible light.  It's the satisfaction that comes from working hard and seeing the end result of that work. 

For some, that satisfaction comes from publishing the biography of a grandparent.  While the book may not be of mass-market interest, it is something of immense value to the people who knew the person.   That satisfaction may come from putting together a charity anthology to support the local animal shelter or to provide money for a new children's park. 

Self-publishing in and of itself is not a negative activity.  Too many people do not respect the work involved in it, and that is the root of the problem.  These people aren't self-publishing, they are engaging in vanity printing.  Like independent filmmakers or independent musicians, independent authors who take it upon themselves to self-publish have a real passion for the work, and I hate to see them lumped in with the vanity publishers who are only interested in seeing their name on a book cover.

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Added notes:

To read reviews of some quality self-published titles, please visit our book reviews page.

 Independent authors are invited to submit excerpts of their works for A Bage Full of Gems, an anthology meant to highlight the best of self-publishing.

I tend to avoid the typical writing advice.  There are already hundreds of books that are designed to teach you how to write.  I really don't believe in recreating the wheel.  But I do think it is vital to train writers on how to think.  Positive Publishing Perspectives is a free publication we produce that is designed to help those interested in self-publishing change their point of view.