What Is a Vanity Publisher?

You receive an email: We would love to publish your book.

Excellent.

Then you reach the next paragraph. There is a publishing package. It costs several thousand dollars. So now what?

Is this a publishing deal? A hybrid publisher? A self-publishing service? A vanity publisher? A scam?

This is where publishing terminology becomes spectacularly unhelpful.

Nothing is automatically suspicious about an author paying a professional to edit, design, typeset, or print a book. That is how professional self-publishing works. Some publishing models also require an author to contribute financially, and the arrangement can be legitimate.

The real question is not simply: Who pays?It is: What are you paying for, what are you getting in return, what rights are you giving away, and who is actually taking the commercial risk?

Those questions tell you considerably more than whatever label appears on the company’s website.

General information only: This article provides general publishing information, not legal or financial advice. Contracts and individual circumstances vary. If you are considering a significant publishing agreement or are unsure about your rights, obtain independent professional advice before signing.

Why Is “Vanity Publishing” So Confusing?

Because people use the term to describe several different things.

Arts Law Centre of Australia describes vanity publishing—also sometimes called subsidy, joint-venture, or partnership publishing—as an arrangement where a publishing service charges the writer a fee to publish the book. It also makes an important point: many businesses charging authors for self-publishing services are legitimate, while others may operate unethically.

That distinction matters. If I hire:

• an editor
• a proofreader
• a book-cover designer
• a typesetter
• an illustrator
• a printer

and pay them for their work, nobody has mysteriously become a vanity publisher.

I am the publisher.

They are suppliers.

The problem begins when an author is sold the appearance of a publishing deal without receiving the investment, selectivity, distribution, commercial effort or risk-sharing normally implied by the word publisher.

That is why I prefer looking at the business model instead of arguing about labels.

Traditional Publishing

Let’s start with the easiest model to recognise.

A traditional or commercial publisher chooses books it believes are worth publishing and takes the financial risk of bringing them to market. Generally, the publisher arranges and pays for things such as:

• editing
• proofreading
• cover design
• typesetting
• production
• printing
• distribution
• sales representation
• at least some marketing and publicity activity

The author licenses certain publishing rights to the publisher under a contract and receives royalties on sales. Some contracts also include an advance.

The important point is this: The publisher is investing in the book.

The Australian Publishers Association’s definition of a commercial publisher is useful here. For its full publisher membership, the APA specifically distinguishes publishing activity involving commercial risk and revenue ultimately derived from book sales from publishing services performed for fees paid by authors.

That doesn’t mean traditional publishers are charities. Quite the opposite. They are businesses who invest because they believe they can sell enough books to recover that investment and make a profit.

The trade-off

The author generally gives up some control. The publisher may have contractual authority over areas such as:

• title
• cover
• format
• pricing
• publication schedule
• distribution
• marketing decisions

Exactly what rights are granted depends on the contract.

The Australian Publishers Association’s Code of Conduct says its members should offer author contracts that are fair, clear, and comprehensive; deal appropriately with copyright and rights reversion; and report and pay royalties promptly.

Traditional publishing is therefore not: “Someone else publishes my book for free.”

It is: “A commercial publisher decides to invest its money and resources in publishing my book in exchange for contractual publishing rights and a share of the revenue.”

That is a business arrangement.

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing flips the model. You are the publisher.

That sentence explains almost everything. You decide:

• what gets published
• when it gets published
• who edits it
• who designs it
• how it is printed
• where it is distributed
• what it costs
• how it is promoted

And you pay the costs associated with those decisions.

You might do some of the work yourself. You might hire professionals for other parts. You might use Amazon KDP for print-on-demand and ebooks, IngramSpark for broader print distribution, a local Australian printer for a short run, or some combination of these. None of that makes another business your publisher.

They are providing services or infrastructure while you retain the publisher role.

Yes, professional self-publishing costs money. This occasionally comes as an unwelcome surprise. It shouldn’t.

A professional editor expects to be paid. So does a designer. So does a printer. Amazon may make uploading a book to KDP free, but that does not mean producing a professional book costs nothing.

KDP currently offers ebook royalty options of 35% and, for qualifying sales, 70%. For paperbacks sold through Amazon, the standard royalty rate is currently 50% or 60% depending on the book’s list price and marketplace, with printing costs then deducted.

That is not the same economics as a traditional publishing contract because the author is effectively operating the publishing business.

Which brings us to a useful rule: Paying professionals does not make you vanity published. It makes you a self-publisher who has hired professionals.

Author-Service Businesses

This category deserves its own section because it causes a remarkable amount of confusion.

An author-service business might offer:

• manuscript assessment
• editing
• proofreading
• cover design
• typesetting
• illustration
• ebook conversion
• website design
• printing
• production assistance
• publishing guidance

You choose a service. They quote for it. You pay them. They perform the work. You remain the publisher.

That is an ordinary supplier-client relationship.

Arts Law explicitly recognises that companies offer services such as editing, proofreading and design to authors who self-publish.

The cleanest version of this relationship is quite simple: Your book. Your money. Your decisions. Your rights.

The service provider is paid for doing a defined job rather than acquiring your publishing rights and presenting itself as the commercial publisher of your work.

Hybrid Publishing

Now we reach the category where things become murkier.

A genuine hybrid publisher combines elements of traditional publishing with author financial contribution.

The author contributes towards the cost of publishing. However, the company is still supposed to perform the functions of a publisher, rather than merely selling production services.

The Independent Book Publishers Association updated its Hybrid Publisher Criteria in 2022. Its 11 criteria include:

• having a defined publishing mission
• vetting submissions
• transparent business practices
• clear and negotiable contracts
• publishing under the publisher’s own imprint and ISBNs
• meeting professional publishing standards
• taking responsibility for editorial, design and production quality
• pursuing publishing rights
• providing distribution
• demonstrating respectable sales
• paying higher-than-standard royalties

Importantly, IBPA says an author-subsidised business model does not remove the publisher’s responsibilities for producing, distributing and selling professional-quality books.

That is a useful distinction.

A genuine hybrid publisher does more than say, “Give us $8,000 and we’ll manufacture your book.” It actually publishes.

The word “Hybrid” is not a guarantee. Anyone can put hybrid publisher on a website. The label itself proves very little. That is one reason authors need to examine what sits underneath it. Ask:

• Does this company reject manuscripts?
• Does it publish under its own imprint?
• Does it have genuine trade distribution?
• Can I find evidence that its books actually sell?
• Does it have a publishing and sales strategy?
• Is it investing expertise, resources and reputation in the project?
• Or does every manuscript miraculously turn out to be exactly what it was looking for — provided the author can pay the invoice?

So What Is a Vanity Publisher?

For practical purposes, I would use the term for a paid publishing operation where the author is the principal customer. At the same time, the company presents the transaction as though the author has been selected for a meaningful publishing opportunity.

The concerning version typically looks something like this: The company tells you it wants to publish your book. You are made to feel selected. Then you are presented with a substantial fee.

You may surrender publishing rights. The company may own or control important production assets. It may take royalties in addition to your upfront payment. Its distribution may amount to little more than making the book technically orderable online. Its marketing may consist largely of services sold back to you. And the company’s strongest commercial incentive may be finding more authors willing to buy publishing packages, rather than selling substantial numbers of books to readers.

That is the point at which the word publisher starts doing an awful lot of work.

Paying Upfront Is Not, by Itself, the Red Flag

This needs saying clearly. An upfront fee does not prove something is a scam.

If you are self-publishing, you will almost certainly pay people upfront. If you engage a legitimate hybrid publisher, you may make a substantial financial contribution.

Arts Law likewise notes that many companies charging fees for self-publishing services are legitimate. Its concern is with poor-value or unethical arrangements where authors do not receive the production, marketing or distribution services they reasonably expected.

So don’t use this test: Do they want money?Use this one: What happens to the money, and what does the company commit to doing in return?

Much more useful.

Red Flag 1: Everybody Gets Accepted

Traditional publishers reject manuscripts constantly. Legitimate hybrid publishers should also vet submissions. Indeed, IBPA makes selection one of its criteria for hybrid publishers.

Why? Because a publisher’s reputation depends partly on what it chooses to publish.

If you submit a manuscript at 10 am and receive an effusive acceptance at 2.17 pm—complete with a payment link—I would slow things down considerably.

Particularly if nobody seems to have actually read the manuscript.

Red Flag 2: The Flattery Arrives Before the Information

Beware of publishing correspondence that sounds like an awards ceremony.

We believe your extraordinary work has enormous commercial potential.Wonderful. How many copies do you reasonably expect to sell?

Our editorial board was captivated by your unique voice.Excellent. Who exactly is distributing the book?

We are delighted to offer you this exclusive opportunity.Fine. Who owns the finished files?

Flattery is cheap.

Answers are useful.

Red Flag 3: Pressure to Sign Quickly

Publishing contracts affect rights, money and potentially years of your book’s commercial life.

There is rarely a sensible reason you must sign one by Friday.

Arts Law specifically warns authors to be wary of “limited time” style pressure designed to encourage signing before the author has had time to investigate the publisher or obtain advice on the agreement.

A professional company should be comfortable with you:

• reading the contract
• asking questions
• comparing alternatives
• checking references
• obtaining independent advice

If giving you time to think threatens the deal, think very carefully indeed.

Red Flag 4: Vague Deliverables

“Global distribution.” Sounds impressive, but what does it mean?

Will sales representatives pitch the book to Australian booksellers? Will it be stocked? Will it merely be listed in a wholesale database? Can a bookstore theoretically order a copy if a customer specifically requests one?

These are not the same thing.

Likewise, “marketing campaign”could mean almost anything. Ask what will actually happen.

How many media pitches? Which advertising? Who pays? For how long? What sales channels? What reporting?

Publishing contracts become much easier to assess once impressive nouns are replaced with verbs.

Red Flag 5: You Pay — But They Control Everything

This is where I become particularly interested. If you are paying most or all of the production cost, ask why the company also needs:

• extensive publishing rights
• long contract terms
• control of pricing
• control over files
• control over editions
• significant royalty percentages

That combination may still be explainable in a genuine hybrid model.

But it needs to be explained.

The more money and risk you contribute, the more carefully you should examine what value the other party is contributing in return.

Red Flag 6: The Sales Forecast Requires Imagination

Nobody can guarantee your book will become a bestseller.

Nobody can guarantee meaningful media coverage.

Nobody can guarantee that a bookstore will stock it.

Nobody can guarantee thousands of readers.

The ACCC says representations businesses make about the benefits, qualities, performance and value of services must be accurate, truthful and based on reasonable grounds.

So when someone starts promising outcomes rather than explaining services, pay attention.

Publishing contains uncertainty. A trustworthy publishing professional will usually acknowledge it.

Red Flag 7: You Can’t Work Out Who Owns What

Before signing, you should understand:

• who owns copyright in the manuscript
• what publishing rights you are granting
• which territories are covered
• which formats are covered
• how long the agreement lasts
• how rights return to you
• who owns the cover artwork
• who owns the typeset files
• who controls the ISBN
• whether you receive usable production files if the relationship ends

Rights are not administrative trivia. They are part of the value of your book.

The Australian Publishers Association’s professional code specifically addresses clear contracts, copyright acknowledgement and rights reversion.

If you cannot explain your own contract after reading it, don’t sign it yet.

Grif’s Before-You-Sign Checklist

If money is changing hands, ask these questions.

1. Are you the publisher or a service provider?Make them explain the relationship.

2. What exactly am I buying?Get a written list of deliverables. Not “premium publishing package”. Actual deliverables.

3. What will I pay in total?Ask about:

• setup fees
• editing
• design
• printing
• revisions
• distribution
• marketing
• compulsory copy purchases
• annual fees
• storage
• future editions

4. Who owns my copyright?And what rights are you granting?

5. How long does the contract last?And how do you leave?

6. Who controls the ISBN?This matters because the ISBN identifies the publisher of that edition.

7. Who owns the production files?If you leave, can you take the finished cover and interior files elsewhere?

8. What does “distribution” actually mean?Ask for names.

• Which wholesalers?
• Which retailers?
• Which territories?
• Is the book returnable?
• Is there sales representation?

9. How are royalties calculated?

• Percentage of what?
• Retail price?
• Net receipts?
• Something else?
• What deductions occur first?

10. What marketing is genuinely included?Again, get actions rather than adjectives.

11. Can I speak with several authors you’ve published?Not only the testimonials selected for the website.

12. Can I see recent books?Buy one if necessary. Look at the editing. Cover. Typography. Paper. Printing. Metadata. Retail availability.

13. What happens if I say no today?This is an underrated test. A perfectly respectable offer should normally survive long enough for you to read it properly.

Check the Company as Well as the Contract

Before transferring thousands of dollars, investigate the business itself.

The ACCC recommends checking business registration details, website information, addresses, terms and conditions and independent sources when determining whether a business appears genuine.

For a publishing business, I would also check:

• ASIC and ABN details
• how long it has operated
• directors or proprietors
• books it has produced
• retailer availability
• author experiences
• independent reviews
• complaints
• industry memberships
• whether the physical address exists
• whether its claimed distribution arrangements can be verified

Do not let a beautiful website do all the due diligence for you.

Beautiful websites can be purchased too.

What About the Books Themselves?

Look at them.

This sounds obvious, but authors sometimes spend thousands of dollars with a company without first examining its product.

Choose three recent books. Preferably books comparable to yours and ask:

• Does the cover look professionally designed?
• Is the typography competent?
• Has the text been properly edited?
• Does the book look like something that belongs beside traditionally published competitors?
• Can you actually buy it easily?
• Can a local bookseller obtain it?
• Does the publisher appear to be doing anything with it now that it exists?

If a publisher’s previous books consistently look amateur, yours is unlikely to be the miraculous exception.

Paying for Services Versus Paying to Be “Chosen”

Here is the distinction I find most useful.

Suppose you hire a designer for $1,500.

The designer says: I will design your cover. Here is the scope, price, revision allowance and final files you will receive.

That is a clear transaction.

Now imagine a company says: Our publishing board has selected your exceptional manuscript for publication. To accept this prestigious publishing offer, choose our $8,995 Gold Author Package.

A different psychological proposition entirely.

Perhaps the second company delivers perfectly legitimate services. Perhaps not. But you should strip away the language of acceptance and ask: What am I actually buying for $8,995?

Then compare those services and prices with other ways of producing the same book.

The fog tends to clear rather quickly.

There Is No Shame in Self-Publishing

I suspect some vanity-publishing businesses survive partly because authors are still told that being selected by a publishervalidates the book in a way that self-publishing does not.

Forget that.

If you want to self-publish, self-publish.

Own the decision. Hire excellent people. Produce a professional book. Keep control of the project. Accept the commercial risk knowingly.

That business model is not second-rate. Paying to produce your own book is not the problem.

The problem is paying self-publishing costs while believing somebody else has taken on the role and risk of a commercial publisher.

And There Is Nothing Automatically Wrong With Hybrid Publishing

Likewise, an author may reasonably decide that a genuine hybrid model suits them. Perhaps they want:

• a managed production process
• professional editorial oversight
• an established imprint
• distribution infrastructure
• publishing expertise
• less operational responsibility

If the company meets credible hybrid standards and the economics make sense for the author’s goals, that can be a legitimate choice.

Just understand the transaction. Hybrid publishing should give you more than bundled self-publishing services with a publisher’s logo added to the invoice.

Which Publishing Model Is Best?

Wrong question.

The better question is: Which model best suits this book and what I want from it?

If your ambition is a major commercial publishing deal and you are prepared for submissions, uncertainty and long lead times, traditional publishing may suit you.

If control, speed and ownership matter most — and you are prepared to manage the project and pay professionals where needed — self-publishing may suit you.

If you want a publisher-managed process and are comfortable contributing financially, a properly vetted hybrid publisher may make sense.

What you want to avoid is entering one model while believing you have bought another.

The Simplest Test

When somebody offers to publish your book, forget the terminology for five minutes. Ask four things:

• Who pays?
• Who owns the rights?
• Who controls the publishing decisions?
• Who has to sell books to readers for this business arrangement to succeed?

That fourth question is particularly revealing.

A traditional publisher needs readers to buy books. A self-publishing author needs readers to buy books.

A genuine hybrid publisher should have an ongoing interest in readers buying books.

An author-services provider succeeds by delivering the services you purchased well.

A problematic vanity operation may already have made most of the money it needs to make when you signed the contract.

That is the difference worth understanding.

The word on the website matters considerably less.

References and Further Reading

• ACCC – Checking a Business Is Genuine
• Arts Law Centre of Australia – Authors and Self-Publishing
• Australian Publishers Association – Constitution and Code of Conduct
• Australian Publishers Association – Publisher Definition and Membership Declarations
• Independent Book Publishers Association – Hybrid Publisher Criteria
• Amazon KDP – Paperback Royalty
• ACCC – False or Misleading Claims