Been seeing a lot of posts online lately about people who have been taken advantage of by vanity presses.
For those of you unfamiliar with the ins and outs of self publishing, a print on demand company (also known as PoD) is a system or process whereby individual copies or small numbers of a text are printed to order, typically using digital technology. It lets self publishers publish their books and sells them for a cut of the profits. They may offer other services, such as editing or cover design, that you may or may not choose to purchase, and will charge you for any books you choose to buy, but they do not charge you for the act of publishing
A vanity press, on the other hand, is a publishing house that publishes books at the author’s expense. You must pay them to publish through them. They usually try to sell you a package of goods and services, and will promise you the moon, but do not constantly deliver on their promises
How do you keep from getting scammed? Well, first look at where the money goes. It’s legitimate to pay for services you choose, like editing, but if the company says you must pay them, go slowly and read the fine print (especially if they’re making big promises bout fame and fortune.)
Do an online search and find out what other authors are saying about them. Check with the Better Business Bureau
And here’s one site that I hear is helpful in sorting out the good guys from the not so good
Catherine Kane
8/13/15
For more information on Catherine’s books, “Adventures in Palmistry”, “The Practical Empath – Surviving and Thriving as a Psychic Empath”, “Manifesting Something Better”, “The Psychic Power of Your Dreams”, her urban fantasy “The Lands That Lie Between” and her new book “Magick for Pennies”, all from Foresight Publications, click here
catherinekanewrites 