What exactly does 'vanity publishing' mean? Vanity publishing or vanity press is simply a term which describes a publishing house in which authors pay to have their books published. Many authors select a vanity press when they want the benefits of a published book, but are unable to access the more traditional book publishing houses. Unlike traditional publishing, as an author accessing the services of a vanity publisher you are in complete control of your work. This means that the book cover and the overall creative content is the author’s responsibility. However, you have to pay for this privilege and usually this means buying books in bulk and then having to sell them independently. Vanity presses do not generally have commercial links with bookstores and this is an important factor to consider. If you really want your book to be available in bookstores, then this is not the route to take.

Many vanity publishers also market themselves as 'self-publishers’ but this is very different to print on demand publishing which is what the author as a self-publisher uses. Print on demand publishing is when your book is made available to be sold via various distribution channels of your choosing. They also only print a book when it is ordered, so it is on demand; there is no need for bulk buying.

It is important to note that you do have to be wary of vanity publishers, and indeed of any independent publisher, as they know that many aspiring authors will approach them after being ‘rejected’ by mainstream publication houses. They might try to exploit you, so be vigilant.

The vanity publisher, unlike mainstream publishing, will also have no interest in promoting and selling your book; this is the author’s job. Their role is to produce the book as per the given requirements. This is extremely important to remember.

In this changing publishing climate, many authors are now converting to the self-publishing option and actively choosing to self-publish their books. They remain in control and can produce a high quality, professional looking book independently. This is cost effective for many reasons. One is that this can be a stepping stone into the elusive world of mainstream publishing as it is a way of getting their book out there and noticed. Another is that it is a way of testing the market and seeing if their book will be popular and, more importantly, sell.

New technology has allowed the aspiring author to be able to produce and sell their own work. The only difficult decision is how to do so. Vanity and self-publishing are two of the options; you just need to work out what is best for you in the long run. A lot of this depends on the type of book you have produced, how many copies you want to sell, and where you want to sell your book. Do your research and read reviews about your chosen publishers. Once confident that they can give you what you want, go for it.