Oh the Vanity
01/11/2001 . Source: Jane Palmer 

Jane Palmer peers into the world of Vanity Publishing. With the SF/F publishing world so f&^%%$ed, is this now the only route to print?

So you have just written the novel that will win awards, wow the literary community, change lives and make a fortune. All you need to do now is get it published.

A few people do manage it. The media, misleadingly, go on about the unknown writing talents suddenly discovered by a "benevolent" agent or publishing house. They can do it, so why can't you?

Many people write. They enjoy putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard. And then there is that buzz they get from committing their ideas to words and the prospect of others being able to read their personal creation.

Some are embarrassed by their endeavours and never admit to their creative scribbling. As with personal diaries, these documents can turn up years later and prove to be valuable contemporary records.

Having exhausted all avenues by submitting their novel to agents and publishers without success, many will call it a day and confine their typescript to a bottom draw with all the gifts of underwear they would never dare put on.

Some will learn from any constructive criticism in reject letters then write another novel and another and another until they get it right. Six or more novels before having a book accepted for publication is not unusual.

Confident writers, knowledgeable about their subject and having researched a market for it, will opt to self-publish. This may well be a full-time commitment but, when well edited and presented, their efforts can be worth all the hassle. Many local and special interest subjects are published this way, satisfying a demand that mainstream publishers cannot cater for.

Then there is another category. Writers who are personally driven to show the world their masterpiece - whether it wants to see it or not.

For these authors, the endeavour that went into their tome was so great nothing can better it. Why should they have to try again?

As with many creative arenas, it is possible to be content with attaining the mediocre because the excellent is beyond the ability of all but a few. Most people can tell the difference between the poetry of the Great McGonagall and Alexander Pope.

When it comes to their own work, like the Great McGonagall, a few can see no fault in it and are determined to get it into print at all costs. Whether the work is good or bad, there is no harm in this aspiration. The predatory "imprints" that appeal to an author's vanity do the real harm in creating the illusion of a deserving publication.

There are many short run printers and other agencies that cater for writers who want to see their work in print for one reason or other. That recent phenomenon, the short print run, is probably the most useful facility for amateur and professional alike as technology has brought down the unit cost of producing a limited number of books.

Not long ago, the only economic way of producing a relatively cheap book was to print a couple of thousand because the cost of setting it up was so prohibitive. Now, as long as the material is supplied in an electronic format specified by the printer, the set up could cost as little as £50 for an average paperback and between £2 to £3 for each copy.

These figures are very rough. It is necessary to shop around for the right printer to produce a format that you are happy with. For a writer who wants just enough copies to hand out to relatives and friends, this system is ideal. And if there is a demand, more copies could be run off with no extra expense other than the unit cost and postage.

Then there are the self-publishing facilitators who will generally assist with editorial input, help supply the right printer and give promotional advice. These services can vary greatly. The keyword here is editing.

Without having a competent editor work on your novel, you might as well wait for Guy Fawkes Night and donate your print run to the neighbourhood bonfire.

Professional editing may well cost more than having the book produced. It is also essential to check that prospective editors are the genuine article - not always easy. If you have any doubts, ask about their track record. Some editorial, literary and production services are listed in ‘The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook’.

Having your work independently edited is a sensible and necessary investment. Loving relatives or close friends will either be too kind to point out failings in your work or, occasionally, damn it so unkindly through envy or ignorance you might be put off writing altogether. A total stranger with a professional view can provide constructive advice and guide you onto the right track. People with personal baggage cannot. In that direction, many a friendship lays in tatters.

Lastly, there is that alluring advert in the tabloid or magazine. From amongst the sex aids or literary services, this invites unknown writers to submit their novel. Of course, ‘VANITY PUBLISHER’ is not emblazoned across it.

Quite often it is impossible for the enthusiastic scribbler, unfamiliar with the publishing business, to tell that are dealing with such a company until they receive the letter accepting their novel. Amongst the eulogies to their brilliant work, it will no doubt include the cost of allowing them to publish it. If, by this time, their suspicions haven't been aroused, bear in mind that a legitimate publisher will never ask an author to pay for the publication of their work. If they do, they are a vanity publisher.

A vanity publisher will generally accept anything, except hard core pornography, if it is submitted to them. The editors employed by these firms have the soulless task of putting typescripts of varying quality into a "publishable" condition. This is not the sort of editing worth laying down your money for. As for marketing - don't count on it! The probability is that you will take delivery of a specified number of books and be expected to fend for yourself.

The way vanity publishers operate has been limited, so their methods are becoming even more devious. The sales pitch can take many forms. It is not unheard of for reasonably intelligent authors, who should have known better, be persuaded that this was the real thing until it was too late.

If you are prepared to lay down money, you should be the one who decides how your book is produced. By the time you have dealt with a printer, an independent editor and learnt how to design your book and prepare it for production you will have a valuable insight into why so few books are taken on by genuine publishers. Promoting and selling it is yet another, apparently insurmountable, hurdle. Creating a publication of any sort is not for the faint-hearted.

If anyone offers you a complete publishing package, treat it with suspicion. Any company that requires no more from you than the typescript and a cheque is liable to be a vanity publisher. The effort that has gone into your novel is worth more than the box under the bed or fuel for a bonfire.

All writers start out as amateurs. Book publishing is now more than ever driven by economic considerations and favours the popular. Do not feel obliged to compromise your work - unless you want to of course.

Since Caxton used moveable type, book publishing has never been in greater transition. People will always want to read for the pleasure of it. The more varied the titles that become available, the more possibility there is of mainstream paperbacks having to move over a little to accommodate originality from sources other than the major imprints.

Keep writing if that is what you enjoy doing. You may not be published next year, but your manuscript could well be an investment as the publishing industry changes. It will have to reconstruct itself sooner or later. The reading public cannot live on a diet of mental macaroni forever.

There is no harm in wanting to see your work in print. In fact, without new writers willing to invest the time, there would be no novels worth reading. If having it printed yourself gives you satisfaction, go ahead. It's your work and your money. If others enjoy reading it then you may be inspired to greater things.

But beware the vanity option. And always, always make sure a professional editor goes over your work if you do decide to publish it yourself.

In ‘The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook’ (pub: A & C Black) there are some useful articles. Doing it on Your Own by Peter Finch, Vanity Publishing and E-publishing by Jane Dorner.

Jane Palmer is a respected published SF author of books: 'The Planet Dweller', 'Moving Moosevan' and 'The Watcher' (pub: Women's Press Ltd) amongst others. Her next book, 'Nightingale' will be amongst our next e-book releases.

(c) Jane Palmer - all rights other than information reserved. 2001.