One my pet hates is VANITY PUBLISHERS. These people prey on would-be authors, pretending to be conventional publishers but taking money from the authors instead of giving it to them. Have a look at this contract below, from a British vanity publisher (Austin Macauley) with an American office.
Hardly any part of this is fair. The author has to pay hand over fist for the book to be published, yet has no guarantee anything will be done. There's not actually any incentive for AM to do anything at all. Sign this and your manuscript and book are dead. Done for. You've paid out over $3000/£2000, have no recourse and can't even complain – Clause 18 is a gagging clause.
To be clear, SELF-PUBLISHING is very different from vanity publishing. Authors who self-publishes retain all the rights to their books, and they can terminate the contract and sell to a higher bidder (such as another publisher) any time they like. They even own the books. So Comely Bank Publishing authors can and do run their own signing events, selling their books and pocketing all the money.
Comely Bank Publishing is a self-publishing not-for-profit collective with a growing reputation and a network of marketing outlets. But there are reputable commercial firms that will help you self-publish, too. Two that get a decent name are Matador and New Generation.
They make it clear that you're self-publishing, unlike the clear-as-mud nonsense in that contract above. I'm sure there decent people who work in these offices, but I'd have so much more sympathy if they'd only be honest.
In the meantime, please – whatever you do, don't sign anything like that.
To be clear, SELF-PUBLISHING is very different from vanity publishing. Authors who self-publishes retain all the rights to their books, and they can terminate the contract and sell to a higher bidder (such as another publisher) any time they like. They even own the books. So Comely Bank Publishing authors can and do run their own signing events, selling their books and pocketing all the money.
Comely Bank Publishing is a self-publishing not-for-profit collective with a growing reputation and a network of marketing outlets. But there are reputable commercial firms that will help you self-publish, too. Two that get a decent name are Matador and New Generation.
They make it clear that you're self-publishing, unlike the clear-as-mud nonsense in that contract above. I'm sure there decent people who work in these offices, but I'd have so much more sympathy if they'd only be honest.
In the meantime, please – whatever you do, don't sign anything like that.
