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Community Publishing for the community

Vanity Publishing Contracts

16/1/2018

2 Comments

 
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.
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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.
2 Comments
Rashid
2/5/2023 10:15:16 am

I am currently going through a similar fix. I was so eager when a publishing house took notice of my work and in my excitement, I barely thought of the implications of such a contract. I have a question. Does Austin Macaulay have a right in any subsequent work the author publishes if he or she opts to go with another publishing house with a different book?

Reply
Gordon Lawrie (Editor)
3/5/2023 04:22:50 pm

Probably not. Clause 25 says AM "would like to have first refusal", but that's as far as it goes, I think. Anyway, if you published under a different name they'd never know. Are you in with AM?

If you want more help, get in touch directly by email – [email protected].

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