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It is no news that every writer would love to get published, but what most of us failed to realize is that, as an aspiring and upcoming writer, we must understand one thing- we are an easy target!
I am sorry that I have to be that blunt about it, but how else does one say the truth without saying the truth?
Many so called ‘publishers’ will hijack your work, trash you and your work, tell you to forget about writing, tell you to bring a fortune for editing or publishing and so on. You will be put in a snooker, such that you will forget that you even have an option.
But believe me, not all these vanity publishers are so harsh with the way they respond to your submission, some of them are so nice, until they get hold of your manuscript.
WHO IS A VANITY PUBLISHER/HOW CAN YOU RECOGNISE THEM?
Vanity (or subsidy) publishers are what we can call ‘a glorified printing press owners’. Someone just got the opportunity to own a lovely printing press and viola, he calls himself a publisher just because he is in the art of obtaining ISBN for the unsuspecting writers!
These people set up companies and employ some editors who will proofread your manuscripts and most times, have no idea of what you were even trying to pass on. Vanity publishers don’t even have time to read your manuscripts- they rarely do. The moment they see your mail, and probably your synopsis and your three sample chapters (which was never read because they don’t really care about you), they will send you a nice reply about how the board of editors have passed your book for the final editing and how you will be contacted if your manuscript is to be considered for publishing. Be rest assured, it will be.
Now, after congratulating you about ‘your manuscript meeting their publishing standard’ (if ever they had any) and how it is being considered for publication, you will be asked to send the WHOLE MANUSCRIPT for the editor’s perusal (please, don’t) and a publishing agreement will be forwarded to you for your rejection or acceptance. You will definitely be thrown a bait of the popular 70% royalty on every sale too!
Now, don’t get it twisted, real publishers will require these too…
But the main focal point to identify a vanity publisher is that, “you will be required to pay a small fee as commitment before your book is published”. By the time they give you a price, you wouldn’t realize that it had already covered the cost of printing the required numbers of copies they promised to print (exactly what you paid for)!
Now, let us stop here and get some air.
Vanity publishers don’t care if your work meets any standard, and your manuscript is not even safe (especially if it is not copyrighted). All they wanted to do is their job- print and make profit. But after 500 copies (or whatever you paid for) have been delivered, your books will probably ‘not leave their shelf’.
For the marketing aspect, vanity publishers will provided with a free blog and hosted at a very cheap price- all within your payment! If you happened to make good sales after you are left to put in every last effort on marketing, good for them- not you, because the 30% that belongs to them is a plus, after the initial profit of printing. And worst still, you must have already entered a contractual agreement whereby, if your book ever made unexpected headlines, you are indirectly advertising them for a job you paid for, and helping them make more money.
They probably call themselves publishers because they have helped your lazy and ignorant self, purchase an ISBN for your book, registered in their name too. So, technically, they are profit-partakers of your work and owing part of the copyright. So, when you get lucky and either got a bigger book deal or a movie deal, don’t forget, you’ve got partners whom you’ve paid to help you print, collect ISBN and still waiting ripping you off by sharing in the profit!
Note that whoever owns the ISBN owns the book and the author.
SO, HOW DO YOU AVOID THEM?
Like I said, all steps involved, from submitting a manuscript and accepting to publish you, are real until they ask for the whole manuscript without a pre-contract. So,
1. Never send your manuscript without you getting an ISBN. This is very cheap, and the process is quite simple. Contact the copyright house in your locality. If you cannot afford this, ensure that your manuscript is published online (at your own risk), self-published (even if you won’t sell a copy of it, it will still be registered as a published book) or simply send a copy of the manuscript to yourself or friends by mail (they may not open it, but it will have a date and time as reference).
Vanity publishers employ ghoat writers who, with your synopsis and sample chapters, will rewrite your good story!
2. Don’t sign any stupid agreement that requires you to pay before you get published.
3. Don’t pay before or after you are being considered for publication.
ANOTHER WAY TO IDENTIFY VANITY PUBLISHERS IS TO IDENTIFY THE REAL PUBLISHERS
1. That will offers to take on the publishing and major marketing expenses;
2. That are ready to assign you an editor to take you through your whole editing experience and;
3. Ready to meet with you or your agent to discuss terms and agreement.
4. They may offer you a pre-contract before asking for the whole manuscript (pre-contract is not necessary, but you may be asked to sign an agreement for the safety of your manuscript) and
5. Will be ready to give you (not a whole 70% of sales but maybe far lesser because they are the one taking on the expenses including major marketing) your royalty.
6. Real (traditional) publishers will show the zeal to publish your manuscript if they feel it will bring in profit through sales, thus, they are always ready to spend their money and make it go places while you are made ready to read the excerpts to book clubs, sign autograph and rake in royalties with less effort.
So, dear readers, before you are being deceived by Printers who brand themselves as publishers, think twice and do not be in a hurry or you will be left to market your books at car parks just to break even (if you ever will).
Printers already made their profit the moment you pay them to print the numbers of copies that your payment covers, and you will do all the marketing for them.
Do not bring down your guard or write off yourself because they believed you cannot make it in the outside world- who says?
Remember, keep writing, and keep getting better.
Thank you.
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