Hello everyone. I have read a lot of negativity surrounding so called vanity publishers especially for new authors.
I have been offered a pretty fair contributory publication by Pegasus and Austin Macauley for a children's book I have written.
Having explored self-publishing, some of the quotes for this which include much the same service as the two publishers above are in excess of the contribution both publishing houses are asking for and don't include the same promotion and publicity Pegasus and Austin Macauley offer.
Talking it over with an independent book shop owner he spoke quite highly of them, particularly Pegasus.
My question is this: As a new author how else can you get work published? Most publishers don't accept unsolicited manuscripts and getting an agent seems well nigh impossible.
I am seriously tempted by the vanity publishing route. It appears they are cheaper than most self publishers and at least and there is a comfort in being with an established publishing house.
Thanks everyone.
I accepted the invitation by Austin Macauley to have my first novel published. After paying over 5k Australian, 3 years and complete inaction on their part, despite the fact my book was #1 on their Sci-Fi list over that time, there was no action by them. Sales were few and cheques too inadequate for Australian banks to honour.
Communication was via cut and paste, no questions were answered, and I was compelled to conclude that they are con-artists.
Stay away. Publish via KDP - at least that's free.
Thank you for your insightful comments. You'll be pleased to hear that I've turned then vanity publishers down. I may well self-publish... with a bit of help. S
Some years ago, I considered an offer from a vanity publisher. Compared to the prices that I've read about here on Q&As, it was quite cheap: £499. Still, I decided not to go that route. The only publicising that they seemed to do for their authors was to include the book (admittedly with jacket illustration) on their web-site.
As others have said before, once they have YOUR money in their bank account, why should they fork out some of their own to "push" your book in any way, especially since it hasn't been edited properly and probably won't return their investment?
It almost certainly won't return yours. Vanity publishers don't make their profits from book sales: they make their money from authors eager to see their books in print... by whatever means, in whatever form, at whatever cost.
I also was once on the verge of being signed by a reputable publisher, but clashed with its chief editor over his lack of giving me clear information. (It all flared up after it turned out that the "advance" that I'd been promised - and needed in order to finish the book [at that time I didn't even have my own computer, and library computers wouldn't allow me to use Photo Shop] - turned out to be too late to be much good: paid after the publisher had done all THEIR work [and they wouldn't start until I'd finished all MY work] and the book was at the printers... just 3 months before the first real royalty money from sales came in, anyway [and 18 months after I needed the money to buy a 2nd-hand computer to finish the illustrations].) I sent him an angry e-mail, he objected to my attitude... and the deal fell through.
This caused me to start up my own "publishing hut" (too tiny to be called a house). I published my own book, but it's not entirely a self-publishing venture. Because of the treatment that I'd received from that chief editor, I want to help other authors get started... and treat them decently.
Downside: With a tiny budget, we can't turn you into a best-seller. But we can help you "get your foot in the door". Small print-runs that MIGHT - if there's positive response - engender larger print-runs.
Up-side: You don't have to invest your own money, we edit your ms for free, and you don't sign over your rights. This last point means
a) that you can simultaneously self-publish, having taken advantage of our editing services; and
b) that if another publisher offers you a better deal, you can accept it, and we'll be happy that we've helped you on your way.
Interested at all? If so, see http://la-granota.com/crazy.htm (Unlike vanity publishers, we'll only deal with you if we like your work. Unlike mainstream publishers, we're more interested in books than in money, i.e. our first question isn't "Will this make us lots of money?": it's "Does this book deserve to be published?")
I've written at length because your book is for children and that's what we want to specialise in.