The Peculiar Case of ‘Vanity Press’ Publishers
There is a common sentiment among writers that ‘Vanity Press’ publishers are scammers that prey on the uninformed and desperate because they require authors to pay for their services. The sentiment appears to be that there is no value in ‘being published’ in and of itself—that what really matters is the book gets attention from professional editors and meets sales targets, which is the service a traditional publisher offers. This article examines whether this sentiment is really accurate.