A picture book rewrite client I worked with last year just contacted me about a vanity press. I won’t mention the name because I’m not that familiar with the company.
I just know they will ‘accept’ your book for publication, but you need to pay for editing, design (formatting and layout), illustrations, covers, front and back matter, the ISBN code, barcode, and any and all other needed elements. And, you’ll need to pay for them to actually create the files and upload for publication.
Now, I know this particular book doesn’t need to be edited because I rewrote it, edited it, and proofread it. So right off the bat, they’re scamming the author.
A little side note: I’ve seen the damage these unprofessional editors create when they get their hands on an edited and polished manuscript. It’s almost always bad and sometimes it’s disastrous. But these editors (supposedly) are what the vanity presses can afford to keep their profits high.
Okay, back on track.
The book was a simple chapter book at around 3500 words. So, she went for ten illustrations which would work fine.
An author can get decent illustrations for around $100-$140 per interior illustration. Covers may be $200-$250.
But since vanity presses use low-end workers, the illustrators probably work for under $50 per illustration. These vanities could pay a lot less for illustrations, but I’ll stick with around $50.
The vanity wanted $2300 from my client. Depending on the quality of the vanity’s staff, this isn’t that bad a price.
Working with good illustrators and designers.
With valid illustrators, the cost of ten interior illustrations would be say $1000 and add $200 for the covers.
Most illustrators I work with will include the front ant back pages in the price.
And, you will OWN the illustrations. (This is something you definitely want to have in your contract with an illustrator or self-publishing service.)
This is around $1200.
As I know my client’s manuscript didn’t need editing, I’ll skip this phase.
For design, formatting, print-ready files, and uploading for publication, it could cost $300-$700, depending on the project and the service. I’ll go with $500.
The author will provide their own ISBN and barcode.
So, if you provide a polished manuscript, you will have a published book for under or around $2000.
And, it will be a book you can be proud to be author of.
Vanity press.
It would cost the vanity around $500 for the illustrations (putting a price of $50 per interior illustrations). And, maybe another $100 or so for the covers. Remember, they could be paying much less.
Guessing they would do a botched editing job regardless of whether the manuscript needed it or not, add another $100 (random amount).
Then there’s actually creating the book and publishing.
As it’s up to $700, that means the design to publishing would be $1600.
Again, as I said, $2300 for ten illustrations, book design, and publishing isn’t bad. But what may be very bad is the quality of your finished product…your book.
Note1: The vanity will usually provide a free ISBN. The reason they do this is because if they provide it, they will be listed as the publisher of the book.
Note2: Vanity presses make their money from the author. You’re their customer, not readers. And most authors don’t recoup their self-publishing costs.
Note3: A telltale mark of a vanity press is that they offer bundle services. These bundles even include marketing services.
They’ll build you an author website, write the webcopy, and promote your book.
Buyer, beware!
I’ve seen some very unprofessional websites created by vanity presses.
A rose by any other name.
Whether they call themselves hybrid publishers, traditional publishers, or self-publishers, if you’re paying for everything to get your book published, you’re working with a vanity press.
But there’s always a flip side.
While most self-publishing services may be scammers, there are ones that are legit…reputable.
For a list of ones that actually care about your book and help you publish a book you’ll be proud of, check out ALLi: https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be author of, one that’s publishable and marketable. You can contact me at: kcioffiventrice@gmail.com. Or, you can give me a call at 834---347---6700 Or, if you’d rather do-it-yourself, check out my book, How to Write a Children’s Fiction Book.
