vanity press Archives

Recovering From a Bad Publishing Experience

Recovering from a failed publishing experience is not only possible, it's far easier than most suspect. And it's an opportunity for authors to republish their book more professionally and profitably than before.

Waldorf Publishing: A Watchdog Advisory

Waldorf Publishing's worrying decline is compounded by its attempts to extract money and dubious legal concessions from its authors.

February 11, 2021
John Doppler
Watchdog
4 Comments

Watchdog Advisory: Bookplate Press

The owners of Dog Ear Publishing are apparently attempting to evade angry authors by assuming a new identity: Bookplate Press.

Twitter Chat: Avoiding Using Vanity Presses

On the ALLi Twitter chat (#indieAuthorChat) this week we asked questions about avoiding using vanity presses. This was an open chat with no guest.

July 21, 2020
Timothy Lewis
Process 3 & 4: Production & Distribution
1 Comment

What Is Vanity Publishing?

Vanity presses are almost universally reviled, but is the nearly 80-year-old definition still appropriate in the self-publishing renaissance?

Friends Don’t Let Friends Use Vanity Presses

How do you explain the dark reality of vanity presses to an author who desperately wants to believe the sales pitch? Show them the proof.

The Periodic Table of Self-Publishing Services

There's a service for any element of the publishing process — including some you've probably never heard of. We're here to help you make sense of it all.

February 13, 2020
John Doppler
Watchdog
1 Comment

How to Deal with an Unresponsive Publishing or Self-Publishing Company

Most publishers — even the bad ones — will at least respond to client requests and complaints. But what happens when that company simply ignores you?

September 12, 2019
John Doppler
Watchdog
9 Comments

Encore Month: 5 Reasons Authors Fall for Vanity Presses

When stories surface about authors defrauded by unscrupulous vanity presses, sometimes for tens of thousands of dollars, the reaction is sometimes unsympathetic. In today's encore post, John Doppler explains the five reasons authors fall for vanity presses.