tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post7314165131684515761..comments2023-06-10T22:42:19.087+10:00Comments on Australasian Christian Writers: Spotting a Vanity Publisher: Part TwoUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-44909088362600779832015-01-21T17:03:54.611+11:002015-01-21T17:03:54.611+11:00Its possible cos the new edition looks so much bet...Its possible cos the new edition looks so much better than the original.Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-71240224330765297402015-01-21T17:03:17.114+11:002015-01-21T17:03:17.114+11:00Its like those internet jobs where you get a site ...Its like those internet jobs where you get a site and can make money that parts fine they don't tell you its a monthly fee for the website its not in the info you get to start then the phone calls start to put pressure on you to buy (which I got a small package for) then the big guns come and get quite nasty to make you buy. I joined one as it was cheap only to find when I finally got the info it was not what it seemed but thankfully I could get out and have the bank stop them being able to take money etc. I should have read the fine print but it wasn't easy to find but I know ask for all the details for anything.<br />Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-61548710228615673482015-01-21T15:07:34.923+11:002015-01-21T15:07:34.923+11:00I found the website address particularly irritatin...I found the website address particularly irritating, given how easy it is to set up a website for free on Blogger. I'd be interested in knowing how much Tate charge to set up their websites, which are worthless to the author. Iolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-16311472131779485862015-01-21T15:04:29.471+11:002015-01-21T15:04:29.471+11:00"Read the fine print or have a lawyer read it..."Read the fine print or have a lawyer read it".<br /><br />Exactly. But they are so happy to have a "publishing contract" they don't think of the obvious, and they trust the publisher because he phoned them, and he sounded like such a lovely Christian man. (And he might be. But that doesn't change the fact he's ripping them off).Iolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-92227921027824472462015-01-21T15:02:22.324+11:002015-01-21T15:02:22.324+11:00Jenny, I wonder if those authors have actually got...Jenny, I wonder if those authors have actually got the rights back. It's possible they've just published an "updated" edition and registered it as a new book. Some of the vanity books are so bad that editing them would change them sufficiently to be a new edition.Iolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-90125982362221344882015-01-21T15:00:29.644+11:002015-01-21T15:00:29.644+11:00Thanks, Jeanette. It's kind of disappointing h...Thanks, Jeanette. It's kind of disappointing how many different ways they've found of ripping off authors, as though word gets out about one method, so they invent another.Iolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-276102009395874382015-01-21T14:58:25.238+11:002015-01-21T14:58:25.238+11:00Thanks, Andrea.Thanks, Andrea.Iolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-78357031923217905242015-01-21T00:14:09.629+11:002015-01-21T00:14:09.629+11:00Great post again Iola - I like how your show the d...Great post again Iola - I like how your show the different approaches to miking the unsuspecting author - from paid packages, compulsory marketing packages to expectation of purchasing copies. Thanks.Jeanette O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11057798704247611224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-6268853118126251682015-01-20T23:11:18.248+11:002015-01-20T23:11:18.248+11:00Again, a fabulously informative post. Thank you Io...Again, a fabulously informative post. Thank you Iola. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04449342827457837314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-28127355022961655292015-01-20T19:53:00.752+11:002015-01-20T19:53:00.752+11:00I noticed one author who was at tate well she stil...I noticed one author who was at tate well she still has 3 books listed there but I notice she has re-released them with a much better cover and cheaper price through self publishing through Amazon. seems the original 3 are still at Tate but she has don't the ebooks at a very nice price and self published more since. I wonder if somehow she got her rights back as I hear its very hard to. The new covers look really good compared to the original ones which were not goodAusjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-18958363765625369722015-01-20T17:39:02.956+11:002015-01-20T17:39:02.956+11:00I hope people will read these articles before they...I hope people will read these articles before they get scammed It scares me how easy some people are lead to accept these. If they read the fine print or had a lawyer read it before proceeding they may think differently also. For Tate just researching you will find horror stories online about how people have lost so much money and how when they say books will be available in stores they don't actually offer the books to bookstores Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-58874475912445130952015-01-20T16:18:50.134+11:002015-01-20T16:18:50.134+11:00Terry, I could have written a lot more on this sub...Terry, I could have written a lot more on this subject, but you raise an important point: many vanity presses price their books out of the market. <br /><br />I've seen cases where this is a result of lack of editing: a vanity press has no incentive to tell an author their book is 100 pages too long, and that will make it up to $10 than the market price for similar books.Iolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-58925611851809068532015-01-20T09:25:35.013+11:002015-01-20T09:25:35.013+11:00Iola, excellent post! Terry, I totally agree with ...Iola, excellent post! Terry, I totally agree with your points. The high print and ebook prices certainly don't encourage potential readers to buy the books. Unlike the indie authors, who have published independently and have control over their book prices, the vanity press authors have signed contracts that are legally binding and usually designate the book pricing is at the publisher's discretion.<br /><br />If an author has done their homework, they'll know that most authors don't spend their entire publishing career with a single publisher. It doesn't make sense to have an author website tied to a publisher, especially when you can set up a free blog eg. Blogger and use it as an author website. Narellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07665380446283721576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-83017343492904710472015-01-20T07:47:14.139+11:002015-01-20T07:47:14.139+11:00You are right. I've seen many writers mistake ...You are right. I've seen many writers mistake statements like: "Available in Bookstores" as quoted from a publisher website when what is really offered is "Available for order in Book Stores" like you said.<br /><br />Traditional publishers, both large and small, do have in their contracts a set number of marketing copies free (print) to the author, and then usually a 40-50% discount (retail price) for authors to order directly. What the vanity press published authors discover that with only 30% off + shipping, if they do get a bookstore to carry copies on consignment, they won't make a dime and would actually lose money, and most book stores won't order copies to stock, and the books, even through Lighting Source, are not returnable, as is the case with major publishers.<br /><br />Finally, one thing to add, is that some vanity publishers market themselves as helping someone Self-Publish. The fees are much higher than if the writer contracted out themselves for the work to be done, the covers are generally inferior, as is the editing with the vanity presses, and the author loses control, as the 'self-published' book is listed with the publisher and the author earns a very small percentage/royalty.<br /><br />I should add that many vanity press published books are over priced. In both ebook and print, they are not competitive with similar books based on length and content/genre. This is a huge factor for readers. Why purchase a 250 page trade paperback novel for $21.00, when most are between $10 and $15? The elevated price, you might guess, is tied to the fact that authors are the ones that purchase the books--a built in customer to squeeze just a little bit more.Terry W. Ervin IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13561009802388207515noreply@blogger.com