[Publib] Vanity presses, Print on demand, etc.

[Emily Horner]

PublishAmerica is a self-publisher. They try to avoid the "vanity
press" label (and the "self-publishing" label) by paying a nominal
advance of $1, but their business model depends on the author and the
author's friends and family buying the (over-priced) books; they don't
have bookstore distribution, they don't promote their books, they
publish anything submitted to them.

This article (from a well-respected editor) is from 2003, but
everything in it still applies:
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002692.html

Emily Horner
YA Librarian, Brooklyn, NY

On Tue, May 6, 2008 at 4:40 PM, Marla <mwilckens at greatfallslibrary.org> wrote:
>
>
> Greetings.
>
> I have a question to which I cannot find a conclusive answer.  I hope someone "out there"
> can point me in the right direction.
>
> Is PublishAmerica (and others of that ilk) a self-publisher or vanity press or what?  Authors
> who use this press call me to encourage me to purchase their books.  They seem quite
> insulted if I ask about the status of this press and insist it is not self-published or a vanity
> press.
>
> I cannot seem to discern enough information from the website.
>
> Insights would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
> BYE!
> Marla/Acquisitions
> Great Falls Public Library
> 301 2nd Ave N
> Great Falls MT  59401-2593
> mwilckens at greatfallslibrary.org
> :::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
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>  feel better in the morning.
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>
>
>
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