POD authors vs. eBook authors cred

At a conference I attended recently, an agents' panel said to a person that e-book publishing history is considered genuine, whereas self-publishing/vanity publishing is not. The editors' panel agreed.

POD just means print on demand. I believe that there are legitimate publishers out there who use POD, small presses who aren't going to the expense of printing stock and letting buyers "print" the book when they order it. It's just a technology.

If you paid to have the book published, it's self published regardless of what technology you used. Those won't carry any weight with agents unless you sold like 10K+ copies.

If someone paid you to publish your book, regardless of the technology, that will carry weight with agents. How much weight will vary on who published it and how many you sold.

I've heard that if you have to beg somebody to publish you, it's a credit. If you have to pay somebody to pubilsh you, it's not a credit.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you paid, of course it doesn't really count. Otherwise, an agent isn't going to turn you down because your credentials aren't wonderful if they like the writing/story and see potential.

Ryan_Sullivan said:

I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you paid, of course it doesn't really count. Otherwise, an agent isn't going to turn you down because your credentials aren't wonderful if they like the writing/story and see potential.

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This is spot on. The book you're trying to sell it what matters most. If you have credentials, that might get you a few more seconds of consideration, or earn you a peek at pages if the agent is one the fence, but they need to love the book to take you one. No matter how great your credits are, no agent is going to ask to see a book they have no interest in.

I had no credits to my name and it didn't keep me from getting an agent or selling my novel.

The book is what matters most.