Vantage Press

[Pookiestoop]

I am seeking to either self publish or seeking a publisher willing to take on my fiction novel, it's mainly for me. Just curious. CM

 

[Vomaxx]

I think you mean "subsidy" publishing, not "subsidiary."

If you want to pay to have some copies of your book, I'd suggest investigating POD rather than Vantage. It will be much cheaper, and you'll get a nice-looking book that is available in unlimited quantities, but which you can just buy a few of if you wish.

 

[Christine N.]

Or you can go with Lulu.com. It's free self-publishing, and I hear the product is pretty good. You can also set the price(above what lulu charges you for each copy), which means you determing how big a royalty you want.

 

[Robin Bayne]

Vantage spends big bucks to mail out promo kits to writers (I guess they find us on the net) --every year or so they send me a large ms. submission envelope, addressed to them, and some other materials. I'd follow the advice of the others.

 

[victoriastrauss]

For a full discussion of why a publisher like Vantage is not a good idea (and also why there's really no such thing anymore as a subsidy publisher) see Writer Beware's Vanity Publishers page.

- Victoria

 

[James D. Macdonald]

We've all heard of Vantage Press. They're one of the oldest vanity presses, but a vanity press just the same.

If all you want is a couple of copies of your book, nicely bound, go to Kinko's.

=========

Before you consider self or vanity publishing, ask yourself: What exactly are your goals? How will you know when you've achieved them?

 

[Pookiestoop]

Vanity & Subsidy publishing

Thank you to all

 

[Tertius]

POD seems to be a pretty good setup, anybody with personal experience in that area?

 

[DaveKuzminski]

Why do you think it's a pretty good setup? Whose setup have you considered?

 

[James D. Macdonald]

What are your goals, Tertius?

Unless you have some method of distribution outside of the normal system (if, for example, you're planning to sell copies from the back of the hall after you give a speech), POD is a lousy idea.

 

[Tertius]

Ok, perhaps these two responses have answered my question. I looked into a site awhile ago that seemed to be a pretty good idea. They claimed to market the book through a number of online bookstores, allow the author to retain rights, and pay royalties. Apparently, it wasn't just a "get your book printed" setup. Hey, I could do that, it's really the marketing and sales support that I need, and exposure, of course.
My primary objective is to, at least, subsidize my income by doing what I love most.

 

[James D. Macdonald]

My primary objective is to, at least, subsidize my income by doing what I love most.

Then there's no subsitute for going with a real, live, commercial publisher.

The only thing you have to do is write a book that's good enough.

 

[victoriastrauss]

Ok, perhaps these two responses have answered my question. I looked into a site awhile ago that seemed to be a pretty good idea. They claimed to market the book through a number of online bookstores

In a nutshell, this is why POD is not a good bet for most writers. For books to sell, they need to be in brick-and-mortar stores, where most people still do their bookbuying (less than 10% of all books are sold online). For various reasons, POD-published books don't generally wind up on bookstore shelves.

- Victoria

 

[Tertius]

(less than 10% of all books are sold online).

Did not know that, I would have thought it much higher. However, I understand the sentiment. Book-browsing is a very unique experience. I know when I had my used-book store people would come in and browse for hours, then walk out with nothing. I am the same way, but I usually find something that really hits me.
Anyway, thank for the feedback, folks.

 

[badducky]

Anyone see this Vantage ad on the History channel?

I just saw an ad about Vantage Press...

"Are you an author in search of a publisher? Call now for information on how to etc, etc, etc..."

A Vanity Press that can afford cable advertising.

At least they're relatively honest about being DiY vanity press.

I wonder if they are so honest about the costs of storing and selling manuscripts.

 

[CaoPaux]

More than most: http://www.vantagepress.com/broc2000.htm

 

[sirensix]

Dear God!

I can't believe they're still around!

Vantage Press must be one of the oldest vanity presses around. I sent them my first novel over twenty years ago, and they offered to publish it for $7,000. Yes, it was that bad.

I figure if they've been around this long, under the same name, that gives them a sort of legitimacy in and of itself.

 

[CaoPaux]

Heh. Yeah, if a pay-to-play outfit can keep their customers happy for that long, they're serving their market well.

 

[DaveKuzminski]

Vantage is part of the proof that PA could be honest and still make a profit.

 

[HapiSofi]

Yup, same old Vantage. Been around forever. Less toxic than most.

Vantage even hires copyeditors. Of course, they pay them substandard rates, they don't supervise them, and they'll let them do anything to the books; but they do hire them.

Basically, Vantage is a professed whore. You know what you're buying, and you get what you pay for.

 

[A. J. Luxton]

Haha -- cool. It pleases me to know such a thing exists.

So, does that mean that going through PublishAmerica is like going home with a MOYPS (Member Of Your Preferred Sex) from the bar and then finding a bill on your pillow in the morning?

 

[CaoPaux]

It's more like starting to itch several days later, and having to hit up your family and friends for money to pay the doctor cuz they won't take PA as insurance.

 

[astonwest]

Vantage Press must be one of the oldest vanity presses around. I sent them my first novel over twenty years ago, and they offered to publish it for $7,000. Yes, it was that bad.

Just over ten years ago, the price for my first novel was $10K.
I wonder what it's at now...

 

[Stuart Hades]

A quote $23,000 dollars, but we have to market ourselves to achieve sales! This was a lower end offer as well.

 

[rejectME]

Even Newsweek!

I was killing myself on the eliptical the other night and reading Newsweek for whatever reason. Anyway, under a picture of Iran's president was an ad for Vantage. It was about one inch by one inch. It was pretty funny...