Vanity Press

A vanity press or vanity publisher is a term describing a publishing house in which authors pay to have their books published. Publisher Johnathon Clifford claims to have coined the term in 1959. However, the term appears in mainstream U.S. publications as early as 1941.

In contrast, mainstream publishers, whether major companies or small presses, derive their profit from sales of the book to persons other than the author. Publishers must therefore be cautious and deliberate in choosing to publish works that will sell, particularly as they must recoup their investment in the book (such as an advance payment and royalties to the author, editorial guidance, promotion, marketing, or advertising). In order to sell books, commercial publishers may also be selective in order to cultivate a reputation for high-quality work, or to specialize in a particular genre.

Because vanity presses are not selective, publication by a vanity press is typically not seen as conferring the same recognition or prestige as commercial publication. Vanity presses do offer more independence for the author than does the mainstream publishing industry; however, their fees can be higher than the fees normally charged for similar printing services, and sometimes restrictive contracts are required.

While a commercial publisher's intended market is the general public, a vanity publisher's intended market is the author.