When someone uses the term self-publishing, there are many possible meanings for it. Is all self-publishing “vanity” publishing? If not, what makes it that?

Let’s explore more.

Vanity press: a self-publishing company that accepts nearly everything, with the goal of publishing but not with a goal for quality. An author can say they have a book, but these are difficult to market.

Vanity printing: the author takes a book to a local printer to get copies made but doesn’t publish with an ISBN or wide distribution. Appropriate for family memoirs and such that aren’t intended for market. Some authors do this with online publishers such as Amazon KDP or IngramSpark as well when they don’t understand the process and produce a book that doesn’t sell at all.

Self-publishing with a free ISBN or one supplied by a publishing platform: BookBaby, Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and other companies will offer a free ISBN (not the same as a barcode) to the author. However, when an author uses one of the company’s ISBNs and that company becomes the publisher of record. That book is then tied to that company and the author is not the true publisher. This is not advised.

How an Indie Author/Publisher Differs

What sets a TRUE indie author apart from other self-publishing options such as hybrid and vanity?

An author might define themselves as indie because they have chosen a self-publishing route. But a true indie publisher treats book publishing as a serious business and not something for the prestige of having a book in their hands. An indie author/publisher is the owner of their own publishing company for their own books.

* An indie author who is a publisher carries out CEO type duties such as these:

* studies other books in their genre, analyzing covers, categories, and keywords,

* understands the market

* treats publishing projects like business ventures

* desires a quality finished product

* creates a marketing plan

* sets up appropriate business registration, DBA, EIN, or relevant legal tasks

* understands the pitfalls of shortcuts

* knows their own weaknesses and hires professionals to do key tasks

If you’re planning to publish a book, you’re planning to run a business. It might be small. And even though you’re a solopreneur, you’ll need to act like a CEO.

Today’s assignment is to reflect on the question: How do you feel about owning a business?

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