How I almost got scammed by a vanity press

I mentioned in my earlier article that I got scammed by a vanity press, who now call themselves hybrid publishers. Many of you requested me to share my experience with you, so here goes:

I was looking up self-publishing online after completing the draft of my manuscript for Unclutter: A Survivor’s Story and came across a survey that read, “What kind of publisher suits you the best?” I clicked on it. That was my first mistake. Anyway, I filled out the quick survey, and it was no surprise that I had to key in my email address to receive my results. I did that (my second mistake), and the next second I received an email. “The best publisher for you is <name of the vanity press.>”

The very next morning, I got an email from the publisher. They said my book sounded interesting and would be “very happy” to get it published. I had only provided them my book genre, title, subtitle, and work-in-progress book summary (that was really horrible in retrospect.) So, I was flattered by their interest and responded to them enthusiastically, and set up a meeting with them the same week (my third mistake.) 

The meeting went really well, and I was ecstatic that the salesperson seemed genuinely interested in my book. He provided the different services they offered and said the entire package would cost me only a four-figure amount. Now, this amount was lesser than the budget I had set aside for self-publishing after my initial research.

But obviously, there was a catch: I could avail the “four-figure amount” only if I signed the contract right away. I was hesitant because I knew there would be “terms and conditions” for this offer that sounded too good to be true. So, I requested the salesperson to send me details via email. When he continued to persuade me to sign the contract immediately without giving me time to think, I knew that something was wrong.

That evening, I researched the vanity press and found mixed reviews online. Some hated their experience, while others seemed to benefit from it greatly. The ones who benefitted from this company claimed they made five-figure dollars in sales per month. I verified that they were Amazon Bestselling authors. Encouraged by this but still being cautious, I contacted the hybrid publisher and said I wanted a sample editorial review for the first 50,000 words (50%) of my book.

That’s when things started going downhill. They stopped responding to my emails and lost interest in my book. I had only paid for the editorial review, but I had no idea when I would receive it. After many days filled with anxiety, I finally caught hold of them, and they said that the initial four-figure amount they quoted was no longer applicable to me, but because they found my “book had potential,” they were willing to publish my book for double that amount, but that would exclude developmental/copy editing, design, and marketing.

I know what you’re thinking: “Then what else is covered in that amount?” The reply I got to that question was “Proofreading and excellent publishing quality that exceeds Amazon, Ingram Sparks, etc.” I was not convinced by that answer and requested them one day to think about this. Now, I was more confused than ever. I researched more, hoping to find other author’s experiences with this company. This time I joined Facebook groups and saw many authors with the same experience. There was one unanimous response from experienced indie authors “RUN.”

When I mentioned the Amazon Bestselling authors’ testimonials for the company, the group members said, “Check the number of reviews they have on Amazon and Goodreads.” When I looked them up again, most of the “bestselling” books had only two reviews. Some had none, only ratings. And all of them had ranked first in categories that were completely unrelated to their book. These fiction books were #1 bestselling in nonfiction categories!

Miraculously, the very next day (more than two months after the deadline,) I received the editorial review from the company. Unsurprisingly, they had bashed my manuscript and quoted a ridiculous five-figure dollar amount to fix it in addition to the earlier quoted sum. I said, “No, thank you,” and blocked their email addresses and phone numbers.

I shudder when I think about what would have happened if I had signed their contract right away. I would have lost my precious book to them. They would have overpriced my book and sold it only on their unpopular platform. Further, I would have had to market it on my own but wouldn’t have been able to run any promotions or giveaways.

Indie Authors, if you love your books, please DO NOT fall for this scam. Talk to experienced authors on Facebook groups or Reddit forums. If you have any more questions about my experience, contact me or ask them in the comments below.

Note: I have withheld the name of the vanity press for my own protection. You can find a list of hybrid publishers/vanity presses here. I almost got scammed by one of them. But they are all the same.

Check this link before you engage with any company to publish your book to see if they are vetted by AIAA (Alliance of independent authors.)