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Publishing Mills
We’ve all heard of “puppy mills” or “puppy farms” which are large-scale breeding facilities that operate in deplorable conditions and cause health and hereditary problems in the dogs. I’ve written and spoken numerous times about the need for writers to avoid those companies and individuals that promise a lot and deliver little regarding the publication of your manuscript.
I’m asking all writers to avoid the “publishing mills” that dominate the
self-publishing industry.
This is not in reference to the "mom and pop" operations that handle authors and the end product with great care and produce a professional product. I’m speaking of the large scale operations that eliminate individuality by covering the book with rip-off jackets and have little concern other than getting it produced.
I’ve often ranted about the large New York companies only in business is to
produce an end product. But there are some exceptions—the biggest publishing publishing companies demonstrate editorial selection and they take great care and pride in packaging their books. It's what the “publishing mills” lack.
If you have hope that your writing has a chance to sell in the form of books, then you must avoid the “publishing mills” and concentrate on making an investment in the final product.
Being an author has two-parts—the writing and everything else. Don’t ignore the everything else.
- Jerry's blog
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Publishing Mills
Jerry,
Finally, somebody has come up with the perfect descriptive term for all those outfits determined to separate writers from their money. They may call themselves "self-publishing companies" (an oxymoron) or "POD publishers" but they are just modern incarnations of the old subsidy/vanity press.
However, their persistent use of those terms has made it impossible to discuss, in a meaningful, way the options available to writers who are unable or uninterested in pursuing a contract with an established publisher (i.e., with royalties and/or advance but without the author paying for anything). Too many writers bristle at the application of the subsidy or vanity press label, and their ears seem to close to reasoned argument from that point onward.
"Publishing mill" is the perfect term. I love it. I hope you won't mind if I start using it. It's perfect.
Cheers,
Walt Shiel
Publisher, Slipdown Mountain Publications LLC
http://WaltShiel.com
MIlls
This should spread quickly. I always felt that writing about "so-called POD publishers" was not nearly clear enough. You've solved the problem.
Tom Williams
PublishingEntrepreneur.com
Publishing Mills
I really like your descriptor for the category of what are now very misleadingly calling themselves "self publishing companies." I've been enraged at their co-opting that term, since what they do is very far from real, independent, self publishing.
The "POD publishers" name, though widely used, tends to fog the difference between POD as a production method (indeed, I have no problem with Lightning Source, Inc. who is the prototype POD printer.)
In earlier times, these companies were often termed "vanity presses" or "subsidy publishers" -- but since those terms have taken on a (well deserved) negative connotation, the companies in that field have moved on to "self publishing companies.'
From now on, I'm going to use the term "publishing mill" to describe this category of publisher.
Pete Masterson
http://www.aeonix.com
Agreed.
I was told early on that the so-called "self-publishing companies" were in place to do one thing: make money for the bookbinder.
Sure, it's tough to crack the market with a major publisher. It's not fun to end query after query, or to be rejected. Truth is, though, there are smaller markets that put out quality products and who are accepting work. It's worth wading through all of the mess to find one.