Denise Tanaka
Denise RobargeTanaka
This blog post from Victoria Strauss (Writer Beware) has a very enlightening description of Author Mills - a subtle and harder-to-identify type of vanity press scheme. Even smart writers, who know what a vanity press looks like, can have trouble spotting one until it's too late.
As Victoria explains, "Unlike vanity publishers, or self-publishing services such as AuthorHouse or Lulu, author mills present themselves as “traditional” publishers. They don’t charge upfront fees, and claim to be selective. Some... even pay a tiny symbolic advance. In reality, though, the business models are much the same."
The whole article is here: http://www.victoriastrauss.com/advice/author-mills/
As Victoria explains, "Unlike vanity publishers, or self-publishing services such as AuthorHouse or Lulu, author mills present themselves as “traditional” publishers. They don’t charge upfront fees, and claim to be selective. Some... even pay a tiny symbolic advance. In reality, though, the business models are much the same."
The whole article is here: http://www.victoriastrauss.com/advice/author-mills/