Editing Vanity press (section)

== Vanity publishing vs hybrid publishing ==
[[Hybrid publishing]] is the source of debate in the publishing industry, with some viewing hybrid publishers as vanity presses in disguise.<ref>{{cite web |title=HYBRID PUBLISHER OR VANITY PRESS IN DISGUISE? |url=https://writingcooperative.com/hybrid-publisher-or-vanity-press-in-disguise-75039644b804 |website=Medium |date=21 December 2018 |publisher=The Writing Cooperative}}</ref>{{dead|date=February 2025}} However, a true hybrid publisher is selective in what they publish and will share the costs (and therefore the risks) with the author, whereas with a vanity press, the author pays the full cost of production and therefore carries all the risk. A vanity press has absolutely no interest in whether the book is saleable or suitable for publication.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vanity/Subsidy Publishers |url=https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/vanity/ |website=SFWA}}</ref>  

Given the bad reputation of vanity publishing, many vanity presses brand themselves as hybrids, leading to exploitation of writers. The Society of Authors (SoA) and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) have called for reform of the hybrid/paid-for publishing sector. Trade unions representing 14,800 authors jointly published a report<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 2022 |title=Is it a steal? An investigation into 'hybrid' / paid-forpublishing services |url=https://societyofauthors.org/SOA/MediaLibrary/SOAWebsite/Documents-for-download/_REPORT-Is-it-a-steal.pdf |website=Society of Authors}}</ref> to expose widespread bad practices among companies that charge writers to publish their work while taking away their rights.