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Indie authors are self-publishing authors.

Vanity press books are self-published books.

So are these the same thing, or two sides of the same coin?

Let’s dig deeper and tease out once and for all what the differences between these two self-publishing terms mean!

First, consider the indie publisher:

• Self-published books
• Makes profit from the production process (project management, editorial, design, printing, etc.)
• Takes no share of the profits
• Often specializes in a specific kind of book, or a specific kind of author
• Customizes almost everything (little to no packages available)
• Has a quality standard for writing
• Gives authors marketing and distribution support
• More expensive than vanity presses

Now consider the vanity press:

• Self-published books
• Makes profit from the production process (project management, editorial, design, printing, etc.)
• Takes no share of the profits
• Takes on any kind of project
• Uses templates almost exclusively (many packages available)
• Has no quality standard for writing
• Gives little to no marking or distribution support
• More affordable than indie publishers

Now, there is nothing inherently better about one than the other, because some books and authors are better built for a specific type of indie publishing.

Are you looking to make a career out of publishing? To be the next Hugh Howey or E.L. James? An indie publisher that will teach you the ropes and give you a product that is indistinguishable from a traditionally published book and can compete in that market is the way to go.

Are you just looking to put together a few hundred copies of a niche-market book, or compiling a family history? Then a vanity press is probably going to be better for you, even if you’re an amazing writer.

Many people will claim that vanity presses are poor quality—the covers look awkward and generic, and the editing is non-existent. Well, that’s certainly true in many places, but not all vanity presses provide sub-par services, just like not all expensive indie publishers are high-quality. The important thing is to do your research.

Templates aren’t necessarily bad, just like custom isn’t always necessary or helpful.

When it comes down to it, the biggest difference between a good indie publisher and a good vanity press is the type of book being published, and how much of a partnership you want the publishing process to be. If you want someone to guide you, indie is your answer. If you just want a finished product, you should go vanity.

Authors, did you go indie or vanity? What did you like? What did you dislike? Would you do it the same way again?

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