Authored by Autumn Cleymans, UNG Press Intern
Publishing your work is rewarding and worthwhile, and many publishers legitimately want to get quality work out to readers. Unfortunately, another side of the publishing industry aims to exploit authors’ dreams of publication. Predatory publishers, also called vanity presses, don’t have authors’ best interests in mind, and they use questionable or unethical practices to prioritize profit over integrity. Here are a few signs to help you steer clear of predatory publishers and protect your work!
Sign #1: The publisher’s website seems unusual
You might be able to identify a predatory publisher just from its website. While ethical publishers’ websites are professional and cater to readers—i.e., potential customers—predatory publishers’ websites often cater to authors (Robinson). Authors are predatory publishers’ customers, since predatory publishers profit from authors buying their services instead of readers buying their books (Robinson). Watch out for publisher websites that seem more unprofessional or that sell to authors.
Predatory publishers might also exclude relevant information from their websites, like a list of staff members, or refer to their authors by nicknames (Robinson). When in doubt about a publisher’s website and its contents, compare it to a reputable publisher’s website and look for inconsistencies or missing details (Robinson). Here are several reputable publishers whose websites serve as good references:
Sign #2: The publisher asks you to pay for their services
An ethical publisher provides cover design, editing, and marketing services to its authors. It takes on a financial risk because it invests in works that it believes have a strong chance at succeeding. That means ethical publishers are much more selective about which works to acquire, but it also means their authors are in experienced hands, and each work will get as much support as possible.
A predatory publisher only provides those services if the author pays a potentially inflated price (Robinson). This passes the financial risk to the author, which the predatory publisher is fine with because it has already made money regardless of how the book performs. As a result, predatory publishers are not nearly as selective, allowing them to target any author eager to get their work to print. Plus, predatory publishers usually outsource design and editorial services to inexperienced third parties and pocket even more of the profits.
Sign #3: The publisher presents the author as a “partner”
Predatory publishers might frame their authors as equal participants rather than clients, especially as a way to justify the service fees they charge (Robinson). “Partner” sounds appealing, but this label convinces authors that they influence the process, when they are simply buying the publisher’s services (Robinson). In fact, getting your book to print like this could be viewed as self-publishing, which affects its marketability to booksellers, as well as the prospects of your future works (Robinson).
Sign #4: The publisher’s promises seem too good to be true
While ethical publishers let their publishing list speak for itself, many predatory publishers make unrealistic promises, such as guaranteeing that your book will become a bestseller or be distributed to major bookstores. Of course, these things are impossible to promise. Most of the time, the predatory publisher simply lists your book on distribution platforms like Ingram; while Ingram is a legitimate site that booksellers can and do order titles from, orders aren’t a guarantee. Ironically, this usually results in low sales rather than a bestseller, which doesn’t matter to a predatory publisher because you already paid it.
Sign #5: The publisher isn’t transparent about the process
Ethical publishers guide you through each step of the publishing process, even though the final decisions are left up to them. Predatory publishers ask for your money but don’t explain where that money goes, or even if it’s an appropriate amount to charge. You should always be suspicious of publishers who withhold information or aren’t open to discussing details with you.
In addition, predatory publishers might hide a clause inside the contract that hands over all rights for a work to them, leaving the author with no control over what happens moving forward. Many authors don’t have the legal expertise to recognize that trap on their own. An ethical publisher clearly and transparently negotiates contract terms with an author and/or their agent, so it’s valuable to have an experienced set of eyes during that process.
Final Notes
Navigating the publication world can be scary when there are predatory publishers lurking around, sometimes with connections to legitimate publishing houses. When you know what to look out for, though, you’ll spot them in no time, and you can take your work elsewhere to publishers who sincerely want to get your writing to their readers. If you have any questions about predatory publishers, feel free to put them in the comments, and we’ll be happy to answer!
Sources:
“Predatory Book Publishers.” Dalhousie University Libraries, Dalhousie University, 13 Aug. 2025, dal.ca.libguides.com/c.php?g=257122&p=5259253.
Robinson, BJ. Personal correspondence. 15 Sept. 2025.
“What Is a Vanity Press? A Guide to Vanity Publishing.” Edited by Martin Cavannagh, Reedsy, Reedsy Ltd, 17 Apr. 2024, blog.reedsy.com/vanity-press/.
Leave a Reply