Useful Links

Judging by testimonials from our authors, a few of them featured on this site, and our own day-to-day work, we know that we have provided a valuable, professional service to thousands of authors. But we're well aware that Vantage Press, and more generally its fee-based publishing model, has its detractors. We would like prospective authors to be fully informed and in that spirit below is an annotated list of some of the more prominent voices on the internet and in the blogosphere that take a more cautionary view. If you know of other sites that you feel would be usefully linked here, please please let us know.

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau keeps an eye out for publishing scams. Vantage Press currently has an A+ BBB rating.

BBB - Vantage Press

BBB - Background on Vanity or Subsidy Publishing

Writer Beware

Writer Beware, a site affiliated with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, is probably the most exhaustive resource for authors interested in the distinctions between the various types of non-traditional publishers. It also contains invaluable information on publishing scammers. While we at Vantage don't always agree with their characterization of the value propositions of fee-based publishing, any author wanting to be fully aware about what they are getting by paying for publishing would be wise to consult the site and its numerous links.

Writer Beware

Preditors and Editors

Preditors and Editors is a compendium of information for the writer looking to be published. It is a vast archive and covers literary agents, editors, publishers, and more. It provides subjective ratings on publishers and others. The current P&E rating of Vantage is "not recommended"; we have probably run afoul of their criteria not only because we are a fee-based publisher but also because of the lawsuit we settled two decades ago, which we link to ourselves from the History page of the Vantage site and here. The wide-ranging nature of the P&E makes for interesting browsing.

Preditors and Editors

Book Making

Michael N. Marcus's acerbic and entertaining blog crusades for true self-publishing, noting that self-publishing by using a 'publisher' is a contradiction in terms. His book "Become a Real Self-Publisher: Don't Be a Victim of a Vanity Press" provides a blueprint for the stalwart author who really wishes to go it alone. We're certain he takes exception to the Vantage Press program but authors should definitely consider his point of view.

Book Making

POD, Self Publishing & Independent Publishing

Based in the UK, Mick Rooney's extensive blog documents and critiques many of the players of the self-publishing ecosystem. He is a true advocate for self-publishing and exceptionally thorough in his analyses.

Mick Rooney's Blog

Yahoo! Answers

Judging by search engine rankings, this thread addressing the question "Is Vantage Press a reputable publishing company?" is a key resource for authors seeking background on us. And the one-line answer "It is a vanity press. Beware. They will charge you for whatever they publish. Huge financial loss" is seen to be useful. Our authors indeed pay us to publish, and as we note elsewhere on this site few Vantage books recoup their publishing fee. A couple of the answers in the thread here are more insightful than the 'beware' tag, but for more substantive background we would refer you to Writer Beware, above.

Yahoo! Answers

Wikipedia

Here is Wikipedia's entry on "Vanity press."

Wikipedia

Vantage Vermont

We are not affiliated with the Vantage Press that is a local Burlington, Vermont printer.

Vermont Printer