Vanity Press. Also known as "pay to publish," vanity publishing is when you pay someone else to release your books. Many of these ventures offer different packages of services they can provide at a cost, such as editing, proofreading, cover design, print costs, marketing, etc. Some even charge for submissions. The difference between a vanity publisher and a traditional publisher is that a traditional publisher foots the bill for these costs while, with a vanity press, the author pays for these expenses. And while it's important to note that not all vanity presses are scams, it's an area of the industry that's easy to find scams because desperate authors are often willing to shell out hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars to make their publishing dreams come true. When it comes to vanity publishers, make sure you (a) research the company thoroughly (including analyzing their track record of success, customer satisfaction, and samples of the kind of work they're promising), and (b) don't spend more than you can afford to lose (just like any other gambling venture).

Small Press. Small presses are publishers that are essentially traditional publishers but on a much, much smaller scale. They accept submissions and offer publishing contracts, but the specifics of the deal can vary widely depending on the press, and results also vary even more than with a traditional publisher. Small presses have several advantages, such as capitalizing on a particular genre or niche, and often being more responsive or able to tackle more projects than a "big five" traditional publisher, but it's also really important for an author to make sure they're clear on the contract because, unlike a "big five" publisher, a small press may not have the resources (including capital, staff, etc.) to offer everything that a traditional publishing contract can offer, or at least not to the degree of a major publisher. It's important to fully understand the terms of the deal you're making, as well as the small press' track record of success; while some small presses are legitimately great options for authors, there are also a lot of aspiring small presses out there that ultimately don't have the means to make a sizable return for themselves or their authors, which can sometimes mean - at their worst - small presses are potentially indistinguishable from vanity publishers, where it's not a profit-generating business for the author as much as it is a vehicle for the author to claim bragging rights about being published by a "traditional publisher."

Publishing Services Company. Some publishers only offer services in exchange for either a fee, or a cut of the revenue from a project. Many individuals and companies will offer editing services, proofreading services, marketing services, cover design services, etc. And, with the advent of digital publishing, there are now service companies that specialize in getting your work onto the various marketplaces; you essential pay them to upload and manage the uploading of your book on, say, Amazon or Kobo. Which means these kinds of companies aren't really publishers at all as much as they're services you can purchase (and either pay up front or pay through a profit-sharing setup). It's important to be aware of what publishing services companies can actually do; more than one author has been disappointed to discover that these kinds of services either (a) take an outsized share of the proceeds for something the author can do on their own, or (b) do little more than the technical work of uploading the book and take no responsibility for marketing or promoting it.

Scams. Any list of publishing options would be remiss without noting that there are a whole lot of scams out there. And I'm not talking about companies with bad business models (like a small press that isn't well resourced enough to launch a bestseller, or a publishing services company that's only in existence to make money off their editing services, or technical marketplace uploading/management services); I'm talking about publishers that are actually out to make money off authors with absolutely no intention of helping them achieve their publishing dreams. Most scams are, by nature, author-pays-the-company situations because, well, that's how they make their money. And they make the lion's share of their money from taking advantage of the same authors over and over again. For example, they might respond to your query and say they love the book, but think it needs a little story work ... so if you purchase one of their developmental editing packages for $500, you'll really be on the fast track. And then you pay for that they'll say it needs a solid detail edit for $1,000 ... and after that becomes the line-by-line proofread for another $1,000 ... and the cover design for $750 ... and the marketing plan for $2,000 ... and on and on until the author realizes they've spend hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars on services that haven't moved them any closer to actually getting the book published. The best advice I can give for avoiding scams is to (a) do your research on any potential company or partner you want to work with and make sure they have reliable clients and documented success stories, and (b) decide for yourself at the outset how much you're willing to invest (or can afford to invest) in your book and don't let yourself be swayed by promises that just spending a little more will get you where you want to be.

EXCERPT: I fear I have lost my literary meaning, and I suspect I am all the better for it.

EXCERPT: Quake was a beautiful white German Shepherd dog with piercing blue eyes and a bushy tail. Quake was a kind hearted dog who would always lend a helping paw to anyone who needed it. He was a beloved pet of a kind and generous human family, who treated him like one of their own. But Quake had a terrible secret that he couldn't share with them.

EXCERPT: Wilbur stood behind the glass sales counter in Paulson’s antique. He’d planted his hands on either side of the ancient cash register and stared out at the glass storefront. He’d run the store for many years. Since his late wife’s father passed it to him. "Look the customer in the eyes when making a sale," he’d say. “The eyes are windows to the soul.” Wilbur always thought it to be a strange saying. He never cared about a customer’s soul. He was after cold hard currency.

EXCERPT: Remember when we were young and had a lot of dreams and ambitions? When we set a time vision that by a certain age we will do this and do that. There is nothing blocking us and stopping us. No fear, no regrets, no frustrations. With a bold and brave heart, we welcome the unknown. We cannot see the road in front of us but surely, we paid no attention to it because we are so set at a vision.

EXCERPT: Ameriah was sitting alone on a bench watching people walk by and listening to cars on the busy street. As she was listening she felt a weird presence. She looked all around her and had no sign of whom she thought it was. As she continued listening and watching she spotted him. He was staring her dead in the eye, he was wearing dark clothing and his eyes were deep blue almost black. She became stiff as he got closer and closer, suddenly he was gone.

Thank you for your clear writing. I am in the 2nd category. I care about the rules, but I always forget something. And that causes me a kind of guilty feeling. Silly me! I never remember from A to Z. It's good you remind me and others to read from A to Z before pressing Send. — Lucinda Lynx


I was once disqualified from a no dialogue contest for putting in dialogue — amateur40


You're spot-on regarding #2. I lost more entries for The Amazing 55 Word Contest impacting the deadline, mostly due to hyphenation. I've been using https://wordcounter.net/ for a long time, but there was frequently a disconnect between its word count and the one on WdC. In the end, I used the online program to get a good idea, then created the WdC item and checked that text. — Writer_Mike