Library: Predatory Publishing: Vanity Publishing

About Vanity Publishing

Vanity publishers charge the author a fee for publishing a book. While there are some instances where publishing with a vanity publisher is warranted, generally these publishers do not have any interest in promoting and selling the book. Vanity publishers do not get their money from selling the book, but rather from selling the book production services to the author.

Vanity publishers often target early career researchers who are seeking publishing opportunities or may offer to publish their thesis.

Vanity publishing usually:

does not undergo peer review or proofreading to the same level of rigour as scholarly publications
can require the author to pay for a publication fee

Recognized association or group

A vanity publisher may not be a member of a recognized association/group as given below:

Association of American Publishers
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) represents the leading book, journal, and education publishers in the United States on matters of law and policy, advocating for outcomes that incentivize the publication of creative expression, professional content, and learning solutions. As essential participants in local markets and the global economy, our members invest in and inspire the exchange of ideas, transforming the world we live in one word at a time.
Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP)
ALPSP is the international trade association which supports and represents not-for-profit organizations that publish scholarly and professional content, and those that work with them.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) is committed to educating and supporting editors, publishers, universities, research institutes, and all those involved in publication ethics. COPE aims to move the culture of publishing towards one where ethical practices become a normal part of the culture itself. Their approach is firmly in the direction of influencing through education, resources and support of their members, alongside the fostering of professional debate in the wider community.
Directory of Open Access Books
DOAB is a community-driven discovery service that indexes and provides access to scholarly, peer-reviewed open access books and helps users to find trusted open access book publishers. All DOAB services are free of charge and all data is freely available.
Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association
OASPA works to encourage and enable open access as the predominant model of communication for scholarly outputs.