Hello Shelia: What prohibits either a traditional or vanity publisher from altering your original manuscript once it is submitted and accepted? Mine is a personal memoir that I submitted and has been accepted by 7 of 7 vanity publishers. I took this route only because I am disabled and money is an issue. Now I'm shopping for an agent to represent me to the traditional publishers but again, ROI might be an issue. Thank you.
Hello,
All reputable publishers have content guidelines and policies. They may do a content screening, request revisions, and/or state that they have the right to remove/discontinue published content that violates their terms and conditions or the intellectual property rights of others. The types of things they might screen for include offensive language, offensive material, and illegal items. The level of screening and potential content revisions depend on your chosen publishing path, as does the amount of money required up-front. One major difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing is the amount of creative control that an author has. We recommend starting with this article and recorded webinar to understand your publishing options and the advantages/disadvantages of each:
https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/publishing/preparation/w/choosing-a-path/7247/4-ways-to-publish-a-book-in-2022
https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/publishing/preparation/w/choosing-a-path/8002/the-four-paths-to-publishing
Thank you.