Author mill
Encyclopedia
An author mill is a publisher that relies on producing large numbers of small-run books by different authors, as opposed to a smaller number of works published in larger numbers. The name was coined by Victoria Strauss
of Writer Beware, as a parallel formation from diploma mill
(an unaccredited college or university that offers degrees without regard to academic achievement) and puppy mill
(a breeding operation that produces large numbers of puppies for sale with little regard for breed purity, puppy placement, health, or socialization).
As described by Writer Beware, an author mill is:
Typically an author mill does the cheapest possible job of production; it sets high cover prices and prints its books "on demand." The books are listed with on-line booksellers such as amazon.com and bn.com, and on the publisher's website. Any marketing, promotion, or physical bookstore placement is up to the authors themselves. While authors are not "required" to buy any of their own books, authors who wish to find readers discover that they need to buy their own books for resale.
The rise of the author mill is based on the rise of the on-line bookselling industry plus digital printing
technology such that makes it cheap to produce books using the print on demand
business model.
The necessary ingredients are:
Victoria Strauss
has used the examples of PublishAmerica
and VDM Publishing to illustrate the concept of author mill. More precisely, she has characterized VDM as “an academic author mill”.
Victoria Strauss
Victoria Strauss is the author of eight fantasy novels for adults and young adults, including the Stone duology and the Way of Arata duology...
of Writer Beware, as a parallel formation from diploma mill
Diploma mill
A diploma mill is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit...
(an unaccredited college or university that offers degrees without regard to academic achievement) and puppy mill
Puppy mill
A puppy mill, sometimes known as a puppy farm, is a commercial dog breeding facility that is operated with an emphasis upon profits above animal welfare and is often in substandard conditions regarding the well-being of dogs in their care...
(a breeding operation that produces large numbers of puppies for sale with little regard for breed purity, puppy placement, health, or socialization).
As described by Writer Beware, an author mill is:
Typically an author mill does the cheapest possible job of production; it sets high cover prices and prints its books "on demand." The books are listed with on-line booksellers such as amazon.com and bn.com, and on the publisher's website. Any marketing, promotion, or physical bookstore placement is up to the authors themselves. While authors are not "required" to buy any of their own books, authors who wish to find readers discover that they need to buy their own books for resale.
The rise of the author mill is based on the rise of the on-line bookselling industry plus digital printing
Digital printing
Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digital based image directly to a variety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large format and/or high volume laser or inkjet printers...
technology such that makes it cheap to produce books using the print on demand
Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
business model.
The necessary ingredients are:
- Minimal editorial gatekeeping
- Low production costs (acquiring/editing/designing) the book
- Low set-up charges for reproducing the book
- The power to set the cover price high enough to make a profit on a small number of average sales
- A relatively predictable number of sales to the author, the author's family, and the author's friends.
Victoria Strauss
Victoria Strauss
Victoria Strauss is the author of eight fantasy novels for adults and young adults, including the Stone duology and the Way of Arata duology...
has used the examples of PublishAmerica
PublishAmerica
PublishAmerica is a Maryland-based print-on-demand book publisher founded in 1999 by Lawrence Alvin "Larry" Clopper III and Willem Meiners ....
and VDM Publishing to illustrate the concept of author mill. More precisely, she has characterized VDM as “an academic author mill”.