LOCAL NEWSPAPER COVERS VANITY PRESS DISTRIBUTORS

From The Guardian Express, March 27 to April 2 2007 p. 10

The full transcript of the article is as follows:

"When Dallas Robertson noticed a gap in the world of publishing, he jumped online to do something about it.

The Maylands resident is the owner of Vanity Press Distributors, an online distributor of small and self-published books.

The business is an outlet for authors frustrated by traditional publishing houses.

Robertson said he had the idea three years ago while studying to be a librarian.

But it was working at a library and watching self-published authors refused distribution that motivated him to act.

"In the past, self-published books used to be of poor quality but today, with the advancements in printing and the like, the books end up looking professional," he said.

Robertson said the sales focus of larger publishing houses meant that good authors with a small target readership but something to say missed out.

"For example I get a lot of autobiographies, which is one thing I really do like about it," he said.

"They're not from Paris Hilton, people famous for being famous, but they've lived extraordinary lives in their neighbourhood."

Vanity Press helps authors who do not know how to sell or market their books.

It has been running for a year and sells more than 50 titles.

Robertson is selective about the presentation of the books he distributes but will accept books on any subject matter.

"I am not too worried about what people write in the book. I come from a library background so I believe in freedom of speech," he said.

"In publishing circles, in the past when someone went and published their own book it was regarded as vanity, because they were not good enough to get their own book published.

"I thought it would be good to take the name back."

For more information, visit www.vanitypress.com.au."

NEED A COVER ARTIST?

Have you written a manuscript and are about to self publish?

Don't rely on the printer to organise your cover.

Despite the adage, people DO judge a book by the cover (just read this article to find out - http://blog.selfpublishing.com/?p=173). If you want to increase the chances of selling your book, your cover must be outstanding.

Warrigal Press can provide cover artists and illustrators at excellent prices. They have a list of talent on tap ready to make the cover of your book sell it for you.

Contact Bob Sheppard at Warrigal Press on 08 9295 0891, or visit their website at http://www.warrigalpress.com.au/.

AUTHORS WANTED - NO GIMMICKS!

Have you got a manuscript of around 3000 words? Warrigal Press wants you.

Warrigal Press is seeking manuscripts from Australian writers in the following genres:

• Crime
• Mystery
• Horror
• Science Fiction
• War
• Romance
• Western

If you have an exciting new manuscript of around 3000 words and are interested in joining a growing team of writers, cover artists and illustrators at Warrigal Press, contact Bob Sheppard at bobsheppard@warrigalpress.com.au.

VOTE NOW FOR VANITY PRESS WEBSITE!

If you like the Vanity Press Distributors website - VOTE FOR IT!

Webbie World is a website which allows people to vote for their favourite site. If they don't like a site, they can 'wonk' it.

Vanity Press Distributors has found its way onto their site. If you like our site, you can now vote for it! And if you don't like it - well that's cool too, because even a wonk site can still work!

To access their Home Page, type http://www.webbieworld.com/ into your URL address bar. Click on Search, then type the word "vanity" as the first phrase, "press" as the second. Then vote for it - that's it!

Check out a heap of other cool sites while you're there.

VANITY PRESS DISTRIBUTORS GOES LIVE!

After a few delays, Australia's newest online bookshop, Vanity Press Distributors, has at last gone live.

Specialising in books by small publishers, VPD is filling a need that other bookstores are ignoring - by providing small publishers a cheaper, easier way to distribute their books, while providing its customers access to books they would be rarely able to buy in high street book chains.

Supported by authors, small publishers and book printing companies, VPD showcases some of Australia's best writing and most diverse range of books. Some of the more unusual titles now available are Ships' Figure Heads In Australia and The Mystery of the Mayanup Poltergeist. Other titles in its broad range of titles includes Gluten-Free Recipes, the ABC-publicised Voice For Peace, along with books by award-winning author Hugh Edwards.

All items are airmailed to anywhere in the world, so the customer does not have to wait long to receive their purchases. A smooth, fast and easy customer service is the standard to which Vanity Press Distributors subscribes.

Vanity Press Distributors also encourages self-publishing, and to this end will provide links, articles and news items of benefit to the self-publisher. Aware that there are rip-off merchants operating in the publishing business, VPD provides information on printers and publishers who have proven themselves with a reliable and honest track record.

For more information, or simply to buy a book, click on http://www.vanitypress.com.au/ and take your reading off the beaten track.