I went the Vanity Publishing route without knowing it! My publisher assured me they were not vanity publishers. They called it a partnership. If I paid them a five figure sum they would not only produce a very nice looking bound hardback book for me but also do all the marketing and be my agent for 2 years. They did the first with me as chief editor, proof reader and cover design art director. The second was the bare minimum and very basic – what could be called the standard package. The third is non existent. From my research post-publication, I have come across many many other people saying the same. Essentially that once you part with your money the vanity publisher (or “partnership” publisher) has no incentive to push your work any harder than they absolutely have to, which in many cases is not at all. I do not believe that Vanity Publishers offer any level of partnership whatsoever. It´s a one way deal. I would rather go the self publishing route, where I know what I´m paying for and what to expect and would be prepared for doing a lot of the leg work myself. But when you pay a five figure sum for a partnership, you expect what is promised. It´s the disappointment of knowing you´ve been duped which is the hardest. So take care when you´re considering a publisher. I don´t know all the answers yet but I do know I wouldn´t go that route again!
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Your experience is typical because anyone who has spent months, perhaps years, writing, is desperate to see their published book for sale on a shelf. They fall prey to Vanity Publishers, not because they are stupid, but because they believe in what they have produced and want to share it and see this as a way of cutting time-consuming corners.
It is difficult to find publishers who are willing to read any MS sent without a preliminary letter, but it is possible that one would like the synopsis of the proposed book and ask for a sample chapter.
Some publishers merely send a rejection slip but you might be lucky and find that your rejection slip is accompanied by a reason for its unsuitability. If this happens, edit it thoroughly – again and again – before offering it to another.
Publishers are always on the lookout for new authors but a manuscript full of mistakes, no matter how gripping the story, will be rejected because correcting it would be too costly.