Definition of a Subsidy Press

A subsidy press (also known as a joint venture publisher, a co-op publisher, or a partner publisher) takes payment from the author or self publisher to print and bind a book, but may itself contribute a portion of the cost, as well as adjunct services such as book editing, book distribution, warehousing, and some degree of marketing the book.

With vanity publishers, it's the writer's cash, not the quality of his/her work that counts. As with royalty publishers, the completed books are the property of the book publisher, and remain in the publisher's possession until sold. Income to the writer comes in the form of a royalty.

*It pays to look for a reputable publishing company if you choose not to self publish your own book.