Commercial publishing houses do not charge authors a fee to publish their work. In this traditional publishing model, the publisher chooses what it wants to publish and takes on the risk of publication and production costs. The author is sometimes paid an advance and then receives royalties based on the sale of the book.
Different sorts of publishers, however, may ask you for a fee or a co-payment to assess and/or publish your book.
In some cases, this could mean they are what used to be known as a ‘vanity publisher‘, which is a certain type of publisher that charges authors considerable fees and asks them to sign contracts that were not in their interests.
There are many reputable and professional services that help writers self-publish their work for a fee. But we encourage you to be wary of any publisher that asks for a co-payment.
You should always seek legal advice before signing any publishing contract, but be particularly careful of any publisher who asks you to pay a fee or co-payment.
For advice on your contract, contact the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) or Alex Adsett Literary.