Ah, the vanity of Hollywood.

Perhaps all vanity publishers should relocate to Los Angeles, in order to tap into that egocentric abyss to the north. You'd think all those memoirs-in-the-making would want to find a publisher (*yawn*) nearby. I mean, if Alec (held up by litigation) and Stephen Baldwin can publish memoirs, why wouldn't the tall one and the fat one want to publish them, too?

Why did I bring this up? Turns out actress Meg Tilly's new book, GEMMA, will be released this fall by Syren Book Company. I'd never heard of the publisher but I went to check them out (I really enjoyed Meg's first novel, SINGING SONGS, released back in the mid-90's by Dutton.) As soon as I poked around the Syren website, it became clear what they were about. I started seeing catch-phrases that made my stomach turn.

"You're self-publishing options."

"Advantages of self-publishing."

"The author has control."

And under Costs, they do not list any; this is a certain kiss of death. ("Contact us for a publishing estimate.") At least they admit right away that they are "not the cheapest option."

Poor Meg Tilly.

Based on the quality of her first book a decade ago, I'm sure she could've found a home if she had tried longer. This is not the same thing as Jamie Farr releasing a fairy tale through PublishAmerica.

Worst of all, it sounds like Syren does a print run, like Vantage, which--unlike the POD world--is the most expensive, worst-risk option to take.

I'll buy her book anyway, but I hope she tries a little harder to find an editor next time.

If you want to read more of why she went this route, check out this brief article from Publisher's Weekly.