Mary Killen Mary Killen

Your Problems Solved | 13 November 2004

Etiquette advice from The Spectator's Miss Manners

issue 13 November 2004

Dear Mary…

Q. I have written a perfectly good book and would like to see it published. I have, however, given up sending it to conventional publishers. They are not interested and I know this is because I have lived happily in Norfolk for 20 years and can’t be bothered to go to London. The upshot is that I am no longer on the so-called scene. I thought I would never stoop to having a book vanity-published, but now I learn that Felix Dennis has done just that but, rather than using one of the embarrassing imprints, he apparently got Hutchinson to do it for him. Could I too, Mary, have a book published by Hutchinson, if I paid for it?
T.B., Norfolk

A. Literary supremo John Walsh informs me that it is a little-known fact that ‘proper’ publishers will also do vanity publishing.

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