Spines, however, maintains that it is not a vanity publisher but a publishing platform, and that authors will retain 100% of their royalties. The company claims to reduce the publishing process to two to three weeks, compared to the 6 to 18 months it typically takes for self-publishing. Despite the criticism, Spines aims to "level the playing field" for aspiring authors and plans to help 1 million authors publish their books using technology.
Key takeaways:
- Startup Spines plans to publish up to 8,000 books next year using AI, charging authors between $1,200 and $5,000 for services including editing, proofreading, formatting, designing and distribution.
- Many in the publishing industry, including authors and independent publishers, have criticized Spines, calling them 'opportunists' and 'extractive capitalists' who don't care about the craft of writing.
- Despite criticism, Spines, which recently secured $16m in funding, claims it is a 'publishing platform' and not a vanity publisher, and promises authors will retain 100% of their royalties.
- Spines aims to reduce the time it takes to publish a book to two to three weeks, and has a goal to help 1 million authors publish their books using technology.