which is incorrect. Print-on-demand is a technology used to print books on demand. Vanity or Subsidized publishing provides publishing services to assist authors with getting their books to the market for a fee. Depending on the services needed; the costs range from $500 to $10,000. The services include but not limited to providing: ISBN, barcode, distribution, marketing, editing, printing, cover design, and more. There are many Vanity or Subsidized publishers that provide print-on-demand technology, which is beneficial to authors that do not have the resources to print a truck load of books or store them. One example of a publishing company that provides subsidized publishing along with print-on-demand technology is Asta Publications.
Self-Publishing A self-publisher is an author who establishes a publishing business and is responsible for paying the cost of designing, printing, distributing, marketing, warehousing, and fulfillment. As a self-published author you must purchase an ISBN number. This number identifies the publisher. Note if you decide to use a subsidized publisher’s ISBN you will not be recognized as a self-published author. This does not mean that they own the rights to your book, yet they are listed as the publisher of the book. Some companies will allow you to use your own ISBN.