Publishing School

they really care about authors and their work

Author Gate positions itself as a traditional publishing company that supports new and emerging writers. Several of their authors have written glowing reviews about the company and some of their books appear in mainstream bookshops.

Many authors have praised the company for the excellent support they received throughout their publishing journey. Authors often highlight how caring the team is, noting that the staff appear to actually care about getting the best from their book.

But is the company the right choice in a market full of hybrid and vanity presses? In this in-depth review, we examine their model, submission process, author experiences, and how they compare to other publishers.

Is Author Gate A Vanity Press?

Author Gate is a UK-based publisher. They claim to operate on a traditional model, meaning they do not charge fees for assessments or publishing and instead make money through book sales.

What is a Vanity Press?

A vanity press (or vanity publisher) typically:

• Charges authors significant upfront fees for publishing services
• Accepts nearly all submissions with little selectivity
• Makes most of its money from authors rather than book sales
• Provides minimal marketing or distribution support

How Author Gate Compares

Author Gate claims to operate as a traditional publisher:

• No upfront submission fees
• Selective process (rejects many manuscripts)
• Professional editing, design, marketing, and distribution
• Focuses on retail distribution and sales
• Wide distribution (bookshops and online)

Official Website: www.author-gate.co.uk

Our Assessment

Author Gate appears to be a small traditional or hybrid-leaning press and does not appear to be a vanity publisher. They publish a relatively small number of books per year and seem genuinely interested in quality manuscripts and have books that are stocked and sold by mainstream retailers.

That said authors should always exercise caution and ask to see a copy of a contract before making any decisions.