Tate Publishing

Teller of truth · Jan 29, 2013

victoriastrauss said:
So the editors have a quota? Just like in a boiler-room?

- Victoria

Yes, they do. An unbelievably high quota. Meet the quota, get a bonus. Don't meet the quota, face the wrath of Dick or Trinity. That's why the Acquisitions staff is such a revolving door of faces.

Mama It, if you can't find an escape clause in your contract that will help you out now (their contracts are pretty tough to break), keep a finely detailed log of what happens when you get to marketing and ask a million questions of your marketing rep. They don't do everything they claim and if they do, they do a shoddy job. You may find a loophole to get your investment back.

Keep reminding yourself that you're not an idiot! The important thing is you're learning from your experience.

LindaJeanne · Jan 29, 2013

James D. Macdonald said:
There is no one so intelligent, so street-smart, and so cynical that the right pitch on the right day can't take them.

Truer words were never spoken.

MichaelZWilliamson · Jan 29, 2013

you mine sixteen subs,
and whaddaya get?
Another day older and I'm deeper in debt...

Gillhoughly · Jan 29, 2013

MichaelZWilliamson said:
That doesn't narrow it down much...

She was the rare exception who sticks in my memory as a cautionary tale. I've edited a LOT of writers and out of that number only two were taken off my A list for being divas.

The rest are completely professional and understand that I want the same thing they do: a really good story.

victoriastrauss · Jan 30, 2013

Teller of truth said:
Yes, they do. An unbelievably high quota. Meet the quota, get a bonus. Don't meet the quota, face the wrath of Dick or Trinity. That's why the Acquisitions staff is such a revolving door of faces.

Wow. I guess that makes sense, though, for a business whose main income is author fees.

- Victoria

Filigree · Feb 1, 2013

Sigh. I just saw another puff piece in my local newspaper about a stock market guy who's publishing his 'labor of love' market analysis book - through Tate. The article was written by an ASU journalism student.

http://www.ahwatukee.com/money/article_d77cd5fe-6a60-11e2-86e5-001a4bcf887a.html

Breath of Fresh Air · Feb 1, 2013

Filigree said:
Sigh. I just saw another puff piece in my local newspaper about a stock market guy who's publishing his 'labor of love' market analysis book - through Tate. The article was written by an ASU journalism student.

That's just sad. I sigh with you.

I followed the link to Tate from the article just to see if anything had changed. One thing jumped out at me at the top of every page:

"America's Top Publisher"

Seriously?????

I noticed that was in quotation marks, so obviously someone said it and they jumped on it. But again....

SERIOUSLY???????????

Sigh.

Deb

MichaelZWilliamson · Feb 1, 2013

"America's Top Publisher of poor saps."

victoriastrauss · Feb 2, 2013

They're going to have to fight PublishAmerica for that title. SMACKDOWN!!

- Victoria

James D. Macdonald · Feb 2, 2013

Perhaps the original read: "Tate is nowhere even close to being America's Top Publisher!"

Or maybe, one day at the office, "Doctor" Dick said, "We want to keep on putting up false and misleading ads so that a very new writer, on a very dark night, at a very great distance, will mistake us for America's Top Publisher."

Indianasmith · Apr 11, 2013

I was so excited when I got a notice that my novel had been approved for publication by Tate . . . but thank goodness my faithful Beta reader referred me to blog that linked this thread! And thank God Almighty that I read it before I signed their contract! Still looking for a publisher . . . but it won't be Tate!!!

aliceshortcake · Apr 12, 2013

You dodged a bullet there, Indianasmith!

Fuchsia Groan · Apr 12, 2013

Filigree said:
Sigh. I just saw another puff piece in my local newspaper about a stock market guy who's publishing his 'labor of love' market analysis book - through Tate. The article was written by an ASU journalism student.

http://www.ahwatukee.com/money/article_d77cd5fe-6a60-11e2-86e5-001a4bcf887a.html

Argh, sad to see. Every time a Tate author sends me their book for review, I want to get the word out there. I think I did once mention Tate's fees in a quick blurb re: a local's book, but the author sent me a huffy email asserting that she personally had not paid to be published and resented the implication.

So now I just avoid mentioning those books. On the plus side, I haven't seen any for a while, probably because everyone is discovering the cheap way to self-publish.

juniper · Apr 12, 2013

The Portland, Oregon newspaper recently had an article about a local woman with a new book. Published by Tate, it said. So thx to AW I know what that means, but to 99.95% of Portland, all it meant was that she had been "traditionally" published.

The book sounded as if it could help someone - non-fiction account of her life with a child who has a rare disorder. She collected stories from other parents living with the disorder. Took her 5 years to write - at least she got a short article (not a review) about it, so some publicity, maybe some sales.

DruidKitt · Apr 18, 2013

I did a signing at a Barnes and Noble tonight. I was one of six local authors to be there.

I was the ONLY AUTHOR there that was NOT published by Tate.

I made friendly with the lady next to me, and told her I hadn't heard of Tate. (Lie) She said they'd been nice to work with, but she had to pay a publicist. I winced, told her that was a big red flag, and told her to check out this forum. I doubt she will.

I felt so awful, and wanted to tell them all that they were being taken advantage of, but I had no idea what to say! Hopefully at least the lady next to me will find this thread.

Chris P · Apr 19, 2013

DruidKitt said:
I did a signing at a Barnes and Noble tonight. I was one of six local authors to be there.

I was the ONLY AUTHOR there that was NOT published by Tate.

I made friendly with the lady next to me, and told her I hadn't heard of Tate. (Lie) She said they'd been nice to work with, but she had to pay a publicist. I winced, told her that was a big red flag, and told her to check out this forum. I doubt she will.

I felt so awful, and wanted to tell them all that they were being taken advantage of, but I had no idea what to say! Hopefully at least the lady next to me will find this thread.

Hopefully it's not too little too late, since they already have their books published. They also are likely to have their own opinions of the experience and have decided if they will use Tate for their next books. I was already soured on PublishAmerica before I came to AW, but the message was that there is life after PA, just as I'm sure there would be with Tate.

MumblingSage · Apr 30, 2013

DruidKitt said:
I did a signing at a Barnes and Noble tonight. I was one of six local authors to be there.

I was the ONLY AUTHOR there that was NOT published by Tate.

I made friendly with the lady next to me, and told her I hadn't heard of Tate. (Lie) She said they'd been nice to work with, but she had to pay a publicist. I winced, told her that was a big red flag, and told her to check out this forum. I doubt she will.

I felt so awful, and wanted to tell them all that they were being taken advantage of, but I had no idea what to say! Hopefully at least the lady next to me will find this thread.

One of the authors I've met during my internship--a fantastically talented writer with a unique vision and one hell of a story--is published by Tate. As soon as I heard the name I had a sinking feeling, and sure enough, I remembered it from browsing this thread for my daily dose of schadenfreude years back. The schadenfreude is much less delicious once it happens to someone you admire. She's working on her next book now, and I worry if she's going to go with Tate or try a better publisher, but I'm not sure she'd appreciate an intern talking career advice with her.

I hope Chris P is right and she's wised up on the experience on her own. It's just...she's a sort of sweet, otherworldly-wise soul, and I'm not sure business is her strong point.

Chris P · May 1, 2013

MumblingSage said:
One of the authors I've met during my internship--a fantastically talented writer with a unique vision and one hell of a story--is published by Tate. As soon as I heard the name I had a sinking feeling, and sure enough, I remembered it from browsing this thread for my daily dose of schadenfreude years back. The schadenfreude is much less delicious once it happens to someone you admire. She's working on her next book now, and I worry if she's going to go with Tate or try a better publisher, but I'm not sure she'd appreciate an intern talking career advice with her.

I hope Chris P is right and she's wised up on the experience on her own. It's just...she's a sort of sweet, otherworldly-wise soul, and I'm not sure business is her strong point.

Suggest that she comes here and reads for herself. I don't think too many people would object to "They're saying some stuff about your publisher. Is it your experience too?" then let her go where she will.

gingerwoman · Jun 9, 2013

A 13 year old girl posted online about how she had had a contract from Tate publishing, and her parents had to pay $4000. I want to scream.

Maryn · Jun 9, 2013

Oh, god. Why do people sign contracts they don't understand obligating themselves to businesses they have not vetted? Loving your kid and encouraging her writing is helping her learn to avoid publishers (and I use the term loosely) like Tate.

Maryn, with a sigh

Old Hack · Jun 9, 2013

Ginger, is there no way you could send the girl a link to this thread? It might help.

That's so sad.

Chris P · Jun 9, 2013

Ginger--I had almost the same experience with my nephew when he was 14. I tried to explain to him and his mother what they could expect from Tate, $4000 and all, but they decided they were willing to make that investment. They even held bake sales in Target parking lots to raise the money. He got his book published, but an intervening divorce and all that loveliness made us lose track of each other. His book was to be a series, and he even had a full request from an agent (I don't know who) when he decided to "take the bird in the hand" and sign with Tate. Last I knew, he wasn't happy with the sales and was wanting to take a more commercial track for the rest of the series, so I think the finally realized what he'd gotten himself into.

He's a great kid (17 or 18 now) and with some direction and experience I think he's got a good writing career ahead of him. He knows how to tell a good story once he gets some of the basics down.

James D. Macdonald · Jun 9, 2013

Chris P said:
Last I knew, he wasn't happy with the sales and was wanting to take a more commercial track for the rest of the series, so I think the finally realized what he'd gotten himself into.

That'll only work if the second book in the series is a stand-alone.

No one is going to touch a series if the first book is with some other publisher. And typical Tate sales will mark that first book as a proven loser.

Chris P · Jun 9, 2013

James D. Macdonald said:
That'll only work if the second book in the series is a stand-alone.

No one is going to touch a series if the first book is with some other publisher. And typical Tate sales will mark that first book as a proven loser.

I just found his blog, and he's already working around that. He's writing a second series, hoping that one gets picked up by a big house that will also be interested enough in the first series to buy the first book from Tate, plus the two unpublished ones that follow. I don't know how often it works that way (almost never?), but it's like someone told him to write a new and better book and try again elsewhere

Gillhoughly · Jun 10, 2013

Old man Tate and his spawn are scum, will always be scum and with wide-eyed outrage will deny that fact with their last breath.

It's disgusting that they prey on the inexperienced, and certainly the elderly are favorite targets. I tried to warn the daughter of a Holocaust survivor about them, but the Tate sales pitch was too convincing. Her mother's story should have been heard, if only through Kindle and Createspace. She didn't deserve to be victimized yet again by those thieves.

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