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Cook Publishing

Krinity

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Hello!
Does anyone know anything about this company. Their website is not encouraging. They have no works listed that they have published. They seem very new. They recently liked my pitch on twitters PITMAD. I have tried publishers market place and a generally google search but haven't found anything positive or negative.

If they are legit and just new I don't want to hold that against them. However, I am very nervous about a new publishing company. I am new to trying to get published. Maybe someone with more experience wouldn't be as hesitant to work with a new publisher.
 

Sonya Heaney

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I took a look at their site, and they... don't have any books. At all. There are a couple of things that are allegedly "in production", and their submissions page first asks for people to write for their blog. Additionally, their Twitter account was only set up in November (and they have a suspicious number of followers for a company nobody has published with yet).

One person running the company has taught in universities and runs marathons, but has no publishing experience. The other staff member listed is a military guy who likes fishing...

I wouldn't be submitting to a publisher without any books. Wait a while and see. :gone:
 

Gillhoughly

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I looked at their books page too and it seems as though they are taking credit for publishing King's book On Writing. It was actually published by Scribner in 2010. These morons are just showing books they have in the office.

Ditto for a 2006 copy On Writing Well, pubbed by Harper Perennial.

Ditto for the other books on that page. Perhaps they hope writers won't click the Amazon links and see who really put those books out. It sure looks like they want to take credit for them.

RUN. AWAY.

In all things to do with submissions, start at the top with the biggest publishers you can find and work your way down. By the time you get to a misleading, skank operation like this, you will have sold your book to a legit house.

Experienced writers won't bother with this operation. They want to make real money for their hard work.

They know most new publishers go belly up in short order because the people in charge don't know jack about the business.

When you need a root canal, you don't take your tooth to a dentist whose shingle still has wet paint.
 
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rgroberts

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I got a like from them in PitMad, too, and had the same vibes. I'm not sure they're not trying to be legit...but I'm also not sure they're going to accomplish anything. Leery is probably too mild of a word to describe me right now.
 

Sonya Heaney

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I got a like from them in PitMad, too, and had the same vibes. I'm not sure they're not trying to be legit...but I'm also not sure they're going to accomplish anything. Leery is probably too mild of a word to describe me right now.

I think they mean well, but I'm not sure how they think they're going to go from teaching/the military into publishing with zero experience. I'm actually looking at publishers with a military interest at the moment (I'm helping a Vietnam veteran with his autobiography), but there's no way I'd even consider a setup like this one.
 

frimble3

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So, are they related, or is it just co-incidence that both partners are named 'Cook'?
This is not a minor thing: apparently they each have two children. If one of them has domestic problems, the work-force drops by half. If they are both involved, well, your work is not going to be their chief concern, is it?
She apparently goes runs in marathons around the world - at the height of the marathon season, is she going to be focussed on your book?
He is a 'career military officer' (doesn't say that he's retired) with a lot of outdoorsy hobbies.
Do either of them sound like they're ready for a full-time publishing job, or is this just another hobby?