Take Two Publishing

[saphirablue84]

I didn't find this publisher listed and if they are, I'm sorry for making another post. I really don't have a question, but I thought this should be opened up for discussion.

Last night I was contacted via twitter by Take Two Publishing. From what I can see, they are a new indie e-book publisher. I have nothing against new, we all have to start somewhere, and I know the rules about being contacted by an editor/publisher/agent without being queried first.

The About Me says the founders have experience in marketing, but I didn't see any experience in publishing.

Thoughts?

 

[twm]

Uh. Their website seems to be aimed at writers as a whole with no relevant publishing experience listed. I don't don't know what a "social rockstar" is but I don't think it qualifies you to be a publisher.

 

[saphirablue84]

That was my thoughts exactly. I'm sure they mean well and may even surprise us by becoming a very successful small press, but only time will tell. Has anyone else had any experience with this publisher? What do/did you think of them?

 

[Unimportant]

An established press should have a track record of sales.

A new press should have sufficient credentials (staff with industry experience; distribution in place; launch titles by established authors) to indicate that they will quickly establish a track record of sales. Absent such credentials, there doesn't seem to be any reason for authors to submit to such a press.

 

[thothguard51]

Pass....

 

[aliceshortcake]

Coming soon from Take Two Publishing - the 1,000 word writing contest!

Write a 1,000 word story about the image provided by Take Two. Your story must relate to the image in some way and it MUST be exactly 1,000 words. The winner’s story will be published on the Take Two website and made available as a free download to all our readers.
When you win a Take Two writing contest, you get your work in front of a whole new audience. We are always on the lookout for the best new talent so if you think you have what it takes – send us your stuff!

http://www.taketwopublishing.com/sample-page/writing-contests/

No prize money, no contract...just the opportunity to have people read your work for free? I'm underwhelmed.

 

[Marian Perera]

I checked their blog, and read the hoary old claim that Gone with the Wind was rejected by 38 publishers. I don't think there were 38 publishers at the time for Mitchell to send it to, and it's not like she had access to a photocopier in 1935. Mitchell was reluctant to even show the manuscript to anyone, much less to get it published.

 

[aliceshortcake]

Some interesting info about this old chestnut here:

So how many times was Gone with the Wind rejected? According to Margaret Mitchell, it was never rejected. Here's an excerpt from her June 22, 1936 letter to a book dealer who had written to say she loved the novel:

I wrote the book between 1926 and 1929 and never even tried to sell it. I never dreamed it would sell so I never had it neatly typed and submitted for rejection slips. Then when Mr. Latham of the Macmillan Company was in Atlanta last year, he dug out the very dirty and messy copy and bought it and my surprise was considerable. I thought, because of the purely Southern scene, character, handling, psychology that the book would have an appeal, if any, only in the South.
​

Scratch one myth.

Gone with the Wind was a great book, but Margaret Mitchell didn't appear to know that. If Mr. Latham hadn't gone south to hunt for buried treasure, things might have ended quite differently.

I was charmed by what the newly-published Mitchell wrote near the end of her letter:

I never before realized what a gracious courtesy it is to write to an author. This is my first book and I never before realized how you send out a book and never know whether people like it or utterly detest it unless they write you about it. And so I must thank you again for your courtesy and for the happiness it has given me.
​

http://brendacoulter.blogspot.co.uk/2008/05/q-how-many-times-was-gone-with-wind.html

 

[saphirablue84]

I checked their website/blog out and have no idea how I missed the Gone With The Wind part. I'm in love with that book & I know that I would have jumped on it if I had and said the same as you both have. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.

 

[Marian Perera]

A pleasure. That's my favorite novel.

 

[saphirablue84]

It's easily in my top five favorite novels! I've read it too many times to count. *sighs* I love the classics!

 

[CaoPaux]

Three books out now (including one by co-founder), with Amazon rankings from 6M to 160K.

 

[CaoPaux]

Site gone; fourth and last book pubbed Dec '14.