Tate Publishing

[Marian Perera]

Heh. I checked out the website of Tate defender Leon Mentzer to see if there was any reaction to this, mostly because Leon's position was that if you're in the right, you won't have legal problems. I found this :

These web-site have seriously bad creditably when it comes to professional behavior and statements of facts.

AbsoluteWrite

And yet it's his publisher who pleaded no contest to felony charges.

Truly, the Lord works in mysterious ways.

 

[frimble3]

I kind of like the idea of them scrounging around for low-wage jobs the rest of their lives while they keep signing that mountain of refund checks...

Competing with so many struggling authors who fell for their scams.

Possibly this is why they weren't given prison time - too much chance that they might have tried getting their fellow inmates to publish biographies and 'how-to' books.

Then, once those fellow inmates realized that they had been scammed, the prison system would have been responsible for keeping the Tates in protective custody, 'cause their new 'clients' wouldn't have just written sad posts to AW.

Oh, and "They also offered to bribe us with all-expense-paid trips to Oklahoma."
Not only are the Tates crooks, they're cheap crooks.

 

[triceretops]

I can finally un-subscribe from this thread. I hope to God that this self--publishing era takes down every single vanity publisher for lack of business. They are the rottenest of the rotten.

A new Christmas gift early for writers.

 

[cool pop]

I can finally un-subscribe from this thread. I hope to God that this self--publishing era takes down every single vanity publisher for lack of business. They are the rottenest of the rotten.

A new Christmas gift early for writers.

Unfortunately, I don't see that happening, Tri. The reason these presses last is because writers will always fall into their trap whether it's because they are uniformed or just desperate. That's why I always stress to newbies that nothing is more important than research. The issue is many writers don't understand how publishing really works so they sign up with the first "publisher" who accepts their work. Until newbies stop falling for these vanity presses the pubs aren't going anywhere unless maybe they are sued into oblivion and close up.

But, then you just get many more that pop up for everyone that closes.

I agree about self-publishing. I believe it is one way these presses can die because so many new authors are self-publishing so you don't have as many being duped by these places these days.

 

[cmhbob]

I agree about self-publishing. I believe it is one way these presses can die because so many new authors are self-publishing so you don't have as many being duped by these places these days.

I don't know about that. Too many are still confused by what "self-publishing" means. I've had people tell me they're SP, then in the next breath mention what is clearly a vanity publisher. In one case, it was Tate. It seemed like here in OK, no one really wanted to talk about Tate the way they should have been. In one writer's group I belonged to, there were probably half a dozen authors with Tate.

 

[Chris P]

I don't know about that. Too many are still confused by what "self-publishing" means.

Or are intimidated by it or are confused about how to do it. I have no doubt that SP has made a serious dent in vanity publishing, but there are many people (myself included, TBH) reluctant to get into it. The stigma that you SP because you can't get anything better has faded into history, but I'm not a marketer, nor would I know what to look for to find a good one. I am not a cover designer, nor would I know what to look for in a good one. I'm not a publicist, yada yada. I have the benefit of being here long enough to know who to ask to get pointed in the right direction, but not everyone is that lucky. As long as there are people like me, there will be people like Tate.

 

[Filigree]

Alas, no. There are plenty of shady vanity publishers, often with 'Christian' code words to sucker in victims already distrustful of mainstream liberal media.

 

[cool pop]

Or are intimidated by it or are confused about how to do it. I have no doubt that SP has made a serious dent in vanity publishing, but there are many people (myself included, TBH) reluctant to get into it. The stigma that you SP because you can't get anything better has faded into history, but I'm not a marketer, nor would I know what to look for to find a good one. I am not a cover designer, nor would I know what to look for in a good one. I'm not a publicist, yada yada. I have the benefit of being here long enough to know who to ask to get pointed in the right direction, but not everyone is that lucky. As long as there are people like me, there will be people like Tate.

That's what experienced indies are for...to help people like you. Most people know nothing about self-publishing when they start but others will help you learn. The indie community is HUGE and incredibly helpful so no one has to do it alone. I did know a lot about self-publishing before I started it but I still didn't know some things and had to learn and had author friends who were glad to help.

Anyway, in this industry no one ever knows everything. We are always learning no matter what avenue we take or how long we've been writing. Learning and progressing is the name of the game. There is always something we don't know.

 

[cool pop]

I don't know about that. Too many are still confused by what "self-publishing" means. I've had people tell me they're SP, then in the next breath mention what is clearly a vanity publisher. In one case, it was Tate. It seemed like here in OK, no one really wanted to talk about Tate the way they should have been. In one writer's group I belonged to, there were probably half a dozen authors with Tate.

I always see the opposite, authors thinking they are "published" by a legit publisher then you come to find out it's one of these places. Either way, I think we can all agree that a lot of newbies would save themselves a lot of heartache if they just researched. For goodness sake, you can do a 1-second Google on Tate Publishing and see you need to stay away. That's why it's hard to feel sorry for some people because it's like they don't do the bare minimum to research yet they Google everything else 24 hours a day. Then, you see the people you warn against these places and they STILL sign with them.

I mean good Lord, Google Tate and the first thing you see is the CEO's mugshot!

 

[M. Scott]

Richard and Ryan Tate pleaded no contest to multiple charges Wednesday to charges including 44 counts involving embezzlement, attempted extortion, extortion, conspiracy and racketeering.

Both men were sentenced to consecutive, 10-year suspended terms on two of the felony charges, concurrent five-year suspended terms on the remaining felonies and concurrent yearlong suspended terms on the misdemeanors.

Each will be on probation the next 20 years and must meet prescribed conduct standards and report monthly to the attorney general. They also must reimburse the victims of their scam.

https://newsok.com/article/5618137/...spended-terms-but-ordered-to-make-restitution

And the RICO act finally kicks in

 

[Ol' Fashioned Girl]

Unfortunately, the Tates only have to make $3000 a month payments for the next 20 years of their probation... many of their authors will be long dead and gone before the debt is paid. I don't believe our esteemed Attorney General had a clue. He should have thrown them in jail for 20 years and seized their considerable assets for an immediate payback. I was amazed and dismayed at the outcome - and if the announcement had been made before the November elections, I'd have been out on a street corner in Internetville campaigning against AG Mike Hunter. Guess I'll have to save it for next time.

 

[ctripp]

seized their considerable assets for an immediate payback

But what some of the very BEST crooked business people, A) make sure their Limited co owns very little to loose if sued, i.e.: rent the building, any machinery, vehicles and B) make sure the houses, cottages, cars, bank accounts are in their wives or children's names. So unless a court can link the whole family into criminal activity, the bulk of the assets can't be touched and the crooks, on the face of it, have nothing.

 

[Gillhoughly]

https://oklahoman.com/article/5649729/canadian-county-judge-approves-restitution-for-tate-publishing-enterprises-victims

 

[Sonya Heaney]

https://oklahoman.com/article/5649729/canadian-county-judge-approves-restitution-for-tate-publishing-enterprises-victims

lol - When this name popped back up I thought what else could they possibly have done now?! I once wasted a while reading this entire discussion, and I still get a little chuckle from seeing it end with mugshots.