Tree District Books

[SleepyMaggie]

My apologies if this has already been discussed but I searched, I did! I just keep getting the "wow, man, those words are like WAY too common and there's no way we could return that many results!" message. Which is understandable, I guess, because the words are Tree and District and Books!

So, has anyone heard of Tree District Books? Their web site seems legit but I have never heard of them before and I would like to know something about them before I submit a manuscript to them.

Are they a cleverly-disguised vanity press or, even worse, a bunch of wonks who do nothing but push people's manuscripts through KDP in return for the lion's share of any proceeds, or do they actually legit publish books and have marketing and distribution capabilities just like a real boy?

Thanks for any input you can offer!

 

[zmethos]

Link: https://www.treedistrictbooks.com/

 

[zmethos]

I will say, any publisher that also provides paid services to help authors self-publish... It doesn't sit right with me. And the fact they want my email before I can even submit makes me think I'll end up on a mailing list I don't want.

 

[Gillhoughly]

I am underwhelmed by their "freelancers." One claims editing experience and has some books out with a co-writer, the other has the usual MFA and nothing on Amazon.

They seem to have a number of authors, but no links to their books. Instead of a list of names to click, you have to go to the bottom of the page and click on one of a line of tiny dots to open a mini-bio of each. I found the dots by accident, so I don't think much of their web designer's choices. A book title was mentioned once, but it's not out yet.

This place looks far too new. They went live with no books to sell. They provide a "range of services" but not so much as one book cover or testimonial. They need to post proof that they know what they're doing.

I recommend getting popcorn for the present. See if they're still around a year after they actually get some books out.

I do not recommend paying a penny for any of their services. But then I loathe vanity operations.

 

[SleepyMaggie]

Thanks, everyone. I agree that they seem pretty green. What I'm mainly trying to determine is whether or not they are trying to hand me a "contributory" deal (aka scam) before I bust my butt trying to get my manuscript ready to send to them. They saw me talking about my work on Twitter and expressed an interest. If they're legit, I would hate to make them wait, but if they're not, I'm just going to go ahead and finish my work at my own best pace.

I have heard lots of people in self-publishing groups defending the concept of paying for "help" with self-publishing and while I don't agree with them, I do understand they seem to think it's a service they find valuable. I mean, I don't understand why someone who can operate a word processor would feel incompetent to operate KDP, but, whatever works for them!

I suspect they're mainly "expressing an interest" because they want a foot in the door to say "wow, this is great! Not quite great enough for us to pay you an advance and offer a real contract that includes distribution and marketing but hey, with a lot of help from us, it could be great enough for you to self publish!" But I have no interest in self-publishing, with or without anyone's help.

What I'm really trying to find is a small press that has distribution capabilities, since I'm totally over having a publisher who doesn't do anything I couldn't do better myself.

 

[SleepyMaggie]

OTOH it's been very valuable, today, for me to be able to say to my S.O. "Shush! I need to get this manuscript ready for someone who has expressed an interest so, I don't know, heat up some hot-dogs or order takeout or something!"

 

[SleepyMaggie]

Their web site seems to be in flux

I had to go back to their web site because the one you describe below did not sound at all like the one I saw the other day when I googled them. Sure enough, it is completely different now! They must be in the middle of "updating" it. I have to say I liked the original much better - it was cleaner and more professional and did, in fact, have easily navigated links to the authors and their work. Someone must've let their nephew talk them into letting him show off his new WordPress skillz!

I do recall that when I first googled my current "publisher" I had grave misgivings because their web site reminded me of the first one I ever made, back in 1998. But then I was all "Oh, you shouldn't judge a company by its web site, right?" Ha! I wish I had listened to my instincts back then - that's why I came here, because their site looked so professional, a few days ago, but I wasn't going to trust a slick web site, either!

I am underwhelmed by their "freelancers." One claims editing experience and has some books out with a co-writer, the other has the usual MFA and nothing on Amazon.

They seem to have a number of authors, but no links to their books. Instead of a list of names to click, you have to go to the bottom of the page and click on one of a line of tiny dots to open a mini-bio of each. I found the dots by accident, so I don't think much of their web designer's choices. A book title was mentioned once, but it's not out yet.

This place looks far too new. They went live with no books to sell. They provide a "range of services" but not so much as one book cover or testimonial. They need to post proof that they know what they're doing.

I recommend getting popcorn for the present. See if they're still around a year after they actually get some books out.

I do not recommend paying a penny for any of their services. But then I loathe vanity operations.

 

[Gillhoughly]

SleepyMaggie -- To find a legit, advance-paying publisher with distribution, go to a bookstore, look for books like yours, and see who published it. Check those authors' websites to see if they mention their agent.

Any publisher wanting to see your book based on a tweet needs to be blocked. They will want money and won't be your friend. Places like Dorrance troll the US copyright lists for writers who buy a copyright on their works and hook in plenty of unwary writers starving for flattery.

Legit publishers never do that. They're flooded with submissions and have no need of it.

To sort one from the other is easy: Google their name + "scam" "vanity" or "ripoff" to see what's going on. This place is too new, so they might not have a history. But the last thing I'd want is someone with a 9 year-old on the payroll, even as a joke.

 

[SleepyMaggie]

Yah therein lies the rub. Nobody writes books like mine. That's why I have to write them myself! I have a feeling I'm not the only person who leaves bookstores disappointed and empty-handed because authors like me are sitting around on their hands not even bothering to try because "nobody is publishing what I write anyway." I know I've chosen a hard row to hoe, but I have a feeling a lot of people will be glad I did, if I can only break through this wall, and I refuse to give up ever again.

SleepyMaggie -- To find a legit, advance-paying publisher with distribution, go to a bookstore, look for books like yours, and see who published it. Check those authors' websites to see if they mention their agent.

 

[-Riv-]

Yah therein lies the rub. Nobody writes books like mine. That's why I have to write them myself! I have a feeling I'm not the only person who leaves bookstores disappointed and empty-handed because authors like me are sitting around on their hands not even bothering to try because "nobody is publishing what I write anyway." I know I've chosen a hard row to hoe, but I have a feeling a lot of people will be glad I did, if I can only break through this wall, and I refuse to give up ever again.

Now my curiosity is piqued! What sort of books do you write?

All the best,
Riv

 

[SleepyMaggie]

Well, I have some fans now (this still blows my mind!) who have called it Contemporary Southern Gothic Fantasy, which I think sounds cool, but I'm not sure if that really means anything to an agent-type. I used to say "ghost stories," but everyone tends to conflate that with horror, nowadays, and I do not write (or read, or watch, or like!) horror. Though living mortals are naturally freaked out by them, my ghosts have no more desire to maim and disembowel the living than the living [generally] do. Because seriously?

So I'm trying to fine-tune my pitch from the following bullet-points:

• There are ghosts, but this is not horror
• The stories take place in a small, southern town you will not find on any map (unless you are meant to find it!)
• There is a whole kingdom of people on the other side of the meadow, but you had better not let them catch you calling them "fairies."
• There is generally a mystery of the "cozy" variety, but it is not the central theme of the story-world
• There is romance but it is mostly functional, and is also not the central theme
• There is enchantment, but there are no dragons, wizards or musclebound/big-breasted sword-slingers
• There is supernatural and magic, but there are no werewolves or vampires, and there never will be
• The protagonists are adults, but even so, the magic is not horrifying and depressing
• There is moonlight and moss in the trees

I would like to shave this down to only focus on the things there ARE rather than the things there are not, but I'm not sure how to do this without making people hope they're buying slasher horror with dragons and werewolves in. Which, I realize, a lot of people would love to see, but it ain't me.

Anyway, I keep plugging away!

(Edited to add: See the link in my profile to my web site, which contains links to my debut novel.)

Now my curiosity is piqued! What sort of books do you write?

All the best,
Riv

 

[Gillhoughly]

"Contemporary Southern Gothic Fantasy" made me think of "Beautiful Creatures" which has all those factors under the YA umbrella, though it likely has nothing else in common.

Try The Knight Agency and see what happens.

Your bullet points have assumptions, like fantasy automatically equals dragons or that ghosts always mean horror. It is a very inclusive genre. That point only tells an agent that you've not read nearly enough in the field. Leave out what it is not and focus on what it IS.

https://www.darcypattison.com/marketing/hook-an-agent/

One of my writer friends had a hard time selling her cross genre book back in the 90's. She thought of it as a mystery but it had supernatural stuff in it. The only buyers for that were horror houses. Mystery publishers rejected it outright, they didn't like spooks in their stuff. She finally clicked with a fantasy/SF house with nary a dragon or rocket ship in sight.

The main key is write something awesome that will keep readers up all night to see what happens next, get it beta readers, revise, tweak, and shop it while writing the next book.

 

[SleepyMaggie]

Thanks for the link to the Knight Agency. I considered submitting to them before, but they seemed to be mostly interested in non-fiction. I see they do have one agent there, though, who seems a bit omnivorous - I'll query her.

LOL now, see, I would consider "Beautiful Creatures" a horror story!

My bullet points automatically assume ghosts always mean horror, because that is what agents automatically assume when they see the word ghost. I actually had one agent tell me flat out "Oh, no, no, no. That would be horror. I am not a horror kind of girl!" Most of them don't bother to say anything, though, of course. They just get as far as the word "ghost" in my hook and then throw up their hands, grumbling "FFS why can't these stupid writers ever bother to read my wish list?" and then file my query under "batch of form rejections to BCC at 4M" without reading any further. They are busy people, after all!

But I can't think of a way to write my hook without the word "ghost." The ghosts are an absolutely essential part of the plot. Especially Georgie, whom everyone who has read the book absolutely loves! It appears that I have, in fact, written something awesome that does keep readers / has kept readers up all night to see what happens next. But getting a real publishing agency to help put me in touch with more of these readers is a real uphill battle.

I mean, I could leave out essential elements (aka: lie) just to get a foot in the door, but I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be such a good idea, either!

Don't worry - I will not give up. Defeat is not an option!

"Contemporary Southern Gothic Fantasy" made me think of "Beautiful Creatures" which has all those factors under the YA umbrella, though it likely has nothing else in common.

Your bullet points have assumptions, like fantasy automatically equals dragons or that ghosts always mean horror. It is a very inclusive genre. That point only tells an agent that you've not read nearly enough in the field. Leave out what it is not and focus on what it IS.

https://www.darcypattison.com/marketing/hook-an-agent/

One of my writer friends had a hard time selling her cross genre book back in the 90's. She thought of it as a mystery but it had supernatural stuff in it. The only buyers for that were horror houses. Mystery publishers rejected it outright, they didn't like spooks in their stuff. She finally clicked with a fantasy/SF house with nary a dragon or rocket ship in sight.

The main key is write something awesome that will keep readers up all night to see what happens next, get it beta readers, revise, tweak, and shop it while writing the next book.

 

[Filigree]

SleepyMaggie, Knight Agency has a big presence in fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal romance, with several agents interested in Southern Gothic . Give them a try.

Also Google 'Southern Gothic MSWL' to see that genre on literary agents' wishlists.

 

[Marissa D]

Have a look at Belle Books--they're a smaller publisher that has an especial interest in southern fiction.

 

[Undercover]

When you say "publishing agency" that gives me pause to think you may be confusing them. It's either a publishing company or literary agency. Not both, that would be a complete conflict of interest. I've seen publishing houses, charging for editing and things like that, I think there might be agencies that also publish, which isn't a good idea. So I can understand your confusion.

You would want to look for an agent first and see how far that will take you. If you have no success with the agents, or your ready to move on, you can submit to publishers directly. This is where good homework comes in. Do your research, Google the heck out of it. This is a great section to do this.

I agree what Gill said, "...get it beta readers, revise, tweak, and shop it while writing the next book. "

 

[Gillhoughly]

No excuses on what past agents have said, you keep subbing. When I read the slush pile I didn't bother reading the query first, I opened to the story to see if it grabbed me. The best query ever is no good unless the writing matches it.

If subbing directly to a publisher, start at the top with the biggest dog on Publisher's Row. Don't bother with smaller presses until you've exhausted the big ones. Small presses have a limited number of books they can afford to put out in a year, and don't have the marketing clout of a big place.

Any agent is going to take a MS to the place that pays more, not some small joint that could go belly up at any given moment.

So, look up the agent for Beautiful Creatures.

And what you think is horror is not necessarily what others think. Many cross genre books are listed in different areas on Amazon. It helps them to reach more readers.

My friend didn't like having books in the horror section as well as in SFF and general fiction, but so long as they sold and got good reviews, she mellowed out.