Flame Tree Publishing / Flame Tree 451

I submitted for Dec. 2019 and didn't received a confirmation or a rejection. I presume they never got my email. Unless that's their MO.

It's been longer than the 2 month wait time they mention on their site, and they still have my manuscript. I hope this is a good thing: I'm really biting my nails over this one because my book seems like exactly the type of thing they're looking for.

My sub was for their Flash Fiction. Good luck, Corvid!

They've had my full for about 60 days. I'll just wait it out.

My experience with Flame Tree has been largely positive, but there are some caveats:

1. Royalty statements do not come as timely as they ought. My first statement was months late. The second came one month after the contracted date. I'm still waiting for the 2019 Q4 statement. Once the statement arrives, they pay promptly, but they're having trouble with doing the statements in a timely manner. I'm told this is common in Big 5 pub houses, too. I dunno.

2. On more than one occasion, emails that ask questions like "How are sales on Book 1?" or "Can you give me an idea when my tax forms will be sent?" have been met with silence. Which is annoying. Since I'm unagented, I have no easy way to get those answers.

Thought I would update. I finally received a rejection on my submission. According to my email records, I submitted over a year ago (Feb '19).

heykatydid said:

Thought I would update. I finally received a rejection on my submission. According to my email records, I submitted over a year ago (Feb '19).

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Wow, now that is a stretch of time. Hope your responses come sooner.

I've sold four stories to Flame Tree Publishing -- two to anthologies (Endless Apocalypse and A Dying Planet) and two to their NL.

I submitted a novel to their imprint four months ago. I received a polite acknowledgment the next day. Three months later I queried, asking about the novel's status. No response. Now it's been four months. I realize that Covid19 has really caused them problems and contributed to delays, but I'm bothered by the non-response and may go elsewhere. Hmm, perhaps I'll query again.

Good to know they're at least real! Gonna look them up. Thx.

John B. Rosenman said:

I've sold four stories to Flame Tree Publishing -- two to anthologies (Endless Apocalypse and A Dying Planet) and two to their NL.

I submitted a novel to their imprint four months ago. I received a polite acknowledgment the next day. Three months later I queried, asking about the novel's status. No response. Now it's been four months. I realize that Covid19 has really caused them problems and contributed to delays, but I'm bothered by the non-response and may go elsewhere. Hmm, perhaps I'll query again.

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I'm in the same boat it seems. I know it's been three years since anybody had posted here, but I had to chime in just to see if anyone has any more information on Flame Tree or updated experiences. I submitted back in September (2022), but I forget to send my manuscript. I only sent the title page. (Stupid me) But Don D'Auria sent me a friendly e-mail saying that I'd forgotten the manuscript, but he was still interested in reading it. I was thrilled of course since I wasn't sure if my query letter was up to par. He asked me to send it to his personal e-mail instead of the regular submission e-mail where I'd sent the query. I never got a receipt though they said I would get one. Well, 6 months went by, and I heard nothing. I didn't get a receipt this time, either. I sent a nudge asking for the status but never got a reply back. I never heard anything back. On one hand I feel that it is a no, but on the other, by seeing some of the comments on here, it might a typical waiting period. I would love to hear anyone's experiences with this publisher.

Don's their only acquisitions editor so I'm sure he's perpetually swamped. I imagine the fact they accept unagented submissions is part of that.

The only thing I have to add at this point is that their marketing is minimal or nonexistent. I know they had some staff changes last year, and suddenly I was being instructed to make a bunch of TikTok videos of myself doing all sorts of goofy things. Being who I am, I was not really into that. Book #2 sold like 13 copies so they didn't even consider publishing book #3, and I'm self-publishing it next week. So unless you're a debut author don't expect a whole lot of promotion.

mafiaking1936 said:

Don's their only acquisitions editor so I'm sure he's perpetually swamped. I imagine the fact they accept unagented submissions is part of that.

The only thing I have to add at this point is that their marketing is minimal or nonexistent. I know they had some staff changes last year, and suddenly I was being instructed to make a bunch of TikTok videos of myself doing all sorts of goofy things. Being who I am, I was not really into that. Book #2 sold like 13 copies so they didn't even consider publishing book #3, and I'm self-publishing it next week. So unless you're a debut author don't expect a whole lot of promotion.

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Thanks for the info. I'm sure he is swamped. I don't mind waiting, though. I know how slow the business is. If accepted, I plan on doing a lot of promotion myself. They are distributed by Simon and Schuster which means I can at least get bookstores to order my books for book signings. In my experience, if the books go through a reputable distributor, it's easier to get the bookstores to order them. My first book was a POD, but it went through Ingrams and I was able to get it in bookstores all over the country--though I had to make a lot of phone calls to do so. Only one store said they didn't have the shelf space. The secret was to ask an employee to order my book and not speak to a manager. This publisher pretty much crosses off all my check marks in what I want in a publisher. Thanks again for your experience.