1. Suffering-is-Beauty

    Suffering-is-Beauty New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2013
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    5
    Location:
    Wisconsin

    Tate Publishing - Question about a publisher

    Discussion in 'Publisher Discussion' started by Suffering-is-Beauty, Apr 12, 2013.

    So I'm just curious if anyone knows anything or has had any experience with Tate Publishing. I've done a ton of looking into it, and am just curious what those on this site might think. I just received a contract from them and they offered to lower the retainer to sell the deal, but pretty sure its just a self publishing company selling themselves as a traditional publishing house.
     
    andrew smith and swhibs123 like this.
  2. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2008
    Messages:
    7,851
    Likes Received:
    3,339
    Location:
    Boston
    According to Preditors and Editors, Tate Publishing isn't recommended.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  3. shadowwalker

    shadowwalker Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2011
    Messages:
    3,258
    Likes Received:
    847
    A publisher demanding a retainer?

    Run. Fast and hard.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  4. AVCortez

    AVCortez Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2013
    Messages:
    390
    Likes Received:
    22
    Location:
    Melbourne, Australia
    EDIT: Nevermind, watch season 8 of the Britcom Peep Show.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  5. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2006
    Messages:
    3,374
    Likes Received:
    1,629
    Location:
    Ohio, USA
    If I am correct, Tate charges the author to publish. If they do, odds are you could do much better just self-publishing.

    The problem with a publisher that charges its authors a fee to publish is that their business model is often based around selling services to authors, not selling books to readers.

    Absolute Write's Water Cooler: Bewares, Recommendations and Background Checks (in their forum) (google search will turn it up) has a long thread on this publisher that you can read and consider.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  6. Krishan

    Krishan Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2012
    Messages:
    144
    Likes Received:
    37
    Here's the website of a company called Tate Publishing: http://www.tatepublishing.com/. Is this the one you're talking about?

    They look intensely dodgy, and seem geared towards taking money from an author in exchange for "services" rather than actually publishing anything. They have an interesting way of insisting that they're not a vanity publisher though. Apparently Tate "does not charge a fee for publishing", but does require authors to have "full-time professional book marketing and publicist representation" - something they are happy to provide in exchange for an extortionate fee.

    They also cloak themselves in respectability by mentioning a lot of well-known TV networks that they claim broadcast adverts for their books. The fact is, however, that this will only happen if the gullible author Tate is taking advantage of pays for the service.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  7. AVCortez

    AVCortez Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2013
    Messages:
    390
    Likes Received:
    22
    Location:
    Melbourne, Australia
    I just had a look over this page and have no idea how to use it... I haven't seen a website like that in ten years.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  8. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2010
    Messages:
    15,262
    Likes Received:
    13,084
    It may be even worse than that. I advise against self publishing, but it's at least a clear business model - you own your work, you're in charge of editing, you can change printers and formats and issue new editions any time you want, etc. With Tate, I wouldn't be sure that you retain all rights.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  9. shadowwalker

    shadowwalker Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2011
    Messages:
    3,258
    Likes Received:
    847
    It's a vanity press. No legitimate publishing house wants money from the author. There are now 'self-publishing companies' which do the same thing - charge authors for doing exactly what the author can (and should) do for themselves if they want to self-publish. Many of these are simply the old vanity publishers putting a new spin on their scams.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  10. erebh

    erebh Banned Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2013
    Messages:
    2,642
    Likes Received:
    481
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    andrew smith likes this.
  11. Suffering-is-Beauty

    Suffering-is-Beauty New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2013
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    5
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Thanks for reinforcing my deleting of their emails guys and gals. Don't need to pay someone to do what I can do myself. At least createspace is free.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  12. swhibs123

    swhibs123 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2011
    Messages:
    132
    Likes Received:
    24
    Location:
    BC, CANADA

    Not free. They're a printer, and you pay to set up, and to print, just like any printer. They just have low fees which are accessible to most self-publishers.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  13. northernadams

    northernadams Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2013
    Messages:
    73
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    WNY
    Yes, not free, but great for writers who have limited (or wholly imagined) resources. You can order one copy of your book if you wanted to--other sites I checked out either did not offer paperbacks at all (strictly ebook, which anybody could do) or you had to order in cases. Have at least $2,000 in your pocket before you even call those.

    I'm 50. Ebooks are fast, convenient, and environmentally friendly, but sorry, that's not a book. I wanted to hold mine, and CS let me do that.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  14. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2010
    Messages:
    6,541
    Likes Received:
    4,776
    What's a retainer?

    I know nothing of Tate Publishing, but 10min on that site is enough to see that it's most probably a scam. You can win an iPad3 if you submit a manuscript? I mean, c'mon, that's just desperate. In a world where authors are vying to get published, you need a cheap gimmick like that just to get the author to *submit* to you? And then the pop-up message when you try to close their page, "You sure you wouldn't like to request some information before leaving? You can win an iPad3!" It just screams SCAM SCAM SCAM to me.

    And you got to love the quality of their writing, considering they're a "publisher". "There are requirements that the author is required to meet"? (and how much vaguer can you get?) At a glance, it's not obvious where you'd actually find MS submission guidelines and information of contract terms and royalties etc, or as a matter of fact, what books they've actually published :D
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  15. Al Stevens

    Al Stevens New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2013
    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Florida
    Re: Createspace. It's free. You pay only when you want a book in hand. It's usually recommended that you buy at least one proof copy at your author discount. There are no setup fees. You send them PDFs for your cover and interior file, which you prepare yourself (or have it done). Your book is listed on amazon. Createspace pays royalties when others buy your book. You can buy copies of your own book for a decent discount.

    I have four titles published with Createspace. A good way to go for niche books.
     
  16. Daniel

    Daniel I'm sure you've heard the rumors Founder Staff

    Joined:
    May 14, 2006
    Messages:
    2,815
    Likes Received:
    696
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    Daniel submitted a new resource:

    Tate Publishing - A Christian subsidy publisher?

    Read more about this resource...
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  17. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2006
    Messages:
    19,150
    Likes Received:
    1,034
    Location:
    Coquille, Oregon
    here, you've at least allowed the warning to be seen without having to go beyond this thread to find it, as one must in your posting of the trafford info...

    and the wording intro, 'Daniel submitted a new resource' definitely seems to be an endorsement, with nothing to say otherwise...

    if you are going to continue to add these companies' self-touting blurbs to members' threads asking about publishers/agents/whatever, please consider rewording your intro to make it clear to all 'on sight' [without having to leave the page to find it] that you are not recommending them, only providing the company's own promotional material...

    better yet would be to not do it at all and let the members find the site on their own...

    love and hugs, maia
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  18. Daniel

    Daniel I'm sure you've heard the rumors Founder Staff

    Joined:
    May 14, 2006
    Messages:
    2,815
    Likes Received:
    696
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    I see where you're coming from. The wording that I added a new resource is auto-generated when I associated the resource with this thread. If you read the resource, yes, I list a sentence from their self description, but I also listed their P&E status and mentioned I added it as a resource due to an existing thread on the company.

    I believe that within our publisher resource section we should include any and all publishers, it would allow members to discuss their status and credibility, as well as rate the resource; in my opinion, this will make it easier to avoid questionable publishers.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  19. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2008
    Messages:
    7,851
    Likes Received:
    3,339
    Location:
    Boston
    I think what the others are getting at is that it would be better if you, as the site owner, didn't post anything at all because it looks like you (and therefore the site) are endorsing these publishers. Maybe it would be better if you let other members create these threads/resources.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  20. Daniel

    Daniel I'm sure you've heard the rumors Founder Staff

    Joined:
    May 14, 2006
    Messages:
    2,815
    Likes Received:
    696
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    hmmm, I see.
     
    andrew smith likes this.
  21. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2006
    Messages:
    19,150
    Likes Received:
    1,034
    Location:
    Coquille, Oregon
    i agree with thirdwind...

    if you're unsure of the validity of our position, you can run a poll and see if other members feel the same way on this subject...
     
    andrew smith likes this.

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice