Tate Publishing Authors, What are you doing about the Closure

1. 70

   Renata Kellposted 7 years ago

   I am a Tate Publishers Author and have had issues with Tate from the beginning. I am completely out of the loop because I lost hope and decided to just let my book ride it out. Now I find out that without so much as a letter they closed their doors. I am unable to reach anyone through the phone or e-mail. and have no idea what to do. I am looking for other authors who are published through Tate and would like any information on what other authors are doing.
   Are there any real publishers who do not charge an arm and a leg to republish my manuscript and are there any lawsuits involving the authors?
   Let me explain. When I signed with Tate I had no Idea what I was getting into and I was in a particularly bad situation in my own life. A few years later while doing my own marketing. I had a reporter tell me that I had been legally scammed. This was devastating to me for so many reasons. I really wanted my book to reach people that may have been suffering the way I had. Tate had already botched an awesome opportunity for a signing by not sending books and at the last minute telling me that I had to purchase the books myself but they would not get to the signing in time. I pretty much threw my hands in the air and walked away. Of course, I decided that I would just let my book do its own thing and later pick up the marketing but never did.Now after reading all the articles and other authors who had some of the similar experiences I realize that it wasn't just me. I am just looking for a direction or a heads up. If there are any other authors who have more information I would greatly appreciate it.
   Thank you
   Renata

   replyreport
2. 78

   psycheskinnerposted 7 years ago

   Publishing is a free process.  Even self-publishing is a relatively inexpensive and potentially free process.
   
   This particular book has been in print, so most trade publishers will not be very interested in it.  However self-publishing is no longer a very difficult process.  You could start by looking at releasing it as a Kindle ebook through Amazon.

   replyreport
3. 83

   Marisa Wrightposted 7 years ago

   Renata, I'm sorry to hear you were duped by Tate Press, because it never was an honest publisher.
   
   Tate Press was a "vanity press", which means a publisher that preys on the vanity of writers.  They masquerade as a real publisher but in reality, all they do is charge large amounts of money to print your book (pretending the charges are for something else). You have no legal recourse, though - check the agreement you signed, you'll find that it includes exactly what you got.  They may have mentioned other things on their website or in discussions, but the agreement you signed is what they are legally bound to.
   
   You need to read this article. In particular, the bit about NOT paying them the $50 to get your book files back, because you'll find no one else can use them so it's a waste of money:
   http://accrispin.blogspot.com.au/2016/0 … apped.html
   
   No genuine publisher will charge you money to publish your book.  The process is that you submit your book to the publisher for consideration, and if they think it's good enough, they will publish it free of charge.   However, they will publish ONLY if they think the book is going to make them a profit.
   
   I found your book on Amazon and you say yourself you're not a writer, you just want to get your story out there.  Unfortunately that means your writing isn't polished enough for a mainstream publisher to accept your book, and therefore your only recourse is to self-publish. 
   
   Just be aware that this will never get your book on the shelves in bookstores.  Tate's publishing service didn't either.  Self-publishing means you get your books listed on websites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and people can either buy them in ebook format or order a hard copy which is printed to order - there's no stock of books sitting anywhere waiting to be sent out (and there are none at Tate either).
   
   BookTango is a good self-publishing service and one of the easiest to use.  They have a free DIY service, or you can pay extra to get them to do some of the work for you.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      Renata Kellposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your response.  Your absolutely right about my book not making it onto any shelves. I am still new to writing as you said and I have been advised by several established authors to tell my story again with my new knowledge and my heart felt words I should be able to make it much better. I definitely learned a valuable and costly lesson from Tate Publishing. Again thank you
      Who knows maybe they did me a favor. I guess it's back to the drawing board.

      replyreport
      1. 83

         Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         If you want to produce a more polished book, then I warmly recommend Critiquecircle.com
         
         Even successful authors like J K Rowling and Stephen King have an editor, who works with them to polish their manuscript before publication.  We amateurs can't afford that luxury, but Critiquecircle comes close.  You can post your work there, free, and have other writers offer opinions and suggestions.  It definitely helps improve your writing.
         
         Sometimes it can be confronting too, if you get someone who criticises harshly, so you have to decide how you'd feel about that.  Personally I've learned from the harsh critics as much as the kind ones, but we all have our own thresholds!

         replyreport
         1. 70

            Renata Kellposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you, I will check it out. I know I have a long way to go but I will keep trying. I know I have it in me but my down fall is time right now. In fact ever since releasing my book the skeletons in my family have burst from the closet and there are so many stories of pain and abuse that I didn't even know about. I think that my story is just scratching the surface of what is a terrible family history of evil torment. I believe there is a story to be told but I am not sure where to begin. Thank you for all your advice

            replyreport