The Tears and Triumphs of a New Author Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

I opened my email and there was a message from Tate Publishing --- They want my book!
The aquisitions lady from Tate had read Lady Justice Takes A. C.R.A.P., and liked it. She was offering me a contract.
The first reaction was, of course, elation. This was the big break I had been waiting for --- or was it?
I had been excited before when I had received contract offers from Publish America and WL Literary Agency, but that excitement was short lived when I did my research and discovered that both of these companies will take almost anything from anyone, and had horrible reputations.
So, back to the internet to research Tate Publishing.
My initial findings were positive.
"Tate Publishing is one of the largest publishers in the world and has the production, distribution, marketing and publicity that leads the industry for our authors.
Tate Publishing is a large publisher that delivers what no one else does. We are selective and can only sign around 3% of the manuscripts submitted to us, but when you become a member of the Tate Publishing family you truly join the elite.
. Tate Publishing is the fastest growing publisher in the industry and has been over the past three years."
Apparently, Lady Justice fell into that 3%. How cool is that?
Then as I read the blogs and websites, my enthusiasm turned to skepticism. Tate charges their authors to publish their books!
So how is this any different from what I already have with Authorhouse?
More research.
I have an author friend who has two books published with Tate. It was time to pick her brain.
I had told her previously that I had submitted Lady Justice to Tate and she had doubted that they would be interested in it. Tate is a Christian-oriented publisher and while Lady Justice has no gory bloodbaths or gratuitous sex, it is an adult mystery novel.
She was surprised by Tate's offer.
The conversation with my friend was positive.
Tate had done everything for her that she had hoped. They had both copy editing and conceptual editing and had created a beautiful cover for her book. She had been assigned a marketing/publicity person who had set up book-signings and, best of all, her books were stocked in the brick and mortar stores. She said that she was amazed when she walked into a Target store and saw her book on the shelf.
I had none of those things with Authorhouse.
So what is with the fee they charge?
I have read over and over in the literary blogs that a traditional publisher should pay the author an advance for his work. If the author has to pay, it's just another vanity press.
More research --- more reading.
While my research may have been influenced by the fact that Tate has offered me a contract, here is what I have concluded:
1. It would be wonderful to have a truly professional literary agent sell your work to a large publishing company for a hefty advance, but it would appear that the established agencies are only interested in previously published authors. I would rather go it alone than sign with a company like WL Literary Agency.
2.The big guys are only interested in established authors and celebrities and most won't even accept unsolicited submissions. They want you to have an agent, but you can't get a decent agent as a new guy, so it's a vicious circle.
3. There are a bazillion vanity publishers like Authorhouse, X-Libris, I-Universe, Dog Ear, etc. You get two things with any of them, a book to hold in your hand and the listing your book in the book channels. You also get the stigma of self-published, which prevents you from getting your book in brick and mortar stores. There are tens of thousands of self-published books, many of which are really bad. Even if your book is better than most, it's nearly impossible to make it rise above the crowd. It's like swimming in a sea of peanut butter.
4. There seems to be an alternative to the above scenario, the subsidy publisher. Tate falls in that category.
I have learned one thing in my brief career as an author --- it is impossible to succeed if you don't make a personal commitment to your book.
I understand now, that a traditional publisher invests a lot of money in producing a book. With a new author, it is a gamble.
Even if the book is good and even if the publisher produces a great finished product, if the author isn't willing to invest his time and effort, the book will not sell.
The subsidy publisher offers all of the services of the big guys, editing, artwork, marketing, book store placement, etc, but as a new, unpublished author, they want a commitment, both in time and dollars, to insure that the new guy will do his part.
The flaw in this scenario is that not every new author can afford the financial commitment.
I have developed friendships with several self-published authors who have written great novels, but are struggling for acceptance just as I have.
They just don't have the financial resources to pay the subsidy, so their work will probably languish in the purgatory of self-publishing.
Fortunately, I have been blessed with the means to take the next step in my writing career.
I have been down the dead-end road of self-publishing and have been ignored by the elite publishers and agents, so if I want Lady Justice to see the light of day, my next step will be with Tate.