Tate Publishing & Enterprises Slapped with $1.7 Million Lawsuit, Department of Labor Investigation
(Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware)
NOTE: 12/21/2016 1:00 CST
The original author requested I take down the post and send those who are interested to her site for the most current updates in this on-going story. You can read more about this here: http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2016/06/tate-publishing-enterprises-slapped.html
Several years into it, and this blog still refuses to be categorized. It's eclectic and includes everything from writing posts to snippets from my ordinary life. 
Linda W. Yezak 
I am one of Tate’s victims…uh, published authors. Thank you for the info. Wonder how all this is going to affect us authors’ contracts. Guess I needto dig it out & see if there’s a way to get my rights back.
LikeLike
Yes, get your rights back. You won’t be able to republish the book as backlog if you don’t.
LikeLike
So do I need to get out of the contract? Wyletta.collins@yahoo.com….email me if you can please
LikeLike
I always thought Tate was a vanity press even though their website said different. We had a woman come to our critique group who was publishing with Tate. She was writing in the style of the 1500s and was convinced based on their feedback it would sell. I have no idea if she went through with the contract or if the book is in print. I doubt there was much of a market for that style of book. I felt bad to know she was being ripped off. But she was passionate about her project. That passion is what Tate feeds on to get the wannabe author to shell out all the extra bucks.
Gay, you might have a lawyer look over your contract and write a letter to Tate requesting your rights back. A letter on a lawyer’s letterhead usually gets faster results.
LikeLike
That’s how they sucker a lot of writers in, by saying there’s a market when there isn’t.
LikeLike
I’m so glad I followed my instincts! Tate approached me at one time, and once I read their website carefully, I passed.
LikeLike
I wish more people had been as cautious as you!
LikeLike
I have never, ever trusted this company. And it infuriates me when they profess to be Christian. I cannot count the number of authors who’ve come to me excited about publishing with them, touting that because they were Christian and a family company, that they were trustworthy. Then afterwards I’ve heard of authors who were sorely disappointed. My definition of Christian is a bit different than what these folks exhibit.
LikeLike
Amen, sister.
LikeLike
I understood they were bad news early on, thank goodness. Their prices alone scared me off, not to mention all the warnings I heard. I feel for the authors trapped in contracts. Hopefully, lawyers can help. I will never understand the greed behind using others for profit. Thanks for the link, Linda. Interesting to see how it’s playing out.
LikeLike
I’ve heard horror stories, too. I hope they’re pushed out of business entirely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You guys are cracking me up talking about how Tate swindled you, and tells you there’s a market when there isn’t. Dude…. it’s your book. Either you have faith in your ability to move your art or you don’t. Don’t put it on their shoulders.
LikeLike
I have enough confidence in my books not to need something like Tate. Still, scams are scams, and Tate is a scam.
LikeLike
Just a different opinion: Tate was good to me. My books did well (so no out of pocket for me) and it gave me opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I always got quarterly royalty payments, and made more than I expected. Because of Tate, I’ve done writing conventions, sci-fi cons, speaking events, and I even teach creative writing. I’m not sure what’s happening now. I’ve seen tons of small presses go out of business and even the larger ones merge because they can’t make it in this economy. So I get it. The good thing is you still own your work, you still own the cover art–so I’d just self-publish the series. At this point, I have enough of a following and platform for an agent to consider future novels. Much more so that I would have without Tate. Just my experience. 🙂
I hope it’s true, that they are just restructuring and bringing the outsourced editing back to the US. If the other is true, I’ll move on, but I have no regrets. I’ve been with Tate since 2010. 🙂
LikeLike
I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve heard anyone say anything good about Tate. Most of what I’ve heard are horror stories that have made good writers stop writing. I’m glad your experience was a good one.
LikeLike
Ok what do we do now !
LikeLike
There are alternatives. I don’t know much about the mainstream industry, but in the Christian publishing industry, there are freelancers who do cover design, edits, and formatting, or full service. When my publisher released my first novel, I hired a freelancer and got it back out there for around $300. Earned it all back in the first month.
Be sure to investigate indie publishers through Predators and Editors (Google it, you’ll find it). Join a group. There’s *a lot* to learn, but you can do it.
LikeLike
Pingback: Post-Tate | Linda W. Yezak