Saturday, March 12, 2011

TATE PUBLISHING AND MY OPINION OF WHINERS, BLOGGERS, AND COMPLAINERS

Those of you who follow my blog may not know that our professional staff monitors our presence world wide. I have never written a blog this long but I feel a need to write a “book” today to get some things off my chest. We have a company on retainer that provides information to us when our name, the name of any of our companies, the name of any book we have published or author name in our entire history, or the name of any author or potential author who has submitted to us our contacted us, appears anywhere on the internet or in any media source.
We contact individuals immediately with any concerns or issues and see every one. If you think you can tweet, Facebook, blog, or mention us on a radio show in Tokyo and we do not know, forget it. We see and hear them all and decide what to do and how to reply. If you want to say it, we have a right to hear it. Serious authors who want accurate information are a joy to work with. My problem is that I am stunned on the rare occasion we have a whiner or complainer. The ludicrous statements people make on the web are simply amazing. We give advances to qualifying authors all the time. We pay for 100% of the production, printing and distribution of books we accept. If an author does not have marketing and publicist representation we will pay for that as well and all they are required to invest is a one set up fee which can even be refunded to them under certain situations. If they have qualifying representation we will accept that and there is no set-up fee. We receive tens of thousands of unsolicited submissions and contacts each year and only single digit percentages are considered by our staff. If an author does not qualify for an advance or for us to absorb all the financial risk involved we will even send them a lengthy list of publishers who still consider giving advances as we do and let them contact them directly. They find that they never get an advance from them if they cannot get one from us. The standards are the same. It is more about the author today than about the book.
However, I am stunned when we offer the only and best option for a first-time author in the industry and these individuals whine and complain that we are horrible, ruining their lives, and making the biggest mistake we have ever made by rejecting their book and not giving them an advance or willing to take all the risk. We have learned in the hard knocks of this business that when an unknown author has no risk they are a very questionable author when it comes to their work ethic. Just try going to your bank with a “fabulous” money making idea and see if you can find any banker who will invest in the project and take 100% of the risk. It will not happen. The car dealer, mortgage lender, bank, and Sears expect you to have some risk. But, if an author can bring something to the table we are more than happy to bank roll the whole deal.
My wife and high school sweetheart suggests to me that I am letting my 60++ years get to me and that I was in the intense discipline and honor of the United States Marine Corps one day too many. My age may be a factor but I simply CANNOT STAND whiners and complainers. I read bloggers whining about everything from the popcorn at the movie theatre to the channels they cannot get on cable. It simply drives me nuts. I know I was born in the 40’s and the Second World War had just ended. I know I have had to work for everything I have ever gotten. But today, in America, there is such a wave of entitlement among Americans that it is simply sickening to me. I know that many of you reading this will probably agree with me and some of you will despise me and think you have had such a hard life that you “deserve” a break and I simply don’t understand. Don’t try to go after the hard life story with me or most of the successful business friends I have. Life is challenging and demanding and success comes from never giving up and hard work. Everyone has a hard luck story, myself included. Get over it and get on with your life.
I read an article in the paper this week that caused me to think about our country and the whiners and complainers. That article was the catalyst which caused me to want to write this “War and Peace” length blog and share these thoughts.
A century ago America was the land of the free. Americans had incentive to survive and did not complain or whine about what they were “entitled” to or deserved. I read an article by a national “whine” organization where the executive director stated, “Every American is entitled to and deserves a nice home and nice car to drive. It is their inalienable right!” What a load of nonsense that is. You and I are not entitled to anything but the freedom of choice and the opportunity to work hard toward our goals and have a government that will stay out of our way and try to help and not hinder. The Americans of my birth voted and made decisions for which they took personal responsibility and they always had some skin in the game. Before Social Security Americans averaged saving 15% of their income. Today, it’s less than 3%. Before the great depression there was no unemployment insurance or whiner fund. It is not all government’s fault that citizens today do not have any “skin in the game.” We live in what appears to be a society filled with people who do not want to take a risk, want it to come quickly and easily and believe there should be a “some one else should pay” safety net for every decision they make whether good or bad. We are fooling ourselves if we think our government will save us. Ronald Regan knew that the flaw of big government was to serve the entitlement attitude with government transfer payments and subsidies that would make for a weak society and lazy working class. Thomas Jefferson said, “When the government has the power to give the people what they want without working for it that same government will have the power to take from the people whatever it wants.” Stop whining and get to work. If you own a business, are an author, have a dream, get after it and stop whining. More and more of us are tired of hearing it. Get off your behind at the blog-puter whine machine and get busy working. No one cares anymore and no one is listening to you. They know you need to get to work

Richard Tate

8 comments:

Eileen Loveman said...

Kudos, sir. You have published two of my books and are a joy to work with. In fact, I have another one I am preparing for submission. Now, about those advances.....

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Tate
The reason I read your "Masterpiece" was to find out more about you as a Person and Company. Have you ever considered running for President? My name is Burton Yeo a 64 yr.old Canadian who has written a Christian book and now will definately be sending it to You soon for Your evaluation. You may be surprised at it's contents.Again,I really did enjoy you Blog! God bless.

Unknown said...

I don't want an advance. I just want my message reach at least one heart. I don't write for money. I write because it is my passion. I finished my trilogy and only now I am looking for publisher. I went to work first and I hate compainers myself. I like your brutal honesty. Just love it.
World would be so mush better if everybody just get on it and do it. Whatever they have to do, as long as it's done.
I'm on it!
Fire De Ville.

Candace said...

Mr. Tate you are currently getting my children's book ready for release. Foolish me started reading thru the clutter of complaints about you they expected and just what a crook and scam artist you...I lowered my head and asked God to help me overcome my fears and doubts....The Lord lead me to his site. Praise God..my fears and doubts are gone...Those who do not believe will scoff..I thank God you came into my life..

Confidently Yours
Candace Hall

Janice F Baca said...

Dr. Tate;

The words you wrote really hit home with me. My husband and I talk about how some Americans have come to a place of serious complacency.
I've been told, "Well, you make more money than I do." And, they are probably correct. I worked many many many hours getting my degree - and now working on my Master's Degree. It frustrates me when someone (such as this person ) who sleeps until 2pm thinks that we should be financially equal when I worked hard to get here in life.
As for my book, I am working many hours to get my book marketed to the public. I learn a great deal from Terry Cordingley and Tony's blogs. I read them and I put them into action.
Thank you for writing this blog!

Crystal Flanagan said...

Your company granted me the opportunity to follow my dream and publish my first book, 10 Seconds from Glory nearly 6 months ago. I was always told... never bite the hand that feeds you... And in my case you fed me the opportunity of getting published...God blesses us through people and I wouldn't dare disrespect you or the company for any reason because God ordained our publisher-author relationship.

If you haven't heard it lately, THANK YOU! (and I'm not saying it for an advancement:)


-Crystal Flanagan
Author of 10 Seconds from Glory

Mary A. Young Robinson said...

Hey! I turn 60 this June. I can sympathize with you on your stand for hard work and whining. I do friendship Christian couseling with a young man at our church with Bi-Polar, but his main issue is self-focus and expecting everything to come to him. He is 28. I have tried to tell him, look at people worse off than you....I follow a blog if a woman my same age who has worst possible case of Lyme Disease and has been in the hospital over 50 times in the last several years. Talk about a trooper! she just thanks God for every day she has. What a blessing and this keeps me focused on the right things. Mary Young Robinson

JL said...

I love the refreshing way that you bring your point across and I believe the world would be a much better place if more of this was said openly to the whiners of the world.