WHAT I THINK IS WRONG IN AMERICA

Here we go with another opinion. Right now everyone is editorializing and giving their opinion as to what is wrong in America. If they can, then so can I. Here is what is wrong with America in my opinion. American Idol. America's Got Talent. The Voice. The Sing-Off. These shows are meant to make the networks money and to entertain. However, they have revealed a serious flaw in the human character of Americans. The shows will have auditions and tens of thousands of "wannabes" will show up. The all know they have little chance at all of making it. They still show up. I believe the reason is they all want the easy way to the top. Too many in America today do not want to work, do not want to pay any price, and believe they deserve the short cut. A TV network announces a tryout to win an impossible contest that the only person who will actually benefit is the network and thousands come and stand in the rain to try to win the million bucks. By the way, the million bucks is paid to the "winner" in an after-tax payment of $187.46 per week over a forty year period. The network gets millions and millions from advertisers and does not have to pay anyone on the show a dime. I wish I had thought of it.

Now. What if I told you that you could have a lovely home, make good money, drive a nice car, enjoy retirement, and have health insurance. Sounds pretty good. Come line up. Here's the catch. 100% of you can win. The line you get in is called HARD WORK. Pay the price. Stay after it. Do your job with enthusiasm and vigor. Why do that when you can follow the fantasy, stand in line to try out for the $187.46 bucks a week (fast food workers make twice that each week and only have to learn to say "Do you want fries with that?")and then blame everyone else for your hard luck. Stop blogging and complaining and shut up and go to work. The line is really short.

DON'T WASTE THE GIFT YOU ARE GIVEN EACH SECOND...

I have enjoyed for decades the blessing of sitting in the "husbands" chair at a nice ladies dress shop while I waited for my wonderful wife to try on clothes. While she is in and out of the dressing room having the time of her life I can sit and reflect on how grateful I am that I am waiting on her and not someone else!
This past Saturday I found myself in that position once again. Ladies shops really know how to handle the guys. The chairs are almost always comfortable and there are lot's of copies of sports and business magazines available. The really nice ones have coffee. I leaned my head back into the recliner and closed my eyes to rest and wait until I heard her sweet voice when she appeared from the dressing room saying, "Honey, what do you think of this outfit?"
As I drifted into a doze the shop was so dead quiet I noticed I could feel my heart beating. Bump-bump. Bump-bump. On and on it beat steadily. As I listened I imagined that each beat was saying "A-gift," "A-gift," "A-gift." Every beat of your heart and of mine is indeed a wonderful gift from God. We can help the process by eating correctly and exercising but only God knows how many of those beats He will give us. In the average 70 year life span the human heart beats about 2.52 BILLION times. One day God, who counts and gives every beat as a gift, will say, "That's it, that was number 2,520,000,000" It will be over. Since we all know that is going to happen whether we like it or not why in heaven's name would we waste a single moment, of the gift of the beat this second of our heart? I see people every day who waste the precious gift of beat after beat with complaining, worry, fear, anger, hatred, selfishness, and bitterness. We all need to take life seriously. But don't waste the moments God has given you. Stop for a moment and get quiet. I think you will hear it beating out the words, "A-gift," "A-gift." Use that gift wisely.

Richard Tate

SUCCESS LAW NUMBER THREE

3-COOPERATE, SEEK HELP, AND KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS AND THE POWER OF THE TEAM
The Locust is simply lost without the swarm. A swarm can destroy ten thousand acres of grassland in Africa in less than an hour one bite at a time multiplied by a billion munches. In order to cross water the first Locusts’ to arrive at the stream throw themselves into the river and die. As the mound of dead Locust pile up the remaining billion or more following cross safely on the bridge composed of the dead bodies of their swarm. They are, in a very unusual way, the best example of TEAM on the planet. Each of us must do OUR individual job…one bite…our bite. Then with all of us taking our personal responsibility, the entire team succeeds. Cooperate, seek help, know your strengths and work in those every day, and make sure you do not let the team down…whatever sacrifice is necessary. Whatever it takes to achieve the goal by cooperating, making sacrifices, knowing the strength of “one bite at a time”, and the power of team makes us, and the swarm of locust, unstoppable.

In the world of books and publishing it takes a good hard working author, a publisher with a vested financial interest like Tate Publishing, and a great team of marketing experts and publicists such as the Tate Publishing staff. No one can skip their turn to "take a bite" of the work to be done.

LAW #2 OF A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OR AUTHOR

Dear Friends,

In my last post (you can refresh your memory and read the post below) I introduced the four laws for success with a business or as an author. Law two takes you to an incredibly important place in managing your decisions.

2-USE HISTORY AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES TO MAKE WISE CHOICES NOT EMOTIONS
The Conie is a small rabbit like creature that lives in the mountains. The Eagle and Hawk love the tasty little guy. However, history, good information, and practical experience has told the Conie that the safe place is not out in the open but to dash from rock hidden protection to rock hidden protection. The Conie knows how to outwit and not submit. He knows the way to success and long life is not to try to get emotional and shake his fist at the predator but to outsmart him. He may not be as strong as the Eagle but he knows the rock is stronger and uses it to his benefit. The key is to stay alive. Each of us must look at our individual tasks and be smart, use accurate data from real history, and not be emotional about it and plant ourselves where we will bloom. The Conie knows its limitations and overcomes them. Each of us must do the same thing each day. Make wise choices with the correct information you have and you will stay alive and succeed.


Best wishes as you seek your personal goals for success.

Richard Tate

VERY INTERESTING...WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND!

From time to time, we see on the internet other companies try to discredit Tate Publishing. They get desperate in their attempts. One such company even has a brazen ad on their site which shouts, "Don't Use Tate Publishing." Their remarks are ludicrous and incorrect. When you do things like competitors sometimes do it eventually comes back to bite you. We received a lengthy email from an author who signed with that self-publishing vanity press with list after list of complaints, lack of service, failure to provide what was promised, and much more. We will not stoop to post those complaints sent to us (the reason for the email was that the author writing was contacting us to say he wished he had signed with Tate if we would have taken his book) about that publisher. Not our style. Just remember. When you read things on the internet make sure you check out the facts. We are sorry to hear about the bad experience but I am not at all surprised.

TATE PUBLISHING IS ON THE "GROW" AGAIN

It is exciting to see the new faces in the hallways of the Tate Publishing building. Seven new staff members are now on board in various departments. With six buildings filled with the best in the industry it is getting more and more difficult to keep up with the names and faces. It is a blessing to see at a time when many companies are showing cut backs. Not here...and we are very thankful. I look forward to sharing some thoughts from time to time this year about how to publish successfully and how authors can get their books before the most people possible. Stay tuned!!

TATE PUBLISHING IS EXPANDING AND GROWING AT EVERY LEVEL

Last night I sat in a ballroom crowd of over 200 at the annual Tate Publishing Christmas Gala. Employees entertained, the food was fabulous, the ladies all looked beautifully festive and the men were in their "Sunday best." It was a grand, grand, time. However, the moment which always stands out to me is when my son, the President and CEO of Tate Publishing and Tate Music Group delivers his annual "State of the Company" address to the crowd of company staff. In these questionable economic times most business leaders are preaching cut backs and gloom and doom. But at Tate Publishing, year after year the applause simply "roars" from the crowd as Ryan Tate gives specific detail after specific detail outlining our growth, our expansion, and greater success, and higher book sales in every area year after year. Authors are having more success, we are adding new staff consistently to handle growth, and able to give more than ever to support charitable and faith-based causes around the world. We have never received more submissions, never schedule more events for authors, and our plant hums in book production filling book orders 24 hours a day. Our thanks to each of our authors. They are the heartbeat that makes it all work. Tate Publishing is growing...no doom and gloom here!

TATE PUBLISHING IS GROWING AND EXPANDING WHILE OTHER PUBLISHERS ARE DECLINING AND CUTTING BACK

Tate Publishing is experiencing unprecedented growth. We are so thrilled to have this kind of progressive corporate success at a time when others are cutting back and declining. We have just been informed by Ingram Wholesalers, the world's largest wholesale bookseller that we are the fastest growing publisher they have and that we are #17 in sales. We have never seen more submissions and are adding new staff in all departments. Growth is everywhere for which we are grateful. Royalties are climbing to authors and Tate Publishing remains debt free.

Recent new articles tell a different story around the industry. For instance:

-Simon & Schuster cut 2% of its total workforce.

-Michael Hyatt announced that Thomas Nelson is cutting 10% of its workforce.

-Random House axed some of its top people and announced it is restructuring--and will disband the Doubleday Publishing Group.

-It has been reported that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has let go of several employees (the company doesn't comment on personnel matters). Becky Saletan, the publisher, has been let go.

-Borders' stock price fell under one dollar. That's a very bad thing--if their stock price stays under $1 for ninety days, they have to do a consolidation of stock (the opposite of a stock split).

-Doubleday reported that The Gargoyle, a first novel for which it paid $1.25 million in advances, flopped, selling 34,000 copies.

-Penguin Group chairman and CEO John Makinson there will be no pay raises this year. He said he cannot guarantee there will be no job losses or layoffs in the coming year.

-Macmillan US Chief John Sargent set a pay freeze for all employees.

-Chronicle Books laid off 5% of it's staff last Monday.

I hate to see this happening but for those few authors who are signed with Tate Publishing, and for our incredible staff of dozens and dozens of fine professionals we are grateful for our growth which is a result of our hard work and the hard work of our fine authors. We are planning for a banner year in 2009.

PUBLISHING A BOOK WITH TATE PUBLISHING SUCCESS FOR AUTHORS

I was "musing" today about this publishing world and aspiring authors and as Disney's Snow White I felt like standing at the wishing well and singing my own version of "I'm Wishing." She was wishing for a handsome prince. I would be wishing for ten minutes on national television to speak to the 85% of all Americans who we are told by the AAP say they have a book in them. There is so much misunderstanding about how the system works today and the myriad of options available. Self-publishing, vanity presses, subsidy publishing, imprints, traditional publishing, and the list of options is seemingly endless. At Tate Publishing, we have developed an immensely successful model which gives aspiring authors their only real hope at the traditional publishing model. We can give an author an advance if their project and author profile meet certain specifications. The rules we use to determine whether an advance is justified (and we have given many, many author advances over the years) is the exact same process that any traditional publisher uses. We received in 2007 tens of thousands of submissions from around the world and only 3% were considered for publication. At least those individuals who submitted had a chance for publishing. No one else is even looking at or accepting unsolicited manuscripts. The biggest difference in the few authors who get to publish with Tate Publishing is this key element. We give them a great opportunity. This week alone we gave two second book authors with us nice advances. The have earned it. I will just keep on telling the story correctly and leave the "wishing well" to Disney princesses for now.

Can Tate Publishing show you how to be immortal?

I once read that if you wish to be immortal, write a book. I have found this to be the desire of almost everyone I meet in my travels across this great nation with Tate Publishing authors and around the world. The Association of American Publishers has stated that their research indicates that over 85% of all Americans believe they have a book in them. Our primary goal is to assist as many of these fine authors as possible with that dream. I have seen grown men weep when they opened a case of books and saw their work become a reality. If you want to leave a legacy and have a kind of immortality, one element is to leave your work in a book. We help authors with that dream every day.