So now in addition to everything else, I am starting my search for a REAL literary agent.
What does that mean? You may ask.
Well, for those who may not know - Tate Publishing appears to be a hybrid, self-publisher of sorts. They claim they are a publishing company hanging with the 'big' dogs. I can assure you ... they are not. They are a self-publisher disguised as a publisher.
What is the big difference?
A publisher is interested in making money by selling your story. They design a product, promote it, and then sell it. They pay the author for the rights to publish their story and so on.
A self-publisher, publishes your book if you pay for their services. They assist in designing a product, then sell it back to the author. They make their money off of hopeful would be authors.
Tate Publishing has their fees disguised as a $4,000 'author investment'. They want to sell my books back to me - so I can hawk them at the corner bar. (And yes, they really suggested that.)
What can a literary agent do?
Hopefully, I will get plucked from the slush pile and my stories will be presented to legitimate publishers. That's what a literary agent can do. They can break through the barriers and get behind enemy lines. Fingers-crossed, on both hands, that an agent can assist me in getting a contract. And here's the big part, maybe one day The Nautical Mile Series will grace bookshelves in actual bookstores. Maybe, just maybe - kids everywhere will be reading another McCartney adventure!