UPDATE JUNE 2016: Ryan Tate and his father have been arrested on felony charges.
For a complete update, including a link to the forms you need to fill out in order to file a complaint with the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, see:
http://timetowrite.blogs.com/weblog/2017/06/tate-publishing-executives-arrested-authors-cheated.html
Also see The Writer Beware pages on this: http://accrispin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/tate-publishing-enterprises-slapped.html?commentPage=2
UPDATE FEBRUARY 2017: Tate Publishing has gone out of business. For the best current information, go here:
http://accrispin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/tate-publishing-enterprises-slapped.html
If you, like many other authors, have spent money and gotten little or nothing in return, this comment suggests one thing to try: If you've paid anything to Tate via credit card, dispute the charges (this goes for PayPal, too):
If you are a former recent Tate Authors who paid fees upfront with a credit card, DISPUTE THE CHARGES. I just got off the phone with Discover, who I paid all of my payments adding up to $900 with, and we are disputing all charges from July through November of last year. They investigate, and if they can't get contact with Tate (Lord knows they won't since no one can), then I win. The money will be returned to me. I don't know how other credit card companies handle disputes, but I will always use Discover if they get my money back...
update of October 2016:
I've written previously about Tate Publishing and now there's an update on the valuable "Writer Beware" website. You can read the whole thing there, but here are few tidbits:
The Better Business Bureau took away Tate Publishing's accreditation, after receiving more than a hundred complaints over the past three years;
Xerox is suing Tate Publishing for $1.89 million for non-payment on service agreements and promissory note payments;
There have been layoffs at Tate Publishing's printing plant;
Their employment practices are being investigated by the Department of Labor.
Previously, they threatened me with legal action for writing about their practices; now it looks like their lawyers will be busy on the other side of the fence.
If you are considering signing a contract with Tate, do your own diligence so you can make an informed decision.
