THE Group for Authors! discussion

Richie wrote: "Jacqueline, I think the best way for me to answer your question about a review would be to first look at your books on Amazon to check out the subjects and take a peak inside the book. That will e..."

Richie wrote: "Jacqueline, I think the best way for me to answer your question about a review would be to first look at your books on Amazon to check out the subjects and take a peak inside the book. That will e..."
I would be glad to Richie - My first book is called -In The Hands Of Fate and it is available on Amazon.com Barnes and Nobles, AppleIPad and Google play. My second book is called The Kingdom Of Mareedikhan. it is the second book in the series I have called The Annapolis series..... -
History interests me very much - I would love to read your stories. I know what you mean about local stories fading away if no one writes about them. A lot of them are extremely interesting!
Although my third story is due out soon, I also have a story called Willow Manor that takes place on the banks of the Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina - takes place in 1891, and in the present. I call that my ghostly/paranormal story - but it is entirely seperate from the others. - Thank you for getting back to me - I can't wait to read your stories - What are their names? - Jackie

Sharon wrote: "It's very nice to hear that others have used CreateSpace for their books. I also am a CreateSpace author, with two books published so far and a third hopefully ready before the end of of this seas..."

Hi Sharon: I liked working with createspace a lot! They were so helpful and very professional. My first book was published with Page Publishing and I loved them as well, but I wanted to publish the sequel to the first one within three or four months, so I decided to use create space to do that. I know that marketing the books is the hardest part, but I think it will work out in the end. I boosted the post for a video that was made for my second book, and I got a lot of attention from that. Maybe you could make a video for your books and do the same? - Jackie

Jacqueline, thanks for asking me to review your books. I appreciate that, and this is the first time that anyone has asked me to do that. I looked at your books on Amazon, and was excited at first because it looked like you'd written a book about PBYs fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. That's just exactly my kind of book. Then I realized that the author's name was Dwight, so there was a mistake somewhere. When I found your books I eventually realized that they were romance novels, and I have to tell you I rarely read novels unless they're by John LeCarre, Patrick O'Brian, or similar writers.

I wish you the best of luck, you sound like a charming person. However, I will have to respectfully decline your offer.

Richie wrote: "Jacqueline, thanks for asking me to review your books. I appreciate that, and this is the first time that anyone has asked me to do that. I looked at your books on Amazon, and was excited at first..."
That's okay - It was nice chatting with you - Jackie

Jacqueline wrote: "Sharon wrote: "It's very nice to hear that others have used CreateSpace for their books. I also am a CreateSpace author, with two books published so far and a third hopefully ready before the end ..."

Thank you, Jackie. I've been thinking the same thing. Since I've never done a video and I'm not sure I know how, I guess I'll have to read up on it via Google. Do you have a recommendation on that?

Sharon wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "Sharon wrote: "It's very nice to hear that others have used CreateSpace for their books. I also am a CreateSpace author, with two books published so far and a third hopefully re..."
Hi Sharon: I know someone who does a really incredible job with video trailers for books. - Here is her website if you want to talk to her - Her name is Tabitha Stokes - First type in Amazeballsbookservicefacebookpage - on your computer and it will come up - hit amazeballsfacebook - And talk to her. Leave a direct message and ask her about it. I have two videos on goodreads and on u-tube and animoto. The first was done by Page Publishing - the second was done by Tabitha.If you want to see it to get an idea of the type of videos that Tabitha does, when you are on Amazeballs facebook - just scroll down and you will see it - It's called the kingdom Of Mareedikhan by Jacqueline Varlotta. You can also look at my other video of In The Hands Of Fate if you would like to - It's on u-tube - just type in the name of the book when you are on u-tube and it will come up, or you can see it right here on goodreads.
I love reading other peoples stories as much as I love to write - what are your books about? - Jackie

Jacqueline wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "Sharon wrote: "It's very nice to hear that others have used CreateSpace for their books. I also am a CreateSpace author, with two books published so far and a thi..."

Thank you for all the information, Jackie. I'll check this out. My biggest problem is that I'm retired and on a fixed income, so I have to be careful about cost. Hopefully, I can find something that works for me. I'll definitely take a look at yours.

My books are in the Christian/Romance/Drama genre. If you'd like to, you can go to my website and I have a synopsis on each book there. The website is https://sites.google.com/site/rosecas...

Thank you again for all the information. I'm so happy that a friend of mine told me about this site (Goodreads) as it has produced a wealth of information for this new author. :D

Sharon

Sharon wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "Sharon wrote: "It's very nice to hear that others have used CreateSpace for their books. I also am a CreateSpace author, with two books publish..."
You're very welcome - anytime. Tabitha only costs 40.00 dollars to make a video for your books, unless you want to change them - she does an amazing job!
I definitely will check out your books and I will write a review for you if you want me to. let me know.
I love all books as much as I love to write - Jackie
PS - let me know how you make out with Tabitha doing a video trailer for you and what you think of my trailers - Jackie

Thank you so much, Jackie. I think that would well be within my budget. And also, thank you for offering to review my books. Are you kidding? I would love that.

I'll get back to you about your video trailer.

Btw, what is the genre of your books. Actually, I can look them up, can't I? hee hee I know you must be at least as busy as I am. :D

I viewed the video. It was well done, although I tuned the music way down (not my kind of music).

Now I'm going to PM you with some questions about the video, instead of using up space in this discussion.

As a literary agent and book developer, I've had plenty of Tate books cross my desk. I have yet to receive one where the author was happy with the end result. I'm sure there are some, but I haven't met them. However while their practice to create a new cover and/or retitle the book may be their sales scam, I can tell you that most traditional publishers I work with will develop their own cover and title for a manuscript they contract. Before they finalize the they typically run it through the industry buyers for response. The publisher has final say. So for Tate it may very well be their way to get more money. For traditional publishers, its the way they operate.


A.K. wrote: "Jill wrote: "I did just speak with someone at Tate. These are some of the questions I had and didn't feel too easy about their answers.

1. I've spent a lot of time & effort on my book covers & ima..."

A.K. wrote: "Jill wrote: "I did just speak with someone at Tate. These are some of the questions I had and didn't feel too easy about their answers.

1. I've spent a lot of time & effort on my book covers & ima..."

Karen wrote: "As a literary agent and book developer, I've had plenty of Tate books cross my desk. I have yet to receive one where the author was happy with the end result. I'm sure there are some, but I haven't..."

The comment above is why I decided to self-publish. I do not want anyone (with the exception of perhaps my readers) dictating to me what is going to be on the cover of my story, nor what the title will be. It is my work, not theirs. If I did go with a traditional publisher, I would gladly take their advice, but the final decision would have to be mine. Since I have used CreateSpace for my books, I have been very pleased.

I certainly understand that feeling. It's hard to give up control to another of a book that has been birthed and labored over.

Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title. (But not always.) That is the reason for that decision, so that they sell better and attract as much attention as possible. They have the ear of the buyers in the marketplace. I often run my covers from my company past them as well.

Just one of the many things to consider when considering the traditional publish, co-publish or self-publish models. Many decisions. Glad you have found your niche.

Karen wrote: "I certainly understand that feeling. It's hard to give up control to another of a book that has been birthed and labored over.

Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, ..."
Hi Karen - do you work for a publisher? Do you have any advise on how to market and publisize the books more? - Jackie

Hi Jackie,

As a literary agent, I work with many of the Christian publishers and submit proposals to them. I also can help authors in any step of the publishing process to develop their books including promotion, social media platforms and campaigns. You might want to read through some of my blogs where I often discuss various ways to promote and market books. You can go to http://www.prioritypr.org/marketingblog and see if any of that helps. (You can sign up for it there as well if its helpful. I send out tips every Monday.) If you have questions after that,just shoot me an email. My contact information is on my website as well.

Karen wrote: "Hi Jackie,

As a literary agent, I work with many of the Christian publishers and submit proposals to them. I also can help authors in any step of the publishing process to develop their books incl..."

Hi Karen: Thank you so much - Jackie

Read www.consumeraffairs.com/misc/tate_pub.... You should not be thinking of publishing a book until you familiarize yourself with how publishing works.

Karen wrote: "...Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title...."

That's been my experience. My publisher's cover artwork didn't match the content precisely. (Sharon's hair is short.) But it did capture the essence and was better artistically.

I've already designed the cover for my next book; that one I may self-publish with my own cover art, though I'll probably ask for some paid help via World Nouveau or Literary Craft Works' art department.

J. wrote: "Karen wrote: "...Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title...."

That's been my experience. My publisher's cover artwork didn't match the c..."

That is one of the things that drives me nuts when I read a book. Sometimes the cover does not match the story or the descriptions of the characters.

Sharon wrote: "J. wrote: "Karen wrote: "...Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title...."

That's been my experience. My publisher's cover artwork didn't ..."

Hi Sharon: Do you know of anyone who creates the covers for the books, like a graphic artist? I need to find someone who is really good to design a book cover. - Jackie

Shari wrote: "My daughter Kerry designed my book covers and a whole lot more. Click here and scroll down:

https://plus.google.com/photos/104157..."

Shari wrote: "My daughter Kerry designed my book covers and a whole lot more. Click here and scroll down:

https://plus.google.com/photos/104157..."

Hi Shari: Oh my God, they're gorgeous! - Jackie

Sharon wrote: "J. wrote: "Karen wrote: "...Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title...."

That's been my experience. My publisher's cover artwork didn't ..."

This was one of the big reasons I decided to self-publish, rather than go through the traditional method. I knew exactly what my characters look like, and I've worked in digital art since 2004, so I felt I had a good chance of reproducing the look I wanted.

In terms of professional layout and text, I'm sure I'm lacking, but I have no complaints about my cover image, and I know I've sold some books specifically because people found the art so eye-catching (and it is VERY bright green, so it stands out like crazy).

Lee wrote: "Sharon wrote: "J. wrote: "Karen wrote: "...Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title...."

That's been my experience. My publisher's cover ..."

Lee, I've wanted to do my own artwork since I've been writing, as I am an artist but I'm not sure how to go about doing a cover. So far, I've left things very up to the reader as far as picturing what a character looks like from the descriptions in the story, even though I have definite images in my mind. I have done some sketches for Paths of Righteousness, but not for A Very Present Help. Now I'm working on There Abideth Hope.

Can you perhaps give me an idea how to go about producing my own cover for CreateSpace publishing?

Jacqueline wrote: "Sharon wrote: "J. wrote: "Karen wrote: "...Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title...."

That's been my experience. My publisher's cover ..."

Sorry I missed your question here, Jackie. I am an artist but I have yet to figure out how to do my own covers. In my last post, I asked about that, so maybe we'll both get an answer.

Sharon wrote: "Lee wrote: "Sharon wrote: "J. wrote: "Karen wrote: "...Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title...."

That's been my experience. My publis..."

Sharon, the way to approach it varies somewhat depending on the genre you're working in. I'm a heroic fantasy writer, so a painted, vibrant look works for me. If you're writing thrillers or romances, I would not recommend that style. If you tell me what sorts of books you write, I might be able to give you some specific pointers.

For any book cover creation, a decent knowledge of Photoshop (or Gimp) is recommended. If you are unfamiliar with these programs I suggest taking a class at your local community college. They won't teach you how to paint in Photoshop, but they will get you familiar with the layout, teach you some cool tricks for manipulating images, color, text, etc., and get you going in the right direction. I took one a couple of semesters ago, and even though I've been using Photoshop for a good ten years, I still learned a lot of great and useful stuff.

Lee wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Lee wrote: "Sharon wrote: "J. wrote: "Karen wrote: "...Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title...."

That's been my experi..."

Thanks, Lee. My genre is Christian/Romance/Drama.

In the past, I think I've used PhotoShop and was annoyed by it always popping up on my computer in duplicate. I believe that is the program I deleted. Right now I'm using Photo Galary, along with Paint on my computer. I am an artist, but getting the picture into the system is what puzzles me.

Sharon wrote: "Lee wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Lee wrote: "Sharon wrote: "J. wrote: "Karen wrote: "...Yet, more often than not, the publisher does come up with a better, more marketable cover and title...."

That's be..."

Okay, I'm assuming that means you did an illustration or painting and you're trying to get it from the real world into the virtual world? You have a few options in this case. If you have a printer with a scanner you can simply scan the image into your computer. If you don't have that, but have a digital camera, you could photograph it (I'd suggest using a tripod or something else which will keep your camera stable) in natural light (most light bulbs will alter the color), and then transfer the image to your computer like you would any other photo.

If you don't have either of those options available to you, then take your art to a Kinko's or Office Max and have them do it. This isn't something I've had to resort to, but I assume they can save the image for you on a thumb drive or possibly e-mail it to you.

Thank you so much for all your help, Lee. I simply can't get over how helpful everyone has been on this site. You are all appreciated so much.

I am a newly published Tate author. I have been more than happy with the process! They worked closely with me concerning my content and cover design. I had a voice and hand in every phase of production. If I did not like something that was presented,we worked collectively to resolve it. The benefit that quite a few people on this forum seem to miss is that, having a PUBLISHER contact venues on your behalf to set up signings or events does so much for your credibility as an author! Being able to tie into your PUBLISHER'S own sponsored events (at no cost!) is also an added benefit. To say that Tate is a vanity press alone would not be accurate. Tate actually pays advances to new authors, if they already possess a large audience and platform. I personally know a Doctor who signed a 10 book, six figure publishing deal with Tate. (Keep in mind that my friend is a internationally renowned Specialist with published works in various medical journals to her credit). I say all that to say... Many of the negative reviews may be coming from people who have never actually dealt with this company personally. It's kinda hard to ride a horse from the comfort of your living room. Final thought. Everything in life is going to cost you something. To say that all "traditional" publishers are going to pay you an advance is incorrect. Especially in today's market. I have sold out twice on Amazon and once overseas. I am a Tate published author, ( My title? What's your D8 Number?) and I am extremely satisfied.

You're a socket puppet, Andre. There is not one verifiable statement in your post. Who is this "doctor" that Tate paid an advance to? What are the titles of the books you yourself have published with Tate? NEXT!

I've published fifteen or twenty books now (I've lost count), and the only thing Hypo To Helio Books pays for is the cover artist.

No, I've never dealt with Tate personally. But in the 1990s I was defrauded twice, by Edit Ink and by Victor West, and I smell the pitch that Tate is making. Tate is legal, but only someone desperate or ignorant signs with them.

Signing with Tate does not "help your credibility as an author"; it tells the world that you're a patsy.

Andre wrote: "To say that Tate is a vanity press alone would not be accurate..."

Actually it's pretty much all we have to say. Charge to publish = vanity press.

I suggest you re-read this thread, the issue is NOT one of advances. The issue is Tate charging authors to publish (the average around 4k). A legitimate traditional publisher does not charge a cent, instead they retain a percentage of book sales to cover production costs etc. Tate does both - charges to publish and then takes a larger than average percentage of royalties.

No one here is stopping anybody from signing with Tate, we simply want to make sure people are informed about their practices, which are not industry standard. There are numerous legitimate small presses you can submit to, if that's the path you want or many writers might be better to spend their money self publishing and at least they will retain all rights and royalties.

@Thomas... No need for name calling. :) My title IS presented in my original post...http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Your-Numb... (What's Your D8 Number?)
Me: www.andreblaylock.com ... My friend? Dr. M. Gladden...(There's no way to verify our contracts; you will just have to trust me on that). ;) And who said that I was desperate OR ignorant? You must assume that Tate was the only offer I received? It wasn't. I write a international blog featured in 74 countries with a loyal audience of 21k and growing... Title? (Sex:Confessions of a Gigolo) http://drmytouscents.blogspot.com. Not boasting, just stating the unknown... BTW, I hate you were victimized in the 90's, but we should not make haste to judge all books by their covers...(lol, forgive me, I couldn't resist!) Oh yeah, congrats on your 15 or 20...
@A.W.... With Tate, it depends on PLATFORM... Everyone does NOT have to pay that "fee" you mention. If you have a platform of loyal readers you can pretty much guarantee book sales through your established audience or fan base... PLUS, the $4k you mention is actually NOT to publish your book. It's to retain an in house Publicist and Marketing representative. (Both of which can be acquired elsewhere at a much higher price. $10k starter price for some of the better, more seasoned options). That fact alone does not make them a vanity press. Undoubtedly, someone is going to argue semantics based on whatever model they choose to validate their individual position. That's cool. The truth in this matter is that the traditional model is dying. The "industry standard" has forever changed and traditional paradigms are rapidly evolving quarter by quarter. One more thing... I LOVE my royalty schedule with Tate. It's much more generous than the "traditional" royalty schedule I was offered by other major publishing houses. (Random),(Penguin) and I RETAINED ALL RIGHTS to my work AND any future ancillary product distribution both domestically AND overseas. Not too shabby. I don't know if my post will help anyone or not. I've been there, done that and sport the Tate "tee shirt". I'm not speculating. I am speaking from the INSIDE. Not everyone has the same experience and it isn't fair to apply overarching judgement to a situation where intimate, firsthand knowledge and experience is unknown. I'm just sayin'

Andre wrote: " Everyone does NOT have to pay that "fee" you mention.... PLUS, the $4k you mention is actually NOT to publish your book. It's to retain an in house Publicist and Marketing representative"

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it doesn't matter what you call it...

We are just rehashing the same ground over and over. I advise people to do their research and be informed about the different publication options. Legitimate publishers do not charge a dime for production or services. For example, my publisher has a dedicated marketing team. I am not charged a cent for their effort in marketing, advertising and promoting my books. It's part of the publisher's operating costs.

If I wanted to employ an outside publicist (not related to my publisher) then yes, I would pay for that out of my pocket. I certainly wouldn't pay 4k to use the services of my publisher's employees.

The same questions have been asked repeatedly of Tate authors - what marketing/advertising did the 4k buy you? How many additional sales did it result in? How long did it take you to earn back the 4k and turn a profit? It's very telling that no one will respond with their sales figures and royalties made.

Again I can only reiterate that traditional publishers do not charge for marketing services undertaken by their employees.

That's great that you have a royalty rate better than a Big 5 (which is 25% on e-book sales). Is it also better than the small/medium press average of 50% on e-book? With small/medium presses again it is standard to retain rights, so I'm not sure why that is lauded as a selling point?

Again there are several of us trying to ensure writers do their research, know the history of this company and know how to spot when they are being scammed. AbsoluteWrite has over 70 pages of comments for those who have missed it.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/s...

Writers need to be informed to chose the path to publication that best suits them and their book. We just want people signing with Tate to do so with open eyes. I wish people luck, whatever avenue they pursue.

Cool...

Andre wrote: "Cool..."

What, in your view, have Tate provided for the marketing fee you paid?

Inbox me... www.andreblaylock. com. We'll talk.

I used Tate Publishing too because they were a 'Christian' publishing house. That's the main reason I chose them. At the time I submitted my book I did do research on them and only found a few complaints, but once they started ripping me off on my royalties I again did a search and found a nest of vipers happening in that place. I kept very good track of all my Barnes and Nobles sales and wasn't even paid a fraction of what their contract said I would be paid.
In the beginning they did get me book signings and they created a beautiful cover for my book, but that's about where it ends. I can't get them to disclose my Amazon sales, which really makes me mad because I've spend advertising dollars my ebooks.
Now I'm like what's the use? Even if I have Amazon sales I'll never see a dime of the money. Bottom line I've read complaint after complaint that authors were receiving no royalties. I guess all I can say is I got screwed and buyer beware.

I don't know. I just found all of this out yesterday so I haven't researched my contract. Not that that will matter. They don't honor their contract. I don't even know where to go from here with the book I published with them. Guess I just keep pressing on with my next book.

Lana wrote: "I used Tate Publishing too because they were a 'Christian' publishing house. .."

They are still a vanity press, not a legitimate publisher. They make their money by charging authors large amounts for "publishing packages". They have a very long thread on Absolute Write dating back to 2004. Absolute Write has a forum about a multitude of agents an publishers which should always be a writers first port of call when doing their research about a potential business partner.

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showt...

Lana wrote: "I don't know. I just found all of this out yesterday so I haven't researched my contract. Not that that will matter. They don't honor their contract. I don't even know where to go from here with th..."
I would pull my book from them and self-publish it using createspace or another platform. Per your contract, you should have retained all right.

Thanks AW and Corine. I read the comments on absolute write. Wish I'd known about that site before I signed. Like many new authors, I was caught up in the joy of having someone want to publish my work. Hope I can share my life lesson to help others before they toss their money down the drain. Tate's goal is for the author to buy the books and sell them themselves. It is not their goal to have Barnes and Noble buy their books. I sold hundreds to Barnes and Noble by beating some bushes because Tate is POD only for B&N and I only received $32 for all my hard work and efforts there. When I asked why I only received $32 I got the run around. I'm still waiting on a royalties check for this last quarter. Doubt I'll ever see it. There should be a class action suit against them for not paying their authors. I can't believe there isn't one yet. I will pull my book from them but I can't afford to self publish right now. From what I've been told there is some cost to having someone format the ebook. Thanks for the comments and suggestions! I'll figure something out.

Lana: you can check out these two very good websites for general recommendations about different ways you might be able to remedy the situation w/your contract. One of them is thE long-standing--since 1965--SFWA, science-fiction and fantasy writers of America . It also has an article on legal recourse and other remedies.

sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/...

pred-ed.com/

Thank you, Alex I will definitely check out those sites. My contract says I retain my rights so I'm pulling the book. What I will do with it opens up a whole other can of worms.

Lana wrote: "I used Tate Publishing too because they were a 'Christian' publishing house. That's the main reason I chose them. At the time I submitted my book I did do research on them and only found a few comp..."

It happens to the best of us. I got taken by Xlibris in 2004. Today, I'm a better person because of it. "Due diligence" is now my mantra. Tomorrow is a better day.

Lana wrote: "... I will pull my book from them but I can't afford to self publish right now. From what I've been told there is some cost to having someone format the ebook. ..."

You can do the eBook yourself. Check out:

https://youtu.be/wcnq49P21bw
or
https://youtu.be/5m4zeSEU1X4

Bookdesigntemplates.com You can buy templates for a relatively low cost and they are pretty easy to use to format your book. Good luck!

Thank you Matt and Andrea. I will look into self publishing my book but I'd prefer that a traditional publisher pick it up. It's the first book in a vampire series and I'm trying to sell book two in the series now. Do you think if I do get picked up by a traditional publisher they'd be interested in a previously published work? If I have to I'll just chalk this up to a lesson learned. Even if I did choose to self publish I'm not sure how to market it any differently than I already have through social media and advertising on Amazon, Goodreads, etc. I had no success there but it may have been the price. Thanks again for the feedback.

Lana wrote: " I will look into self publishing my book but I'd prefer that a traditional publisher pick it up. It's the first book in a vampire series and I'm trying to sell book two in the series now. Do you think if I do get picked up by a traditional publisher they'd be interested in a previously published work?"

Short answer - no. Not unless you have significant (20,000+ units) sales. You will be pushing it uphill to interest anyone in this series now that book 1 is published and first rights are gone. Also keep in mind you are no longer a debut author and have a sales history.

I would suggest you educate yourself about the traditional path, it's no as simple as "send manuscript to a publisher and they publish it." Firstly you need to query agents. If you are successful in an agent offering representation, they will then submit the manuscript to legitimate publishers. The acquisitions committee will then make an offer (if they are interested in the book).

There are small/medium sized publishers that take unsolicited submissions but you need to do your research and tread carefully. They are not all created equal, some are brilliant, some are scams. Some small presses will make a worse job of producing a book than you can do yourself.

A simple google search can save a large amount of heartache. I would suggest:
publisher/agent name + scam
publisher/agent name + absolute write

Also check Preditors and Editors before submitting to anyone, although it's not as up to date as Absolute Write. The Writer Beware blog also has loads of information about what to look out for, warning signs etc

AW, thanks so much for the information. I am currently searching agents and I will check out those sites you mentioned.

Lana wrote: "AW, thanks so much for the information. I am currently searching agents and I will check out those sites
you mentioned."

What AW said is right - you're unlikely to find a genuine publisher to take on book #2 of a series if book #1 is already published. Also, vampire fiction might be a hard sell to a genuine CBA publisher.

It will be especially hard to sell book #2 if it's from a vanity press who will take anything - Tate offered me a contract without even seeing a manuscript (not that I wanted to publish with them. I was just interested in seeing their contract). A genuine publisher would never do that, because contract terms will vary depending on the project.

If you're looking for an agent, check out Michael Hyatt's website - he has a list of agents who work with Christian fiction.

You should also join American Christian Fiction Writers and attend their conference (or one of the other big Christian conferences), as a lot of them offer appointments with agents, and many of them won't take on new clients without meeting them first.

If you're looking for publishers who publish Christian fiction (and if you'll forgive the self-promotion) I have a free list of around 100 publishers available via www.christianediting.co.nz.