Happy New Year, REUTies. It’s been an exciting and bustling first year for REUTS, and we look forward to all 2014 has to bring. If you’ve been following along with us on Social Media, you’ve seen our many interactive events, including REUTS Camp Nano Team Competition and the most recent Project REUTSway. On top of all this fun, we’ve signed eight new authors, and anticipate releasing eight new titles throughout the course of this year!
But, if you’re also following along, you’ve noticed a very familiar statement flying around from the REUTS team: We’re swamped! When we first started REUTS, we agreed to keep our submission form open (because who likes to wait for x month in order to submit), but after our participation in other Twitter events, like #MSWL, #PitMad and #AdPit (on top of the REUTS hosted events), we’ve fallen significantly behind. This open letter is to each and every one of our fans, friends and supporters as an open apology for our delayed response times. Our small team never in a million years anticipated over 200 submissions within the first year, most of those coming within the last few months. And because of all the new interest in REUTS, and our PRW entries, we just can’t read quick enough! We’re trying, but we’re in dire need of a TARDIS, or Delorean, or something! Because of that, everyone on the REUTS team offers their sincerest apologies for the delay on submission and full manuscript decisions– starting with me.
I started REUTS with one main goal in mind: offer aspiring authors a home where they’re not used-and-abused by their publisher, where the author really holds all the cards, and we’re just here to help. I remembered back to my days of querying, and absolutely hating the long submission wait times. Most were close to a year! Many would never respond either way. That’s why we went into our submission guidelines with quick, but manageable, response times. Unfortunately, we went into some of those aforementioned Twitter events with eyes bigger than our stomaches, not fully anticipating the influx of submissions we’d receive. And that put us behind. But the excitement and prospect of reading some truly fantastic submissions pushed us to participate in another Twitter event. Even further behind we fell.
Then, bad news bears came our way…
Our beloved Acquisitions Director fell ill, became hospitalized, and is currently on hiatus as she regains health, strength and a better balance between family and work life. We wish for a safe and quick recovery, but absolutely don’t want her to rush back to REUTS if she’s unable. Health and sanity are 100% more important than a job, and as much as we miss her, we know this is what’s best.
What’s an acquisitions team without their Acquisitions Director? Falling even further behind…
But, as the founder of REUTS, I take full responsibility for these delays, and want to personally let everyone out there know we’re doing our best to get back on track, but are doing so a little bit slower than usual. As a note to anyone who has, or is thinking about submitting to REUTS, we always respond. It might take us a little longer, but no matter what you will hear from someone on the REUTS team– good or not so good. We want you to know that at REUTS we prefer to take an open communication and mentorship approach. While you’re waiting to hear back, please don’t ever hesitate to reach out for a status update, or to update your manuscript file if it has gone through edits, or even to ask a question completely unrelated to your submission. We’re here, we’re friends, and we want to help.
We’re so thankful and grateful to have the love and support of our friends and fans, and feel terrible for not offering you the same support with quick decision making. But, if you stick with us, you’ll see slow improvements and more importantly, some awesome books to add to your bookshelf.
Thank you, and have a very happy New Year!
Ashley
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Ashley Ruggirello
Founder, Creative Director
REUTS Publications
www.REUTS.com
