[Please note, this is an old post and the website is back up and running: www.REUTS.com]
Hello! We’re glad you found us. As you may have noticed, our website (www.reuts.com) has been inexplicably whisked away by the internet demons. But fear not, we’ve donned our armor and weapons and are avidly hunting those pesky critters down. We expect to have things up and running again shortly, but in the meantime, many of you may be wondering who we are and, more importantly, how to submit to us. (Isn’t it lovely how fate always seems to stack against you? It never fails: biggest Twitter pitch event of the year = massive server failure and website outage. Fantastic, right?)
So, to help alleviate some of your questions, here’s a little about us:
REUTS Publications was founded in 2012 with a mission — to provide authors with a hybrid approach to publishing that pairs the control and author input of self-publishing with the expertise available via traditional. We are a small, independent press, comprised of talented, experienced individuals who are passionate about books and the people who write them.
Since our inception, we have steadily grown, publishing top-quality titles for even higher quality authors. Some of those talented individuals include Drew Hayes, Valentina Cano, Priya Kanaparti, and Anoosha Lalani. We consider ourselves a boutique press, meaning we value quality over quantity, and we’re not afraid to put in the time and dedication it takes to bring a beautifully-crafted book to market. We believe in transparency in our publishing process and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have. You can contact us directly via hello (at) reuts (dot) com, or reach out to any of our authors for more information. Many of our staff (and authors) are active on social media, and I promise we don’t bite. 😉
If you received a favorite during #Pitchmas, #SFFpit, or #Pitmad, and are simply looking for more information on our submission process, here you go:
Submission Guidelines
REUTS welcomes all full-length novels written for the Young Adult and New Adult audiences. We are interested in diversifying our collection with genres across the spectrum, from authors in every corner of the globe. This includes any age, ethnicity, gender, location, sexual orientation, ability, and class.
We consider a full-length novel to be over 50,000 words, and won’t consider any manuscripts with word counts below that. There is no maximum word count; however, we tend to follow the traditional guidelines for genre length (for example, fantasy novels are typically longer than romance, etc . . .).
We also will not publish anthologies, short stories, middle grade, poetry, non-fiction or erotic titles. If your novel falls outside of our requirements, we simply won’t be able to publish it, regardless of the number of awards or praise it has garnered. So please ensure your novel fits our stated interests before querying.
How to submit? Please use our submission email: submissions (at) reuts (dot) com to query REUTS, and please make sure your ten page attachment is in either .DOC or .PDF format, with standard formatting (12pt, Times New Roman, double spaced, or similar). We want to see a query and a synopsis, as well as the first ten pages of your manuscript, so please make sure you include all the components. As a handy cheat sheet, here are our acquisitions editors and their wish lists, so you can query the appropriate person:
Ashley Ruggirello — Creative Director: PN, PNR, PA, HOR
Kisa Whipkey — Editorial Director: DF, UF, EF, PNR, HR, SF
Summer Wier — Martketing Director: SF, M, HISTF, R
Jessica McQuay — Acquisitions Director: PN, PNR, FA, EF, DF, DS
Can we query multiple manuscripts? Yes, but please understand that our read and response time for each does not change. Each query will be treated individually.
Can we query simultaneous submissions? You mean, can you send us a manuscript you’ve already sent to other publishers or agents? Yes, but please be sure to let us know as soon as possible if your manuscript is no longer available for representation. We also urge you to query either publishers OR agents, not both at the same time. This is a common courtesy to both parties involved.
Do you really read our submissions? Yes, we really do. Once we’ve finished evaluating the submission, we make sure to write a personal response with either a positive or not-so-positive verdict. Please note that a manuscript has to go through multiple hands and multiple rounds, which increases the read and response time on our end. If you make it past the first round, it has to be read and reviewed by a new set of eyes, which means the longer you wait, the higher up in the process it has traveled.
We welcome friendly “nudges” inquiring whether or not we have read and reviewed your story, especially if you have been waiting longer than nine months. Although, if you haven’t heard from us and are wondering if we’ve read your submission yet, the answer is “probably not.” Sending us a nudge does take more time out of our day (time we could be using to read your submission), so please be considerate when emailing.
Why haven’t we heard from you? If you read the response above, we are slow. But we don’t mean to be. It’s a by-product of our review process. Each submission must pass through a preliminary review before it is given to all five of our department directors, who then have to read, respond, and vote. A decision is only final once everyone on the panel has weighed in, which, understandably, takes some time. We appreciate your patience as we move through our submissions, though, and will strive to do so at an appropriate (and realistic) speed.
Why can’t you tell me now? If you push for a decision immediately, the answer will be a rejection. Patience is key when querying publishing houses, and our directors (who make the final decision) have full-time responsibilities in other disciplines of the company and cannot always dedicate time to your manuscript immediately. We apologize for this inconvenience and understand that some of you may not have the ability/time to wait for us. If you decide to pursue publication elsewhere, please just send us an email with “WITHDRAWN:” and your manuscript title in the subject, and we will remove your query from the system.
TL;DR Too Long; Didn’t Read? We’re looking for 50,000+ word novels in all YA/NA genres. We will try to get back to you within three months, seven months maximum. We respond to all submissions, so if you haven’t heard from us, we likely haven’t gotten to yours yet. Feel free to nudge us for an update at any time, but past nine months would be more effective. Please check our Frequently Asked Questions page if you still have questions, or send an inquiry email. Thank you for reading!
