As August comes to an end and September looms, transitions are on the forefront of everyone’s minds. Kids go back to school, leaves start to fall, the scorching heat of summer gives way to pleasantly cool breezes and stormy nights, and another batch of post-its shifts into the overdue pile on my Infamous Wall of Post-it Deadlines. But there’s also something exciting in the wind: REUTS Publications will be open to submissions again!

One more time for the people in the back:

Starting tomorrow, REUTS will once again be open to submissions!

Our brief hiatus from the slush pile is over, and the doors will be flung wide. We’ve been working behind the scenes to create an improved submissions process, and we’re eager to test it out. It’s more automated, more streamlined, and should help dramatically improve the response times. You will have to create an account, but don’t worry, it’s completely FREE. And it absolutely will not be used to spam you unnecessarily. You’ll receive correspondence pertaining to your submission and nothing more. You have our promise on that.

**For those of you still waiting to hear from us, please be patient. We’re working our way through the list and should be in touch shortly. You do not have to resubmit.**

What should you expect from this shiny new system? Well, everything you expected before, just better.

• Wait times for queries (and hopefully full manuscripts) should be significantly shorter
• We will still respond with a personalized response to each and every query (a lack of response does NOT equal “no”)
• We will still accept manuscripts without agent representation (but we’re always happy to see agent submissions as well)
• We’ll give you an insider look at our tastes and thoughts via #REUTSsubs and this weekly blog post series

So, all in all, sounds pretty good, right? We’re excited about it; hopefully you are as well. #REUTSsubs will be kicking off this week, so be sure to watch my twitter feed (@kisawhipkey) if you want to catch those in real time, otherwise, the first compilation post will go live next Monday. But for now, I’ll give you a little preview of what we’re looking for, the official REUTS Publications Manuscript Wishlist, as it were. We’re always open to anything that falls within the YA or NA category, but these are specific requests from our acquisitions panel.

• New twists on paranormal creatures (bonus points for vampires or zombies)
• Dark fantasy in the vein of Uprooted by Naomi Novik or Fire by Kristin Cashore
• Thriller/Suspense (think Gone Girl for a YA audience)
• Intricate, multi-layered narratives a la Inception or The Memory Painter by Gwendolyn Womack
• Science Fiction (space opera or soft sci-fi, specifically)
• Dystopian in the style of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard or Legend by Marie Lu
• Mythology/Fairy Tale infused fantasy (Preferably not urban fantasy or paranormal romance)
• Gothic fantasy and/or romance (Jane Eyre by Emily Bronte, Dracula by Bram Stoker, and The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux are personal favorites of the team)
• Historical fiction (any time or place, as long as it’s accurate)
• Contemporary fiction (romance is fine, but not required)
• Paranormal satire in the style of Christopher Moore

Remember, those are specific requests, and they certainly aren’t the only things we look for. So if I didn’t list your genre, but you feel like it could still be a good fit, go ahead and submit! We’d love to see it. After all, our next favorite read might be in a genre I haven’t listed above. All we ask is that it be original, innovative, well-written, and contain emotional resonance. How you achieve those things is entirely up to you.

— Kisa Whipkey
Acquisitions & Editorial Director

The post Adventures in the Slush Pile: 8/31/15 Edition appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

Queries. Pitches. Synopses. Three words that strike fear into every author’s heart. And rightfully so — selling your book to an agent or editor depends on your ability to encapsulate your story’s heart into a few simple sentences. For most people, that’s a nearly impossible challenge. But perhaps if we look at why this practice is necessary, it will help you understand how to do it. So, for my first installment in this new series, I’m going to show you what I look for in a query. Keep in mind these are solely my opinions, and other agents or editors may look for something else, but if you plan to follow along with #REUTSsubs this next week, this will give you a glimpse at the thought process behind my decisions.

Let’s start by looking at the three potential ways you go about introducing your work to an agent or editor. They are:

1. The Traditional Query Letter & Synopsis
2. Pitching in Person
3. Elevator Pitches on Social Media

All three serve the same purpose — hooking your audience into asking for more. That’s a phrase I’m sure you’ve all heard thrown around in writing seminars, but what does it actually mean? In essence, it means you break through someone’s focus enough to grab their full, complete attention and get them to react. In other words, it’s a sales tactic.

Now, I know many of you just groaned. Sales is about as far from writing and creativity as you could possibly get. But the truth is, publishing is a business. There are bottom lines to be met, production costs to worry about, returns on investments that have to happen, etc. So when you send in a proposal (which, let’s face it, is what these things really are — sales proposals), what you’re really doing is arguing why we should become your business partner for this venture. And you’d darn well better be convincing. Don’t you think?

So, how do you achieve that? What makes a sales proposal appealing to the potential buyer? How do you turn indifference into “OMG, yes, I must read this”? Well, I look for a couple of key ingredients:

• Interesting concept and premise
• Unique attributes
• Market Potential

That’s it. Every time. Seriously.

Whenever I’m reviewing a pitch/query/etc, I ask myself the same three questions:

“Does this make me excited as a reader?” (This is more of a visceral reaction than a true question. Basically, I’m looking for that internal pique of interest, that “oooooo” factor.)

“What makes it different from everything else in its genre?” (The more specific the better on this front. Diverse cast? Unique twist or angle on the familiar? New setting?)

“What is it similar to/where would I put it on a shelf?” (This is ultimately the most important because it tells me a: where it fits within the REUTS catalog, and b: where it fits in the larger market and who its readership might be.)

All right, now let’s look at how you apply that insight, shall we? Because each type of pitch listed above is a slightly different opportunity to sell your work, and you shouldn’t use the same blanket strategy for each.
 

The Traditional Query Letter & Synopsis

 
First off, a query is not a synopsis and vice versa. They’re two separate entities used to achieve the same goal, but one is the lead singer, and the other is the band. You need both, but they serve completely different roles in the process.

Your query letter should be no more than 2-3 paragraphs, and its sole job is to pique the reader’s interest. It has to fit that criteria I listed above. It needs to give just enough information for me to tell whether or not it could be a fit for REUTS. So focus only on the most important aspects — the conflict and stakes that drive your story, sprinkled with a little info on the world/character and just a hint of what makes your manuscript different from the rest. Give me the heart of the tale; I don’t care about the rest yet.

Other things I need to know are genre, target audience, and comp titles (comparable books that might bear similarity to yours). Genre tells me where it fits in the bookstore and who it might appeal to, target audience tells me who I’m going to get to read it, and comp titles give me an instant snapshot of what to expect in terms of feel/tone/theme/style, etc. (One caveat on choosing comp titles: aim for ones that aren’t genre heavy-hitters, but that are prominent enough I’m likely to have heard of them. Also, the more unique the mash-up, the quicker I’ll be able to pin-point my expectations as reader.)

And that’s it. Two paragraphs should easily be enough room to capture all of that, once you isolate the key things an agent/editor looks for. Your final paragraph should be about you, what you bring to the table in terms of experience, etc. Honestly though, most of the time, we kind of skim that info. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it to us, just that more weight is placed on the content of the story than your particular pedigree.

IF you’ve achieved your goal and hooked my interest, I’ll dive right into the sample pages (because a great pitch does not always mean great execution), and if those pass the quality test, I’ll check out the synopsis. A synopsis is a glorified outline. It tells me the highlights of your story in 1-3 pages. It should capture the emotions, the main conflicts, some of the character motivations, and the entire narrative arc. The details of your world, sub-plots, supporting cast, etc, aren’t as important; the structure of your overall story is.

Manage to hold my interest through all of that, and guess what? You’ve just earned a full manuscript request. (I’m pretty sure this is the process most agents/editors go through, but some of the particulars may vary a little.)
 

Pitching in Person

 
Ah, now, this is a whole different game — one part speed dating, one part American Idol audition, all rolled into a giant ball of anxiety for everyone involved. But it’s a very viable option if you have the chance. Out of 55 total pitches I heard at the Willamette Writers Conference, I requested samples (and even some fulls!) of 48 manuscripts. The idea behind this is much the same as the process above, except you only have 10 minutes, if you’re lucky, and have to talk to an actual person. Terrifying stuff, for sure.

So what’s the key in this scenario? Be a human. Don’t stiffly recite your memorized query letter while you stare at the table. Engage with us! Take that query you wrote above and hone it even more. In a 10 minute pitch session, your pitch should take up no more than 2-3 minutes, max. Literally give us the bare bones, the core of your story, and then let us come to you. Think of it like baiting a wild animal; you don’t give away the whole dinner up front, you toss out some crumbs and lure us into the trap. In other, less poetic words, give us time to ask questions.

A face-to-face pitch session should feel more like a conversation, and every agent/editor will hone in on something different. So leave yourself room to answer questions. If you don’t and you babble through all 10 minutes, you might end up not getting a request. Because that tidbit in the middle that you glossed over was the one thing that agent/editor was looking for, and you didn’t give them time to find that out.

Your mission in an in-person pitch is simply to get that business card (See? American Idol golden ticket, right?) and a request to see more. That’s it. You’re not going to be signed on the spot, and you’re not going to give us your entire book on a silver platter. It’s simply the first step to a longer conversation.
 

Elevator Pitches on Social Media

 
Have you guessed the reason behind this order yet? It’s because they get progressively shorter and shorter. Much like pitching in person, an elevator pitch on social media should comprise the basics of your story. It should only contain the hook, the thing that is most likely to get people to stop and say “ooo, that sounds good.” You have 140 characters, so every letter has to count. Which is why you really only want two things (aside from genre/audience): the stakes/conflict, and what makes your story different. Again, you’re not trying to cram your whole book into 140 characters; that’s madness. You’re only trying to get us to want more. Which is why including that unique-factor is crucial.

To win this round, all you have to do is get a favorite from one of the stalking agents/editors, which then results in a submission of what? The first type of pitch: a traditional query letter and synopsis. It all comes back around to create a massive circle.

So there you have it, a breakdown of both why pitching is necessary and my particular thought process for evaluating them. Over the course of this next week, I’ll be starting #Pubsubs on Twitter, giving you a chance to see this in action, and periodically, I’ll add articles that may or may not be helpful to those navigating the query trenches to this blog series (along with the weekly Tweet compilations, of course). If you have any suggestions for topics you’d like me to cover, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Until next week, happy pitching!

— Kisa Whipkey
Acquisitions & Editorial Director

The post Adventures in the Slush Pile: 8/17/15 Edition appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

Welcome to the newest addition to the REUTS blog!

As you well know, the staff of REUTS Publications believes in transparency, and there’s nothing we enjoy more than finding new and creative ways to offer authors insight/advice on navigating the murky depths of the publishing industry. We’re certainly not the only ones with this philosophy, though, and I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit where it was due. See, what I’m about to unveil was inspired by the acts of fellow industry professionals at the Ruben Literary Agency, Inklings Literary Agency, Red Sofa Literary, and many others, all of whom are responsible for creating the Twitter hashtags #tenqueries, #500queries, etc.

Recently, I asked authors how they felt about those very hashtags and the possibility of seeing one from REUTS. The answer was an overwhelming and resounding, “YES, do it!” Because, as you may have noted above, the people who usually participate in these kinds of activities are agents, not presses. But agents and editors (especially small press editors) don’t always look for the same things, and it was abundantly clear that some of you out there are curious to see how we differ.

Therefore, I’m launching #REUTSsubs and following in my predecessors’ footsteps. As I browse the slush pile looking for gems waiting to be snatched up, I’ll tweet my thoughts/verdicts. The point of these, while hopefully entertaining, is to offer authors insight into the way an acquisitions editor makes their decision. The queries will remain anonymous; I’ll only list the category, genre, and my overall opinion. Sounds just like the others, doesn’t it? That’s the idea. However, there is an added component that I haven’t seen the others do yet.

Once a week, I will take all those tweets and compile them here on the blog. Twitter captures a snapshot of the decision process — the ultimate verdict — but it doesn’t allow for a lot of explanation as to the thought behind that verdict. Personally, I believe that’s the portion that will be most helpful to the authors battling it out in the query trenches. From personal reasons, to catalog clashes, to components that could have been done differently, there are a plethora of reasons as to why something might be rejected. And fitting that into Twitter’s limit is nigh impossible. So, to that end, the weekly blog summary will allow for additional commentary that can’t be squished into 140 characters while also providing a handy location to catch them all.

Also, REUTS does their acquisitions by panel, meaning that no one person has the final say. So it would be deceptive to say that the verdict you see from me on Twitter is the ultimate verdict on a submission. Sometimes (frequently, actually), we end up with split decisions, resulting in more discussion and eventually a majority ruling. To reflect that process more accurately, I’ll be adding commentary from the other acquisitions members to the blog posts as well. You may also see them pop up on the hashtag every once in a while. Though, for the most part, I’ll be the one curating it all. (Don’t groan too loudly; I might hear you. )

So, that’s it. Keep an eye on #REUTSsubs in the next few weeks if you’re interested in my humble opinions, and look for the first summary edition of “Adventures in the Slush Pile” to go live on Monday, 8/17/15. (Why not next Monday? I’ll be attending the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, OR for most of this week, so I’ll be accepting pitches in person, as opposed to wading through the slush pile.) See you then!

— Kisa Whipkey
Acquisitions & Editorial Director

The post Adventures in the Slush Pile appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

As some of you may or may not know, the REUTS blog is tended by many of our staff, which is why we usually stick to the royal “we,” writing on topics from the stance of a company rather than an individual. Today, I’m breaking that mold. Hi! **waves** I’m Kisa Whipkey. Most of you will know me as the Editorial Director, but what you may not know is that I was the company’s first hire. Which means I’ve had the privilege of seeing REUTS Publications grow from the seed of inception to the spry young sapling we all know and love.

Founder and Creative Director Ashley Ruggirello will say that the tree metaphor wasn’t her intention when she selected our name, but I think it’s the perfect metaphor for our little company. Born of inspiration and watered with love, REUTS Publications has seen a lot of growth over just these few years, continuing to evolve and branch and bloom. And the time has come for it to happen again. Which brings us to the point of today’s post.

In an effort to streamline and improve the experience authors can expect when working with us, we’re restructuring our acquisitions department. My job as Editorial Director has undergone some slight modifications, merging with that of the Acquisitions Director and resulting in my new title: Acquisitions & Editorial Director. No, I’m not superwoman (though some of you may try to claim otherwise), but this post also isn’t about me. As part of my new position, I’ll be working with Ashley and the third member of our acquisitions panel, Marketing Director Summer Wier, to address one of the problem areas in our process — submission response times.

To do that, we have to temporarily close our doors to new submissions. This is important, so pay attention:

Between July 1st and September 1st, 2015 REUTS Publications will be closed to unsolicited submissions.

Our submission form will disappear from our website while we work behind the scenes to implement a new submission process. Details on this shiny new system will be revealed later. For now, here’s what you need to know:

• Wait times for queries (and hopefully full manuscripts) will be significantly shorter
• We will still respond with a personalized response to each and every query (A lack of response does NOT equal “no”)
• We will still accept manuscripts without agent representation

We’re all very excited about this new system and look forward to unveiling it in a few months. But don’t worry, there will still be ways to catch our eye during our submission hiatus. Several of us will be attending various Twitter Pitch Parties over the next few months, and I will be attending the Willamette Writers Conference here in Portland OR for face-to-face pitch sessions. And of course, we are always open to agented submissions.

So that’s it! Thank you for your patience as we go through our latest evolution. We wouldn’t be able to do this without all of you, and your support means everything to us. Here’s to bigger and better things in the coming months. And remember, you still have a few more days to sneak your query in before the window of opportunity closes.

The post Excuse Our Dust; We’re Evolving appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

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!

The post PSA: Website Outage and Who We Are appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

Thank you to all who participated in the fourth and FINAL challenge of Project REUTSway 2013!

With your help, we smashed…destroyed…completely decimated the 50k word count for NaNoWriMo, clocking in at just under 700,000 words. Ooh-da-lally! (Not bad for a mere 30 days of work, right? Even less, when you cut out the time in between submission windows.)

But wait, SHHHHHHHH. There, there. Don’t cry, little REUTSWriMos. Because this twisted little journey is FAR from over. Within the next month, the Project REUTSway team will be hard at work, reading and re-reading all several hundred of your creepiest, most deliciously evil fairy tale retellings. All with the goal of finding out who will be IN for the final anthology.

Make sure you subscribe to the REUTS Notebok for all kinds of VIP REUTlet goodies over the coming holiday season, including giveaways and thrilling announcements…like the official title and cover reveal for the 2013 Project REUTSway anthology! It’s going to be a MAGICAL month, kiddies.

***

In the meantime, cool your jets with this week’s TOP LOOKS:

Project REUTSway Challenge #4: Shifty Stories to Read in the Dark – Top Looks

(In no particular order, in their original, unedited submission form)

***

His mind slowly blanked, fading to darkness, as the other took hold. This master plan to wrest control from his unwanted roommate would have to wait.

Where the Captain had once stood, there now sat a creature, covered in hair from snout to tail, shivering in fear.

It did not know why it had once again been brought back into this world, to exist amongst the warlike companions of his other half, during an onslaught of an innocent city.

He knew not why they fought, but he knew all too well of the crimes of the Captain, the man he would once again become at the rise of the sun. He hated his other half, that cruel and wicked man.

To flee from the field of battle, to distance this killer of women and children from those soldiers under his command, that was this beast’s new mission.

It was the same task he had always tried to fulfill every time he had been dragged back into this dreadful world: distance this murderous human from the killing floor, by whatever means necessary.

Maybe this time, he’d find himself far enough away to end his tyrannical reign of chaos. To go as far away from this bedlam, to perhaps flee from the care of his comrades, maybe that would be enough to stop the bloodshed.

Adorned in the tattered clothing of his human counterpart, the Wolfman fled from the Captain’s Quarters, and fled from the town in a panic.

The streets were choked with bodies and fire, ash and rubble. Off he went, barreling into the field and prairie alike, on all fours, as quickly as his legs could take him.

None of the Captain’s men noticed the beast’s grand escape. They were too inebriated on stolen spirits, too caught up in causing the sweet release of human spirits from their earthly forms as well, to notice their leader had become an animal.

Project REUTSway “Shifty Stories to Read in the Dark” Top Looks – Excerpt from “The Angel and the Wolfman” by Michael A. Signorile

***

It left me with horrible scars, still jagged and red, but at least I still have my life. Unlike the girl.

Knowing where my thoughts have gone, you smile at me sympathetically and come to sit in front of me. “Oh, Harry. It’ll go away soon, I promise. It’ll be nothing more than a distant memory.”

I want to believe you; it would make my life so much easier. But for that to happen, the nightmares have to stop, too. And that does not seem likely; they only get worse, more bloody, more frightening. Sometimes the wolf comes after me in my dreams. Sometimes it goes after wildlife, tearing them to shreds. Last night, it came after you. It cut you into ribbons with its sharp, razor-like claws while you begged it to stop, screamed my name, and then it bit into your throat with its teeth and you finally stopped, finally succumbed to death.

When I woke, I was so happy to see you standing over me that I sobbed.

I often wondered if I was sleepwalking after a month or so of nightmares. They seem so vivid, so real. How else can you explain the blood stains on my chin or that I find myself outside and nude when I know for a fact that I go to bed in my nightclothes?

I asked you to watch over me last night; to follow me if anything happened. You did, and apart from the sleepwalking, nothing happened, you said. You sounded so sure.

So, why can’t I believe you?

Project REUTSway “Shifty Stories to Read in the Dark” Top Looks – Excerpt from “When You Go Into the Woods Tonight” by Sam Hardy

***

Hansel tells me not to be afraid.  He will save us.  I believe him.

I squeeze my eyes shut as my body begins to shake.  My bones begin to grow.  Popping.

Cracking.  It hurts when my skin stretches over them.  The pain only lasts for a second because skin turns into thick, coarse fur.  Ears lengthen.  Sharp fangs emerge in the powerful muzzle that replaces her thin, dainty lips.

My sense of smell is better than hers.  Blasted ham.  I could smell it a mile away.  It’s my fault for bringing us to the old woman’s cottage.  Anger fills me when I think of everything my dear sister has seen. But that doesn’t matter now.  I will take us home.

Metal rattles as the woman unlocks the cage door.  She must be blind, for she doesn’t notice I fill the cage.  She calls to us.  “Come out, come out.”

In a powerful lunge, I pounce on her.  Surprised, weak, she falls to the floor like a rag doll.  I sink my teeth into her flesh, tearing it from her body—my massive jaws a bear trap around her puny, brittle bones.  Gretel yells at me to stop.  I ignore her.  I can’t restrain the beast.  The old woman will never bother anyone again.

We waste no time leaving the blood-soaked candy prison.  Gretel says she’ll never eat gingerbread again.  I am sorry for her, but she will forget.

Project REUTSway “Shifty Stories to Read in the Dark” Top Looks – Excerpt from “One” by Summer Wier

***

“Earlobe,” the boy said.

She squinted at him, and then Marcela, as the bodies began packing in more tightly.

“What the hell does that mean?” she asked Marcela.

Marcela, who held a small silver case to her as the elevator continued to fill up shrugged and said, “I haven’t the slightest clue.”

The last one in was the bot. The door whispered closed. The light turned green. Marcela felt her stomach lurch as the elevator began to rise. It was made of glass, including the ceiling, so they could watch it dock with the shuttle that would take them to the space station. Everyone in the elevator—except the bot of course—had their heads tilted up to watch the approach to the shuttle.

“Earlobe, earlobe, earlobe, earlobe . . .” the boys began to chant. Some of them raised their fists in the air and waved them in time to the chanting.

Sara mouthed “What?” at Marcela, who shrugged again. She clutched the case even more tightly.

The chanting became louder and louder as it drew closer to the dock.

“Earlobe! Earlobe! Earlobe!”

The elevator slowed and stopped. The doors slid opened. They were greeted by the rest of their class, who were also chanting “Earlobe! Earlobe! Earlobe!”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” asked Sara, once the chanting had finally died down. They departed the elevator, trying to avoid the careening bodies of boys and girls excited at the reunion with their friends. “What’s wrong with these guys?”

“Immaturity,” said Marcela.

Project REUTSway “Shifty Stories to Read in the Dark” Top Looks – Excerpt from “Earlobe” by Debra Vega

***

In these days of darkness, I knew better than to expect a gift. Papa was a huntsman, and Mama was a weaver, so there wasn’t much in between for frivolities. The only other family we had was my grandmother, who lived deep in the woods, even farther away from the village than we were. But Mama was determined. When she wasn’t sewing fine gowns to trade with the rich for food, or knitting scarves and mittens for the coming winter, she tucked away scraps of cloth and began cobbling them together with her artist’s eye and mother’s heart.

That day is ingrained in my memory, every detail clear and crisp and unforgettable. Papa had left at dawn with a hunting party, leaving the celebrating to Mama. She woke me with a kiss, her lips brushing my forehead in her gentle, tender way.

“Marie,” she whispered into my hair. “Happy birthday.”

As my eyes fluttered open, she told me she had a gift for me, if I would be a good little girl and wait just a moment. I sat stock-still in bed, the covers flung away in anticipation.

Mama brought me the gift in a crude wooden box, clearly Papa’s contribution.

“It’s for you,” she said with a smile that lit up her face. “A little red riding hood.”

I took the box, my eyes wide and lips parted.

Then I opened the lid and promptly turned into a monstrous wolf. That’s what Mama told me after I came back into consciousness hours later. I didn’t remember a thing, and thought that it was all a dream, but the blood crusting on my fingernails and the bruises on my back verified Mama’s story.

I was a six-year-old monster.

Happy birthday to me.

Project REUTSway “Shifty Stories to Read in the Dark” Top Looks – Excerpt from “Red” by Ryanne Kap

***

Project REUTSway PSA: If you weren’t chosen for this week’s Top Looks, don’t worry! You’re still in the running for the final anthology, provided your story met all of the posted submission guidelines. Likewise, if you were chosen for the TL this week, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be a finalist overall.

Keep sacrificing to those pagan gods (or whatever it is you do when you’re waiting for good news)!

As they say, it’s still anyone’s game!

The post Project REUTSway Challenge #4: Shifty Stories to Read in the Dark – Introducing…This Week’s Top Looks! appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

So, what exactly is a hybrid of self-publishing and traditional publishing methods? Let’s elaborate.

Self-Publishing

There are articles upon articles discussing the pros and cons of going the self-publishing route with your novel. The pro which typically heads up the list is control. As a self-publisher, you make all the milestone decisions when producing and publishing your manuscript; from how you want your book printed–double spaced lines, or 1.5 spaced lines? It does make a difference!–to cover art designed exactly the way you dictate, to the release date, etc. All the control falls within your hands. But, as we all know, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” So, as a self-publisher, you bear the brunt of the work (or must find experts to contract the work out to) and the stress that comes with publishing sans publisher. You get the good (control) with the bad (work, problems, decisions, responsibility, all of the consequences, etc.).

REUTS is interested in the “good” that comes with self-publishing, and that’s where the first part of our hybrid nature comes in. We give authors the control over how their novel is produced during every aspect of production. While editing, we don’t dictate changes or rewrite for you. We suggest alternatives and options we feel would make your story stronger. When discussing cover art, the first question we ask is: “What is your ideal cover to represent your story?” And we do our best to make that ideal a reality. If you have any problems with any aspect of your book’s production, we work with you to find the route that makes you happy.

Our team is comprised of experts, but we use that expertise to guide your vision, not strip you of control.

^{AND PLEASE NOTE: Even though REUTS utilizes self-publishing’s philosophies, we are not a self-publishing service. We have a standard submission process, and manuscripts are turned away if they don’t meet the criteria we’re looking for in our collection. We do not charge the author a penny. Ever. Period. No ifs, ands or buts.}

Traditional Publishers (Big NY Presses)

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have the “big press” publications everyone’s familiar with: Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin, etc. Those companies sport rigorously high submission standards, and sometimes only seem to seek immediate bestsellers. What does REUTS borrow from their methodology? The experts.

Aspiring authors seek traditional publishers because of what the publisher has to offer: professional editing, professional marketing/design and professional promotion. REUTS offers all of that as well as full control over the production of your manuscript, blending the best of both worlds into one progressive service.

Each of our team members hails from a specific discipline. We love what we do, and coming together with REUTS has allowed all of us to blend our previous work experience with our passion: books.

Still not convinced? Here’s a quick look at what you can expect when working with us:

• REUTS offers two rounds of editing, which both involve the author from start to finish. Instead of working “offline” in Microsoft Word for the editorial phase, our editors work with an author in Google Docs, collaborating on edits together, and avoiding the dreaded “red wall of text” that comes with tracking changes in Microsoft Word. A manuscript goes through the First Round of editorial with a lead editor, to tighten up the story structurally and clean up the mechanics. The second phase (dubbed “Second Look Editorial”) pulls in a second editor to pore through the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb, looking for would-be errors, ensuring the document sparkles for publication.

• Cover art is another important phase in the creation of a novel. “You can’t judge a book by the cover,” they say… yet we all know that a great/poor cover can make or break a book. REUTS understands this, and has a team dedicated to creating superb cover art, and extending that branding across different promotional platforms (social media skins, poster/swag products, advertisements, etc.). Some of our team members have over ten years of design experience. Collectively, we’ve got a lifetime of knowledge!

• Some would argue that the most important phase in the production and success of a book is promotion. As the Creative Director, I come from a background of professional advertising in a nationally recognized advertising agency (with clients such as CITGO, Southwest Airlines, and Loyola University). What benefits stem from an advertising agency background? Advertising tips, tricks and experience. How do we apply this to the promotion of a REUTS title? We cover things from digital book/blog tours (reveals, interviews, reviews, events, etc.), sending out press releases, providing authors with swag, traditional advertisement banners on GoodReads or applicable book websites/blogs, book trailers and more! We utilize every outlet, every shred of knowledge our team has gained over the years, toward the benefit our titles. We’re not successful unless you’re successful, so we work hard to put your book in reader hands (or digital shelves… we embrace the eBook readers, too!)

• Last but not least: royalties. REUTS offers above industry standard royalties. We believe the profits should go back to the author, which is why REUTS pays the author their cut first, before any money reaches the production team. Our team doesn’t get paid unless the author gets paid, because we are all compensated based on the same sales royalties! We all have a vested interest in the success of your novel, which creates a mutually beneficial relationship that promotes trust and productivity.

So there you have it! Just a little bit of insight into REUTS, our process, and what being a hybrid company truly means. We’ve taken the best from both worlds, and are combining those benefits into an experience authors can look back on and see as fun, enriching and worthwhile. At REUTS, we endeavor to bring both aspiring and veteran authors an unparalleled feeling of confidence and clarity when publishing their work. That’s what makes us stand out in an industry where transparency is often a tradeoff of prestige.

We realize information can often be misconstrued across the Internet, and urge anyone with even a shred of confusion to contact us with any specific questions you might have about REUTS, how we operate, what we offer, etc. We’re here to serve, and want to make sure you have the most accurate information out there.

You can also check out our FAQs page, to see if your question has already been answered.

Finally, here’s a picture of a cat… in space… because we like to offer a little something for everyone.

^{*You’ll see we prefer to refer to ourselves as a “publishing agency,” because– in addition to providing the actual publication of a book via editing and typesetting– we have the expertise to focus on the aesthetic and brand of a book and author, together. Again, this goes along with our hybrid mentality.}

The post The Hybrid: What Makes REUTS Different? appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

I’m the Senior Editor here at REUTS, helping authors with everything from structural edits, to copy-edits, to proofreading. Together with my fellow editor, Gabrielle (who you’ll meet soon and who’s been behind the informative “What Editors Look For” posts), I hone manuscripts into their final, polished form. I also assist the Acquisitions Director with screening submissions and scouting new talent. And I love every second of it!

Before REUTS, I was working as a freelance editor, but actually have a degree in Video Game Art and Design. Completely random, I know. I’m also a writer, as is everyone on our staff. That’s part of what makes us awesome. We have personal experience being in the shoes of our authors. To learn the rest of what makes us awesome, you’ll have to read on and let each of us tell you ourselves.

One last thing you might need to know about me– I’m snarky. But I wield my sarcastic powers for good. Mostly.

The Rules of the Game:

1. Introduce yourself, providing a little background on your role at REUTS and any other important tidbits. (Not part of the original game. That’s what happens when you get to go first– you get to change things!)
2. Post a photo of yourself. (Seriously? Ugh, guess I better go dredge something out of the archives where I don’t have 3 extra chins and look like I’m completely high.)
3. Post eleven random facts about yourself. (Hmmm, this could get interesting.)
4. Answer the questions given to you by the tagger’s post. (Thank you, Captain Obvious. Isn’t that the whole point of participating?)
5. Create 11 new questions and tag someone to answer them. (10-4. Time to come up with some really embarrassing informative questions and a willing victim participant! ;))

Got it? Good, then let’s get to it!

The Photo:

This one seemed appropriately mischievous, and I only have two chins, so that’s a plus:

Looks like I’m about to send that poor guy (aka my husband) barreling down the side of the cliff on a spooked horse, doesn’t it? I would never do that, of course. Especially since this was taken on our honeymoon and I still rather liked him at that point. (Just kidding, I still love you, babe!) But yeah, that’s me, looking all evil and stuff. On to the next part of the game!

11 Random Factoids:

1. I’m a vegetarian who hates all things vegetable. How’s that for a difficult diet?
2. My first concert was The Backstreet Boys. (Yep, that’s not embarrassing in the least.)
3. I have a weird obsession with all things office supply.
4. I hate having stuff on my feet, but absolutely love shoes.
5. I’m a shopaholic. When I’m not broke as a joke, that is.
6. I think chocolate should be its own food group. Which explains why photos of me with 3 chins exist.
7. It drives me nuts to get stuff on my hands. Dirt, charcoal, chalk, stickiness, whatever. I don’t like it!
8. I still listen to The Backstreet Boys. (That’s even more embarrassing!)
9. I don’t think I’m funny. It amazes me when people laugh at something I meant as truth.
10. I think in pictures. Seriously. Like animated pictures. (Who wins the freak award of the day? This girl!)
11. I loathe pink but look amazing in it, so half my closet is pink.

Andrew’s Questions for Me:
(Syndicated from Nightwolf’s Corner)

1. What was the last book that you read?

Oh jeez, I’m all about embarrassing myself today! The last book I read was…wait for it…50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James. Yep, that’s right. I read it. In its entirety. I think any time a book rockets to that level of stardom it’s worth reading, if only so you can catch all the references to it that surround you for the next 6 months. But in all honesty, I kind of liked it.

2. If you could retire within the next five years, to where would you like to retire?

This is an easy one. Hawaii! Or pretty much anywhere that’s warm and near the ocean. I don’t care for the rain and have an extreme dislike for snow. So naturally, I moved to the rainy capital of the pacific northwest. Makes perfect sense, right? No one said I was the brightest crayon in the box.

3. What genre are you writing – and have you attempted any other genres in the past?

Currently, I’m writing Urban/Contemporary Fantasy. But the bulk of my work is actually in Dark Fantasy. I suppose, if you want to get technical about it, they’re both the same genre– Fantasy. I have yet to step outside that realm, but I do have a few plans for branching into Sci-Fi. Other than that, I’m pretty set in my ways. For now. Who knows, I might randomly decide to tackle Mystery, or Literary, or Hamster Romance. ( No? That’s not a thing?) That’s the beauty of creativity– you can do whatever you can imagine.

4. Fruit or chocolate?

Chocolate. Duh! See Random Factoid #6, where I declare that chocolate should constitute it’s own food group. (Seriously, who do we have to convince to make that happen?)

5. What stage is your current WIP at?

Right now, it’s languishing on the corner of part-way-done and never-getting-finished. In all seriousness though, I’d say it’s roughly a third of the way complete.

6. What colour is your hair – and your eyes?

My hair is medium brown with grey highlights, thanks to my inherited curse of premature grey. I’m still hoping for an awesome skunk stripe, but so far, it’s not that localized.

According to my driver’s license, my eyes are hazel. But they’re more toward the green end of that spectrum. With the right clothing and make-up, I can actually push them into green, which is awesome. I love green eyes.

7. Agent or self-publish? And why?

Both. I’ve spoken quite a bit about my reasons on my personal blog, so if anyone is curious, I suggest browsing the archives for the full disclosure. Basically, it came down to branding. Since my Urban Fantasy series is the anomaly among my work, I’m choosing to self-publish those, while seeking to place everything else with a traditional publisher. I find the freedom and challenge of self-publishing appealing, but there’s still part of me that can’t let go of seeing my work on the shelves of Barnes & Noble someday. Although, if they close too, I suppose I won’t have to worry about that dream anymore.

8. What was the last movie you went to see? With friends or alone?

The last movie I saw was Oz, The Great and Powerful. I saw it with my husband. I’m not brave enough to see movies alone, so he gets dragged to a lot of films I’m sure he’d be alright passing on. But I do have to say, Oz had some of the best 3D I’ve ever seen. The stunning visuals were well worth the price of the tickets.

9. How long have you been with WordPress – and what was your first post about?

I’m actually coming up on my 1 year anniversary, on May 4. I signed up a few months before that, but waited to start posting articles until I had finished setting up the rest of the site. Well, most of it, anyway. I still have to finish some of the things I had planned, like the Art Gallery. But I’ll get to them eventually. I hope.

My first post was basically my thesis statement, explaining why I was starting this blog and what I intended to write about. For the most part, I think I’ve held pretty true to that thesis. Although that first post is probably the shortest one I’ve ever written that wasn’t an announcement of some kind.

10. What can you see beyond your screen? If it’s a wall, what’s immediately behind you?

Aw, my blank white wall isn’t good enough for you? Let’s see…*turns around*

Behind me is a window, looking out on one rather large tree in the middle of the lawn. Beyond that is the road, and across that is some kind of weird church thing. I don’t know, I think I need better surroundings. That was almost as exciting as the wall.

11. Do you type head-down or head-up?

If by head-up you mean looking at the screen instead of my fingers, then yes, head-up. I’m a secretary by day and a writer/editor by night. So I pretty much type all the time. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is most definitely in my future. Yay for impending surgery!

~

That’s it for me! Time to introduce you to the next member of our little family– Acquisitions Director and Co-Founder Jessica McQuay. But even though I’m officially tagging Jessica, I encourage the rest of the team and all of you– the readers– to answer the 11 questions in the comments below. Just for fun. It’s always interesting to find out more about the people around you. You never know what you might have in common with someone from the opposite side of the world.

Alright, Jessica, it’s all yours!

My 11 Questions to Jessica:

1. Where are you from?

2. If you’re a writer, what genres do you write? If you’re not a writer, what’s your favorite genre to read?

3. What’s your dream job and are you lucky enough to have it?

4. Name someone who inspired you and tell us why/how.

5. What’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t?

6. What’s your favorite animal? (Real or Fictitious)

7. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

8. You’re getting shipped to the proverbial deserted island and can only bring 3 things. What are they?

9. List your top five all-time favorite songs, including the artist.

10. Where is your happy place?

11. What’s your favorite girl’s name? Boy’s?

**Parts of this post have been syndicated from Nightwolf’s Corner. To read the original post, please click here**

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