Reuts Publications

Hello, from REUTS

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to duck in and introduce myself as your friendly, local representative of REUTS Publications. As the director of marketing and a member of the REUTS Acquisitions Team, hopefully I can help shed some light on some of the questions you all have for our relatively new and therefore somewhat mystery-shrouded agency. (The mystery part is unintentional, I promise.)

Though I haven't had a chance to read the entire thread yet, I'm hoping this blog post will answer some of the questions I've already come across: http://blog.reuts.com/the-hybrid-reuts-versus-other-publishers/

If anyone has anything else they'd like to ask, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or hit me up on Twitter @VeroniKaboom. As far as the writer community is concerned, we're an open book!

Thanks for your time, I look forward to hearing from you!

Veronica Park
Acquisitions / Marketing Editor
REUTS Publications
http://www.reuts.com/

Thank you Veronica, welcome! It's good to see you here.

I have some questions. I'm wondering, why is some of the font super small? The regular font is quite small enough.

Do you offer advances?

Hi Undercover,

Are you referring to the font on our website? If so, we recently noticed that there were some issues with visibility in Internet Explorer, and our Art Director has since addressed that problem.

We do not currently offer advances, but we do offer higher than industry average royalties and an extremely competitive payment structure. For more information, please see the submissions page on our website at REUTS.com.

Thanks for the welcome, and have a great day!

V

Hey V, thank you so much for answering my questions. I meant the font on the blog link you provided. I was having trouble with it, my eyes aren't that great.

Can you tell us a little about the marketing process? Maybe discuss distribution too. Are all your books e-books and print?

I could go on but I don't want to bombard you. I just think it's really nice to see you participate here. Thank you for shedding more light on Ruets. I look forward to hear more about your company.

Love your covers!

General Questions re: REUTS Marketing and Distribution

Unknown (and all),

In answer to your questions about marketing and distribution, I could go on forever (and if you've ever read one of my blog posts, you'll know how chatty I can be) but it's probably best if I just post the links where we publicly share all this glorious information.

Here is where we describe our distribution model:
http://www.reuts.com/about/

And every Monday, we post a new article about author marketing strategies. Here is the latest one:
http://blog.reuts.com/marketing-monday-pin-win/

To encourage the creativity of aspiring authors and support NaNoWriMo, we're also currently hosting a short story competition called Project REUTSway. You can read more about it and even SIGN UP here:
http://www.reuts.com/project-reutsway/

VeroniKaboom said:

We do not currently offer advances, but we do offer higher than industry average royalties and an extremely competitive payment structure.

Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on this? I don't see the info anywhere on your website. I'd be interested to know what royalty percentages you pay, and what you consider a competitive payment structure. Thanks.

- Victoria

I just noticed that they say the advantage that makes them hybrid includes that their editors only suggest changes and don't rewrite the author's work. Isn't that what an editor is always supposed to do?

I'm always unsure when someone says "we're doing it differently" and then cites a common myth as a way of explanation. To me it speaks of inexperience with actual publishing.

REUTS Royalties and Pay Structure

victoriastrauss said:

Can you elaborate on this? I don't see the info anywhere on your website. I'd be interested to know what royalty percentages you pay, and what you consider a competitive payment structure. Thanks.

- Victoria

Click to expand...

We offer 30% on Print, 40% on eBook, and all royalties are paid on GROSS profit (what we take away after printing/distribution costs by our printer, LightningSource). What makes our pay structure unique is that REUTS doesn't take out any percentage until after the author gets paid.

REUTS Editing Procedure

kaitie said:

I just noticed that they say the advantage that makes them hybrid includes that their editors only suggest changes and don't rewrite the author's work. Isn't that what an editor is always supposed to do?

I'm always unsure when someone says "we're doing it differently" and then cites a common myth as a way of explanation. To me it speaks of inexperience with actual publishing.

Click to expand...

What we mean by "we don't rewrite the author's work" is that we don't send back manuscripts with the typical editorial letters that suggest all changes--from conceptual to line edits--in a single document.

Instead, we utilize file sharing software (such as Google Docs or another similar program, depending on what the author is most comfortable with) to work one-on-one in real time collaboration. So yes, we do offer the same level of intense structural critique and copy polishing that other publishers offer, but we do it in real time, with the author having a chance to describe and defend their work, or offer alternatives to our editor's suggestions.

I hope that helps to clarify things a bit. : )

Veronica Park
Acquisitions / Marketing Editor
REUTS Publications
http://www.reuts.com/

VeroniKaboom said:

What we mean by "we don't rewrite the author's work" is that we don't send back manuscripts with the typical editorial letters that suggest all changes--from conceptual to line edits--in a single document.

Instead, we utilize file sharing software (such as Google Docs or another similar program, depending on what the author is most comfortable with) to work one-on-one in real time collaboration. So yes, we do offer the same level of intense structural critique and copy polishing that other publishers offer, but we do it in real time, with the author having a chance to describe and defend their work, or offer alternatives to our editor's suggestions.

I hope that helps to clarify things a bit. : )

Click to expand...

I'm confused. Mind, I haven't worked with professional editors yet at this point, but I just got done running my book through my crit group. We'd meet and they'd tell me their thoughts in person, and then give me a marked-up version of the text or an email summary of the details. I usually had to think about what they'd said for a couple days, come back, re-read their crits, go away and think some more to really understand what they were saying and what it meant to my story.

Line-edits, I can do on the fly, sure, but structural edits in a format like that sound exhausting. This isn't normal for small publishers is it? I think I'd hesitate to submit to your company just based on this process.

VeroniKaboom said:

We offer 30% on Print, 40% on eBook, and all royalties are paid on GROSS profit (what we take away after printing/distribution costs by our printer, LightningSource). What makes our pay structure unique is that REUTS doesn't take out any percentage until after the author gets paid.

Click to expand...

I'm guessing that you're deducting the printing/distribution costs from your net income (the income you actually receive from sales, i.e., list price less wholesaler/retailer discounts and commissions)? Even if your actual percentage rates look higher than standard, paying on profit rather than on list or on net income typically results in actual royalty amounts that are lower than standard.

Paying authors first and then dividing up the rest is certainly preferable to keeping the proceeds and stiffing authors, but since authors are guaranteed royalty payments by contract, I don't see that your payment structure is unique or even unusual. It's just the way things are done.

I have to say I'm always concerned when I see a publisher trying to keep costs down by paying its staff royalties rather than salaries or freelance fees. Like paying royalties on profit, it's a way of shifting financial risk that ought to be shouldered by the publisher. And it's often a recipe for swift staff turnover, as editors and others discover how little they actually make if the books don't sell in major quantities.

- Victoria

VeroniKaboom said:

What we mean by "we don't rewrite the author's work" is that we don't send back manuscripts with the typical editorial letters that suggest all changes--from conceptual to line edits--in a single document.

Click to expand...

My editors at Tor and Viking send content level suggestions in their editorial letters.

I get line edits during the copyedit phase, which is separate, and anything beyond punctuation errors and typos are phrased as queries and suggestions, not rewrites.

And I *always* have the chance to defend my work, use STET, or offer alternative.

The REUTS Philosophy

eqb said:

My editors at Tor and Viking send content level suggestions in their editorial letters.

I get line edits during the copyedit phase, which is separate, and anything beyond punctuation errors and typos are phrased as queries and suggestions, not rewrites.

And I *always* have the chance to defend my work, use STET, or offer alternative.

Click to expand...

Eqb,

Thank you so much for mentioning that, since I think it's a mistaken assumption that a lot of people have been getting from our "new and improved process" reputation.

At REUTS, we're not trying to completely reinvent the wheel or do away with any and all vestiges of the traditional publishing industry. In fact, we firmly believe that there are a lot of great conventions that should be utilized from all aspects of publishing. Especially the amount of care and attention that the editors (those hard-working heroes of the publishing world--not to toot my own horn here) put into each author's book, at every professional level (from freelance to Big 5.)

That's why our aim is to offer a service that combines the "best of both worlds" so to speak. At its heart, REUTS is about offering the freedom and creative control of self-publishing with the confidence, legitimacy and collaborative support of a professional press. Are there other houses out there that offer some of the same services we do, at similar rates? Absolutely! Which is why it's so great that nowadays, authors are faced with the opportunity to choose which house fits them the best. REUTS might not be for everyone, but we welcome those who share our excitement for the ever-changing yet oh-so-promising future of publishing.

Thanks so much for all of your questions and interest, and once again, please feel free to visit us at reuts.com to find out more, and follow our blog at http://blog.reuts.com/ for constant updates on what we're working on.

Have a great day,

Veronica Park
Acquisitions / Marketing Editor
REUTS Publications
http://www.reuts.com/

VeroniKaboom said:

Thank you so much for mentioning that, since I think it's a mistaken assumption that a lot of people have been getting from our "new and improved process" reputation.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure I see anything new or different about your editorial process, but okay.

VeroniKaboom said:

What we mean by "we don't rewrite the author's work" is that we don't send back manuscripts with the typical editorial letters that suggest all changes--from conceptual to line edits--in a single document.

Instead, we utilize file sharing software (such as Google Docs or another similar program, depending on what the author is most comfortable with) to work one-on-one in real time collaboration. So yes, we do offer the same level of intense structural critique and copy polishing that other publishers offer, but we do it in real time, with the author having a chance to describe and defend their work, or offer alternatives to our editor's suggestions.

I hope that helps to clarify things a bit. : )

Veronica Park
Acquisitions / Marketing Editor
REUTS Publications
http://www.reuts.com/

Click to expand...

As an editor, if I had to do what I think I'm reading that REUTS editors do, a live editing chat with the author that woud likely take more time then to simply edit the book, I'd be gone in a flash especially if all REUTS pays is royalties. Wow.

VeroniKaboom, just thanking you for your patient participation here at AW. It isn't easy fielding, sometimes, difficult questions.

tri

Cassie Knight said:

As an editor, if I had to do what I think I'm reading that REUTS editors do, a live editing chat with the author that woud likely take more time then to simply edit the book, I'd be gone in a flash especially if all REUTS pays is royalties. Wow.

Click to expand...

I edited a book in chat once, but it was an emergency. I was lucky to have an author who was patient, flexible, and persevering throughout that very difficult process.

I like to annotate the manuscript, send it back with a letter summarizing the editorial issues, and then once the author's had a look at it go over the whole thing in one or two long phone conversations. It's a collaborative process, but it's nothing I'd describe as a realtime collaboration, from which may the saints preserve and defend me. The author and I do our reading, thinking, and annotating on our own time, so that when we do get on the phone to each other, we're not sitting there twiddling our thumbs while we wait for the other to figure out what they're trying to say, or to chase down all instances of a problem that stretches over six chapters.

What I find odd is that VeroniKaboom thinks there's something different and remarkable about the author and editor having an interactive working relationship, and collaborating on the edit, rather than having the editor send a single authoritarian letter dictating all the changes to be made. That's a false distinction. If you're talking about real trade publishers and real editors, interaction and negotiation are the norm.

Actually, I should be addressing this part to VeroniKaboom rather than Cassie. So, V.: can you tell me whether I'm misreading you? To me, "with the author having a chance to describe and defend their work" sounds like the author and editor have no preexisting relationship, or at least like the editor has no prior acquaintance with the text. As for "the author having a chance to ... offer alternatives to our editor's suggestions," that's part of the basic trade publishing contract as I know it. The author gets to see, review, and approve editorial changes. There's also a provision that says "author approval shall not be unreasonably withheld," because authors sometimes get weird about it, and the book has to come out sometime.

VeroniKaboom said:

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to duck in and introduce myself as your friendly, local representative of REUTS Publications. ...

Though I haven't had a chance to read the entire thread yet, I'm hoping this blog post will answer some of the questions I've already come across: http://blog.reuts.com/the-hybrid-reuts-versus-other-publishers/

If anyone has anything else they'd like to ask, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or hit me up on Twitter @VeroniKaboom.

Click to expand...

The friendliness and preparedness are much appreciated.

I'm going to offer an opinion on an issue that's something of a fine point, not universally agreed upon: IMO, that offer is just a bit rude. I'm certain you don't mean it that way.

Thing is, this is a public conversation about Reuts. Public conversation and information sharing are what the Bewares Board is all about. Offering to take it to e-mail snubs most of the conversation, and undercuts its usefulness as a general info source.

Also (and trust me, I speak as someone who was once responsible for reading and responding to all of the e-mail received by a publishing house), if Reuts keeps growing, you'll have to stop automatically going one-on-one with non-confidential information anyway. When the volume of mail becomes too great to handle, every explanation that someone can find on a reputable public forum without your help becomes a letter you don't have to write. If you continue acting as Public Information Officer long enough, you'll find yourself spontaneously reinventing the FAQ.

Cheers --

Something else to consider is that getting critiqued can be really emotional. I've been through a ton of rejection and critique, and I can still read comments and end up crying over them for a few hours thinking "omg I suck so much why would anyone want to read this book?"

Then there is the emotion that comes from disagreement. You have a scene you love and someone says it needs changing, and sometimes that initial emotion is "What? No way, I love that scene!" Then after you have a chance to really consider and think on it for awhile, you realize no, they're right and the scene can be changed so you'll still love it and it fixes the weaknesses.

I'm sure there are times when authors and editors working in real time could work, but thinking of how much time it would take kind of appalls me (I have so little time to begin with), and the idea of having to listen to someone telling me things they think aren't working would make me really nervous. I'm not great at talking to people in the first place (I'm rather shy, though I fake not being so well), and I would just be humiliated if I ended up crying or being upset while talking to someone.

That could just be me, but there's a reason I like to work on paper. If I got edits, I would really need sometime to read them, process them, plan out how to fix them (or if I wanted to), and do so in a non-emotional manner.

Editing issues aside--if I haven't misunderstood VeroniKaboom's explanation, Reuts' author payment structure is terrible.

- Victoria

On a mostly off-topic side note, I have been learning a lot from the discussion of how people prefer/would like to have their work edited. One tends to believe that the system that works for oneself is the best system and should does work for everyone. Often "this is the best way to edit" is taken as a given. The discussion has shown me how mistaken that idea can be. This insight will be a huge help in giving *and* receiving crits. Thanks a bunch!

After a bit of digging, the team appears to have a lot of design, web, social media and writing experience. A few have self published their own works, but I couldn't find anything about running a publishing house. Could you elaborate a bit on the experience of your team?

VeroniKaboom said:

We offer 30% on Print, 40% on eBook, and all royalties are paid on GROSS profit (what we take away after printing/distribution costs by our printer, LightningSource). What makes our pay structure unique is that REUTS doesn't take out any percentage until after the author gets paid.

Click to expand...

victoriastrauss said:

I'm guessing that you're deducting the printing/distribution costs from your net income (the income you actually receive from sales, i.e., list price less wholesaler/retailer discounts and commissions)? Even if your actual percentage rates look higher than standard, paying on profit rather than on list or on net income typically results in actual royalty amounts that are lower than standard.

Click to expand...

Just when I think I understand the difference between gross and net I'm confused again. I thought gross was before any deductions are made for the publisher’s business overhead costs. Or is it a matter of semantics between gross income and gross profit?

Bumping the thread to ask if there's anything new on these guys? They're on another writing site answering publishing-related questions -- they claim to have changed from what this thread portrays them as.

Anyone work with them recently? Or have any new information on them?