An Unfortunate Announcement & IWSG

Let me start by giving a huge 'Thank You!' to this month's IWSG co-hosts  Lee Lowery, Juneta Key, Yvonne Ventresca, and T. Powell Coltrin! You make all this writing love run more smoothly.

I'm going to forgo this month's optional question and get on with my announcement which has heightened my insecurities by more than a few notches. *Writers - please read to the bottom because I'm looking for some advice. TY!*

*clears throat*

Last Friday, I received an email from Leap Books, Motley's middle grade publisher, informing me that they have decided to close their doors after eleven years. *Feel free to read their heartfelt post and press release. 

I want to thank them for the kind words they said about me, my fellow Leap authors, and the entire Leap team. I know they did not make this decision lightly. My heart is heavy for them. They are wonderfully, talented people and have always been enthusiastic and encouraging about my work. I'm also sad for my fellow Leap authors and what this means for them. Mostly, I'm heartbroken for the world of MOTLEY EDUCATION that I've created. I was just finishing up work on the second book in the series, and I was in hopes that it would be released by the end of the year. I can't imagine Ebony and Fleishman without a home. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, or even what my options are.

I've always been the type of person to take things in stride. Being married 27 years and having four kids will do that to you. Dwelling on a negative is a waste of time. Saying that, the past 16 months have handed my family blow after blow starting with my mom entering a nursing home, which left my dad home alone, and all has continued to go downhill from the stresses of starting a new family business, my wonderful brother-in-law passing away at the age of 49, being concerned about my sister-in-law's loss and her three kids, my father-in-law entering a hospital four months ago which led to a nursing facility where he's now on hospice, worrying about my sweet mother-in-law who probably shouldn't be living alone, and having to say goodbye to our beloved family dog of almost 14 years. 

Now with all this and Leap's closure announcement, I need to take a step back to reassess. I'm not quitting writing. Never. I have more spooky stories that need to be told. And who knows, this setback with Leap just might be what my work needed to catapult it to higher and more successful ground. The one thing I do know is that I need to take a step back and breath. I'll be shying away from social media and blogging for a bit, while I try to figure out what my next move should be. But if you need to contact me feel free to use my email. 

More Participants!

So, what should my next move be? Leap is reverting my rights back to me, presumably to approach other publishers with Motley. How do I go about finding Motley a new home? Is it like regular querying? Have any of you been through this or know a fellow author that has? Could you share that experience with me? I'm truly lost in this jungle of unknown. Thank you for any help you can offer. 

YA in the Alleyway~Getting Ready For Your Young Adult Book Release

YA in the Alleyway is my revised meme to give young adult literature the spotlight it deserves. It also gives YA authors the opportunity to share their signature with the world! Feel free to join me any Wednesday. 

Please welcome today's featured YA Author Vicki Weavil as she shares her wisdom on book releases. This is an awesome post, so make sure you bookmark it or share it with others!

TOUR SCHEDULE

Hello Alleywalkers,
I have been asked to talk about the steps to getting ready for a YA Book Release. Since these vary significantly from author to author, I thought I’d discuss this in a rather “tongue-in-cheek” way, based on my own experience – traditional publication with an independent publisher.

• Step One: You’ve Sold a Book! Now the Real Fun Begins.

Okay, the book has sold. It will be published – hurrah!! But, before it is actually released, you will be revising that manuscript. Not once, not twice, but as many times as it takes to whip it into shape. Somewhere in the middle of this process you will decide that you cannot write, and that you are, in fact, the worst author in the entire universe. Do not allow this knowledge to destroy you. Remember that you have a publishing company (and maybe an agent) depending on your pitiful excuse for a book. So carry on, despite the night terrors that whisper to you that your lack of talent will soon be as exposed as a starlet on the red carpet. Carry on, and beat that manuscript into something that vaguely resembles a book. 

• Step Two: The Cover Reveal.

At some point, while you are still adrift in the sea of revision and self-doubt, you will be shown mock-ups of the cover for your book. You may love the cover immediately – or not. (I’m fortunate in this regard, as my publisher puts out gorgeous covers). Negotiating over the cover may occur (or not, depending on your publisher). At any rate, once the cover is finalized, there will be a cover reveal. This will usually take place on various online venues, such as blogs, Facebook, or Instagram.  There may also be a blog tour for your cover reveal.  Your responsibility at this point is to promote that cover reveal like you have just received another set of stone tablets from Mount Sinai. Tell everyone, more than once.  (Also, thank all the people who help with the cover reveal because they put their time into promoting YOU).

• Step Three: Promotion and Marketing, or – Building Your Platform Without Scrambling    Your Brains.

This isn’t really a separate step, because it begins before the book is sold and continues… basically forever.  You need to create a social media presence as an author, based on whatever platforms you feel comfortable using. (Don’t use something just because it is out there, because that’s too much. Use what you feel works best with your marketing skills and personal style).  Also don’t use your platform just to sell – you want to connect with people on a real level. Engage in online groups that interest you, promote other authors, tweet about topics you find fascinating, etc. Sure, mention your book(s), but don’t overdo it. No one wants “Buy My Book” shoved at them ten times a day. Bear in mind that different promotional strategies work better for different types of books, so study what is successful for other authors in your genre. Not long before the release, your publisher will probably ask you to answer interview questions, or write guest blog posts (like this one!) for your release blog tour. There may be a lot, so pace yourself and make sure you give each the proper time and attention. Also, meet your deadline for the posts so the (very helpful) bloggers have plenty of time to work with your material.

• Step Four: The Book Release! 

This is the step where you need a good support system, lots of (insert vice of choice here), and maybe a paper bag to breath into every once and awhile.  There will probably be a blog tour promoting your release (or some other type of release promotion organized by your publisher). Perhaps you will arrange a book release party with your friends, or through the auspices of your favorite bookstore or library. Or perhaps you (and some friends, if you are lucky) will set up a Facebook release party.  There are a lot of options – just remember to do what makes you feel comfortable, and don’t force yourself to do things that will turn this into a terrible experience rather than an exciting one. Also remember to thank anyone who has helped with your book release, including your publisher, agent, publicist, bloggers, author friends, family, and so on. But most of all – celebrate! You have published a book, and that is a major life achievement.
Vicki L. Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Virginia, a Masters in Library Science from Indiana University, and a Masters in Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After working as a librarian at the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center, and the Museum of Television & Radio (now the Paley Center for Media) in NYC, she is currently the Director for Library Services at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband and some very spoiled cats. A member of SCBWI, Vicki is represented by Fran Black at Literary Counsel, NY, NY.  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr | Goodreads

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies 

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks 

Facsimile 

by Vicki L. Weavil

Publication Date:  March 8, 2016

Publisher:  Month9Books

For a ticket to Earth, seventeen-year-old Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano is willing to jettison her birth planet, best friend, and the boy who loves her. Especially since all she’s required to do is escort Dace Keeling, a young naturalist, through the wilderness of the partially terraformed planet Eco. Ann‘s determination to escape the limitations of her small, frontier colony never falters, until Dace’s expeditions uncover three secrets. One offers riches, one shatters Ann’s perceptions of herself, and one reveals that the humans stranded on Eco are not its only inhabitants.

Ann’s willing to sacrifice friendship and love for a new life on Earth. But when an entire species is placed in jeopardy by her actions, she must make a choice – fulfill the dream that’s always sustained her, or save the planet she’s never considered home.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Care to share any experience you've had with a YA book release or have a question? Vicki would love to hear from you, so comment below!

UNCONTROLLABLE Blog Tour & Giveaway!!

Being a part of a fellow author's blog tour is always a great adventure. And sharing with such an amazing writer as Shelli is also an honor.

In case you didn't know, Shelli Johannes-Wells (AKA S.R. JOHANNES) is a 2012 Georgia Author of the Year YA Nominee, 2012 IndieReader Discovery winner in YA, and Author of Amazon bestselling novel UNTRACEABLE, which is available in paperback and ebook at all booksellers.

Today, we're here to help her celebrate the release of her next YA novel, UNCONTROLLABLE and if you leave a comment below, you could own an eCopy yourself! I had the absolute pleasure of reading this book, but will save my review later, maybe even at the end of her tour. Instead, Shelli is here to chat with you about the Essentials When Preparing For a Book Release. But before she begins, take a peek at what UNCONTROLLABLE is about.

Description: As Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program". 

While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants. 

After a couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues. 

Little does she know, she is being hunted too. 

Want more of UNCONTROLLABLE and read or hear more of Shelli's writing, publishing, & marketing wisdom? Here's the remainder of her amazing tour, and each day she's doing some sort of giveaway! 

Make sure you leave a comment below for a chance to WIN an eCopy of UNCONTROLLABLE! A winner will be chosen by the end of the day.

Sept. 12 - whoopeeyoo – Uncontrollable Review

Sept. 12 - The Writerly Rejects – Indie vs self pubbing

Sept. 13 - Always YA at Heart – Uncontrollable Review (e-book giveaway)

Sept. 13 – Write Stuff – Create Fast Pacing in Stories

Sept. 14 - Second Bookshelf on the Right – Interview (e-book and swag giveaway)

Sept. 14 - Bookend Crossing - Uncontrollable review (ebook giveaway)

Sept. 17 - the "I love books" club - Uncontrollable review (e-book giveaway Suffocate

Sept. 17- I Just Want to Sit Here and Read - Characterization Tips (e-book giveaway)

Sept. 18 – Words I Write Crazy – Challenges in Writing Uncontrollable and Review

Sept. 18 - The Bookish Brunette - Uncontrollable review (e-book giveaway)

Sept. 19 - Literary Rambles - Self pubbing marketing using Twitter (e-book giveaway)

Sept. 19 – the “I love books” club – Author Interview

Sept. 20 - Supa Gurl Books – Uncontrollable Review

Sept. 20 - Step Into Fiction - Adding humor into your writing

Sept. 21 - Always YA at Heart – Character Interview

Sept. 21 – Letters Inside Out – Writing to Playlists (e-book giveaway)

Sept 24 - Mundie Moms - Launch Date! Special giveaway

Sept. 25 - Once Upon a Twilight - Uncontrollable Review (e-book giveaway)

Sept. 25 - Holly's Narrative Dream - Branding and marketing yourself as a writer

Sept. 26 – Ya-Aholic –Uncontrollable Review

Sept. 26 - Book Snatch - Author Interview 

Sept. 27- Basia's Bookshelf – Uncontrollable Review

Sept. 27- Confessions of a Bookaholic – Envisioning Setting (e-book giveaway)

Sept. 28- Living Fictitiously – Uncontrollable Review

Sept. 28 - We Do Write - Writing sequels (e-book giveaway)

Oct. 1 – YA Book Queen – Uncontrollable Review

Oct. 1 – Words Escape Me – Essentials in plotting (giveaway of query or chapter critique)

Oct. 2 – Book Dreaming - Uncontrollable Review

Oct. 2 - YA Book Queen - Writing thrillers/suspense (e-book giveaway)

Oct. 3- Fantasy Book Chick - Touching on Conservation

Oct. 3 - Mission to Read - Uncontrollable Review (e-book giveaway)

Oct. 4 - Paper Cuts YA – Marketing Tips (e-book giveaway Untraceable OR Uncontrollable)

Oct. 4 – The Wormhole – Author Interview, Uncontrollable Review (e-book giveaway)

Oct. 5- Kristi Helvig – Uncontrollable Review (e-book giveaway)

Oct. 5- The Writer's Voice - Author Interview 

Oct. 8 – Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem - Tying together Untraceable andUncontrollable

Oct. 8 - The Housework Can Wait - Building community (e-book giveaway)

Oct. 9 - Magnet4Books - Self editing tips

Oct. 9 - Katya Czaja - Uncontrollable Review (e-book giveaway)

Oct. 10 - I'm a Reader, Not a Writer - Author Interview 

Oct. 10- Readinista - Changing industry of publishing

Oct. 11 - Girl Who Reads - Creating online platform

Oct. 11- Fictional Candy - Author Spotlight (swag and e-book giveaway ofUntraceable)

Oct. 12 - Ren's Rambles - Nature of Grace Playlist Highlights

Oct. 12 - Reading Teen - Uncontrollable Review

Oct. 15 - 4 Sassy Girlz - Critique group tips (Untraceable e-book giveaway)
Oct. 15 - Little Birdie Reviews - Untraceable Review and Uncontrollable Giveaway
Oct. 16 - Loves 2 Read - Uncontrollable Review

AND if you haven't yet entered my Bigger-Than-A-Shopping-Mall Celebration Giveaway, Do it NOW! You don't want to miss out on some awesome books, swag, critiques, or chats!! 

Slow and Easy; Fast and Hard

We are individuals. Some of us have light skin, while others have darker skin. We speak different languages, some even using sign language to communicate. There are blue and green eyes, athletics and artists, teachers and students. Each person is made up of personal traits, family histories, environmental influences, likes, dislikes, and preferences that define us.

I'm sure you know someone who follows every traffic law. Just as you know someone who's not as sensitive to following the speed limit. :) Or someone who despises the subject of Math, but loves History.

It took me a while to realize this same mentality and appreciation for life's differences applies to the writing world. For those of you who are just starting out with writing, I'm hoping what comes next will comfort you. And for you vintage writers, I know you'll relate.

When I decided to become a serious writer, I had a set picture in my head of how it was going to work, the elements I'd need to concentrate on, and the time I had to do it. I've always been a go-getter, passionate, and devoted to anything project I decided is for me. So I grabbed the publishing world and writing by the horns and jumped in both feet.

But at times, I felt like this...

...like I needed so much help that I'd never 

accomplish anything.

And man, did I receive fantastic help. There's nothing like the writing community. 

Other times, the publishing world looked

like this to me...

...big, sophisticated, and hungry.

Hungry for what? I wasn't sure that first year. I was nervous about everything from reading others work and giving a critique to putting myself out there, letting others read my work. So I set goals, promising that I'd get this done by this date and that completed by that date and so on.

Yeah, the problem was I'd left LIFE out of the equation.

I ended up seeing my writing like this...

...one measly letter at a time, while it

seemed the rest of the writing world

was on fire with accomplishments.

And if you know anything about me,

it's that I'm not fond of laziness

or underachieving. Major

pet-peeve.

But overall, I've learned to reevaluate my writing on a daily and weekly basis, giving myself permission for LIFE to happen. I have a new awareness about myself, the people around me--including all you fangtastical blogging friends--and the world. I've learned that I can grow at a slow and easy pace that is suitable for me today, but tomorrow might allow me to speed up, forging fast and hard into whatever I'm working on.

Either way, I'll accomplish all I set out to do and so will each of you.

So, what gives? Any of you ever feel like a snail stuck in glue?

Graffiti Wall: Author Joy Preble

The Graffiti Wall is back!! And today, we have an amazing guest. She's a wife, mother, English teacher, and lover of all that makes breakfast yummy. As a child and teen, she didn't just read books but consumed them--a storyteller at heart. And she answered my questions with such awesome depth, this post is only Part I of her interview. I felt it necessary to share all her wisdom with you. Please give her a warm Alleyway welcome.

Joy Preble, Author of Dreaming Anastasia trilogy

Hi, Joy! *cyber wave* Let's begin with any advice you'd like to share on how parents/teachers/schools can promote and nurture young readers?

If you’re a parent, read to your kids. Read every day. Fill your house with books. If you’re a teacher – talk about books with your students. Have your own lending library. Make books easily available. Be widely read yourself. Same for librarians – read widely. I know school librarians who don’t read much YA lit. I think that’s a disservice to their clientele. All that said, I do think you can’t force people to read if they don’t want to. But the reading aloud and the exposure to books will expose them to a world of thoughts and ideas that will help them grow in ways they wouldn’t without it.

A lending library - genius! 

What did you find most appealing about your favorite childhood, MG, or teen stories, and how can you and other writers apply those elements to our stories and character development?

Questions like this are always hard for people who read a lot! I have so many favorites, so many books that inspired me/affected me/ taught me something about how to tell a story. In terms of fantasy, the book Half Magic by Edgar Eager is one that sticks out. I don’t know if a lot of people know this book – but I loved it and it’s still on my book shelf. Independent kids meet magic talisman meet adventures… it’s a solid blueprint for how to craft a memorable tale of magic.

Whose advice do you seek most?

My agent, Jen Rofe – who is wise and wonderful and a lot of fun. She knows when to counsel, when to kick my butt, and when to let me stew and figure it out myself. A rare talent, that Jen.

What are the three most important lessons you’ve learned about yourself during your road to publication? And since then? 

• I am far more competitive and resilient than I thought I was. 
• I should have done this sooner but I was afraid of failing at it. 
• Good writing comes from a place of personal honesty. Always. 

Writers - wisdom to take to heart...

I

Post publication, my biggest lessons and struggles have been with balance. Publishing books is like having children –  in many ways your job is there for the rest of your life! And if you want to build a career, then you have to keep moving forward. So I think most writers struggle some with balancing the writing of new books, editing of ones about to come out, keeping up with publicity and appearances and on line stuff and still living life fully enough to ‘fill the well’ with experiences and observations to inspire the storytelling. Add in family, friends, and a day job and you’ve got a pretty packed schedule. I’ve had to learn to take things one day at a time, one project at a time.

How have you found writing different since being published?

Once you’re published, it occurs to you very quickly that writing is a job. It’s a job you wanted very badly, but a job nonetheless. Deadlines are a lot quicker. Most of us took years to write our first book. Then you sell the sequel and it’s like, okay, we want it in six months. Maybe less. And there is certainly an expectation – as there should be! – that you will continue to grow in the craft, write better and better books. (there are exceptions to this of course. Their names are JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, and Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. I have no idea how any of these women could ever surpass their iconic works. JD Salinger fits here, too.) So yes, writing is different now. But I still love it.

I told you, Alleywalkers, that Joy is brimming with information about how we can better tap into our inner writer. Feel free to connect with Joy via cyberspace: Website, Blog, YA Blog, Twitter, Facebook. 

Please stay tuned tomorrow for the conclusion of her interview, where she chats about social media, the first two books in the Dreaming Anastasia trilogy, and answers a time-old Graffiti Wall signature question! 

Oh, and she's giving away a SIGNED copy of book II in her trilogy - HAUNTED!! So come back to enter and spread the word!

Hearts ~

GRAFFITI WALL: Kelly Hashway, Picture Book Author of MAY THE BEST DOG WIN!

The GRAFFITI WALL is excited to have our very first Picture Book Author share her writing splats with us!! Plus, she's offering up SWAG & a PB Critique!! Mother, wife, and writer of all that encompasses children's literature--YA, MG, & Picture Books--she's also a supportive critique partner and active member of YAlitchat, offering her suggestions and guidance to other writers.

KELLY HASHWAY

Young Adult, Middle Grade, & Picture Book Author

You're a children's author, in all three realms: young adult, middle grade, and picture books. What made you turn to writing picture books?

I have a four-year-old daughter who has always loved books. So for the past four years, I've spend a good portion of my day reading picture books. I couldn't help but fall in love with them. The first time I even thought about writing for this age group was when my daughter asked me to read her a story about Santa and the Easter Bunny. I didn't know of any, so I wrote one. It was actually a short story and I had it published. But I loved writing for the age group so much that I decided to try picture books next.

Once you wrote your picture book, May The Best Dog Win, what was your next step?

Revise, revise, and revise some more! I gave the story to some trusted individuals to pick apart and the manuscript was much better for it. Then I started submitting to publishers and worked my way through the slush.
 
What is the process of publication for a picture book once a publisher makes you an offer?

You wouldn't believe how much editing goes into a picture book. Every word counts and every scene needs to be able to work with the illustrations. I went through rounds of edits and then more after the illustrator drafted the drawings. And then a few more after that. It was crazy, but in a good way. I'm very happy with the end result.

Did you work personally with the illustrator?

Not really. She and I have talked via email, but she took my writing and brought it to life pretty much on her own. And I couldn't be happier with the way she did it.
 
I can't agree more. The book is so colorful and energetic.


Do you have a method for mapping out a picture book?

I try to picture the book's layout in my mind. I make sure I have enough scenes and that I don't rely completely on the text. It's really a fifty-fifty between the author and illustrator so you have to give up some control, which isn't always easy to do.
 
What was your inspiration for writing May the Best Dog Win? Did you brainstorm?

One of my many many quirks is that I vacuum everyday. My huge German shepherd is afraid of the vacuum. She sniffs it, gets in its way, and then dashes out of the room. Two seconds later she's back doing it all over again. It made me wonder if she thought the vacuum was a strange looking dog. May the Best Dog Win evolved from there as I brainstormed how a vacuum could be viewed as a dog.

Signature Alleyway question: you're going into space with only food, your cat Gomer, and a character from a book. Which character would you bring with you? 

Kate Weatherall from The Mysterious Benedict Society. She always carries around that bucket with helpful things in it. She is allowed to have the bucket in space, right?

You're agent is the fabulous Lauren Hammond (ADA Management). How's it working with an agent?

Lauren's amazing! I'm so lucky to have her on my side. Working with an agent is great because you have someone championing your book. I know Lauren believes in me and my book, and that's such a great feeling. She calms me down when I'm stressing, and she keeps me up-to-date on everything that's going on with my work.

Best advice ever given you that you'd like to pass on.

I was recently at my regional SCBWI conference and Donna Gephart talked about never giving up because you never know when you're on the one-yard line. You may be closer than you think to achieving your goals. Imagine where we'd be today if great writers quit on that one-yard line.


Could we have anymore supportive of an author friend in Kelly?? Awesome.

For more Kelly and Dash, visit Kelly on her WEBSITE, Facebook, Twitter, & Dash's Facebook Page. And even better, support them both on Freado.

Kelly is offer up 2 giveaways: 

~  a SWAG packet: May the Best Dog Win t-shirt, a doggie bag including a pencil, bookmark, bracelet, magnet, sticker, and candy.

~ a PB critique.

ENTER below.

GRAFFITI WALL: Reuts Publications

Today, the GRAFFITI WALL is spreading it's alley-wings, branching out from the beloved writer to the publisher who can put ink to their words. Join me in giving Reuts Publications a warm welcome.

Ashley Madau-Founder/Designer, Cara Ruegg-Editor/Moderator, Jessica Lopez-Head of Marketing, and Lauren Skye Sila (not pictured here) Moderator for Reuts Community (ReutsComm)  

What motivated you to engineer your own online publishing firm?

A day or two after I signed a contract for my story to be published through a different publishing company, and reading, re-reading, and reading the contract it was almost a light bulb moment; in one quick moment I knew I could provide people like myself with a publishing company while improving on what I didn't agree with in my own contract. Luckily, I was able to terminate my contract with this other company, and I began developing Reuts. The name was the hardest part. I complained to my boyfriend how it had to be perfect, had to embody my dream of the company. When Reuts was voted upon by a handful of people, I worked on the website, the policies and the contracts. In less than a week I had the company ready to go; it was a surreal moment.

You are solely online. How do you feel that differs, if it does, from other publishers?

Our central location is online (people a part of our team are from California, to Michigan, to Maryland), and I feel it's a great example of how writers and individuals can come together, creating a publication for young adults, by young adults. Most publishers, large or small, may try to relate to that age group, but by actually haven't young adults from different corners of the world a part of Reuts, we're able to truly relate and offer an experience of publication and friendship with others like ourselves. It's a relationship, personal before profit.

Your staff members, how did you meet them and hire them to work with you? What are they're qualifications?

I stumbled upon many of the Reuts team members. We are currently made up of young adults volunteering their specific skills for a ending goal. Jessica has superb marketing skills which she has lent to the group, and Lauren is a fantastic motivator. Why should there be a big difference if someone has professional qualifications or not? These individuals are talented in their own way, and I'm so appreciative that they're anxious to help an up-and-coming company!

What are you hoping to accomplish through Reuts Publications?

I want to offer young adults something I wish I had when searching for a publisher: someone who communicates with you, responds in a timely fashion, actually reads through every submission, and gives you a real chance within the world of publication. Starting Reuts was never about breaking the bank or gaining unimaginable fame, but helping others you truly believe in to realize their dreams and goals. I want to help and get the word out about these fantastic authors.

You are currently accepting submissions. What genres do you work with most?

We accept all submissions except highly erotic stories, but personal preference of most of our team members is in the paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi realm. We're looking for stories to push the boundaries, with a unique take on the over-killed genres. If it's different and well written, we're happy to give it a shot!

What would you like to see more of in young adult fiction?

Unpredictable characters, relatable characters, a story to tug at the readers emotions. It's all about creating realism with the most unbelievable stories. It doesn't matter if you're dealing with elves, zombies, mutants, there's always a way to weave believability into the story-line and cause the reader to wish for it to be reality. Take me, take us away from mundane life.

What are you looking for in a writer/client?

Someone fun. Like I mentioned before, a friend. You don't need to be afraid of your publishing company, we're normal people too. I love talking to different authors and understanding their writing, their style and their thoughts. That said, there has to be a small level of professionalism with the author, nothing too drastic, but enough to demonstrate the individual is serious about their story and sharing it with the world. We all wouldn't mind fame, but it's always nicer to hear an author wanting to share their story with the world instead of making their millions.  

On your website, you state on your About Page: "...here at Reuts, we're looking to redefine the relationship authors develop with their publishers."Could you elaborate on this statement?

Too many times a publisher/author relationship is purely business; you profit by having your book published, we profit by selling your published book. From the beginning I never felt this was the right way to do it. Why not create a relationship beyond that, a friendship?  Both are still benefiting from the other, but there's also a deeper relationship between publisher and author. I discussed with one of our authors about her recent prom, and was able to share my own (horrifying!) prom stories. It's caring for someone as a human being, not a number on a checkbook. 

Do you have any projects and/or clients you'd like to share with us?

We are currently in the editing stage of a two-part story, aimed to be released Winter '10 or Spring '11. It's an enveloping fantasy story which paints the world across the very pages as you read. We're keeping the title under wraps right now, but a sneak peak of the book should be coming near the end of Summer.

Reuts is also working with a series of authors who are writing an anthology to be published with us. We have no release date for it yet, but it's coming soon, and from the beginning drafts of it, it's looking fantastic!

What are your hopes for Reuts Publications in the future? Expansion?

The future for Reuts right now is developing a collection to present to the public. We're new, and we can only work so fast to sift through, edit and publish quality books for our readers. I'm guessing this will take some time, and start off slow, but having five or so titles within the next five or less years is a good goal for the company. Expansion would be above and beyond what I'm looking at in this moment. We don't want to rush because we want to do everything right. Quality is better than quantity, there's no denying that.

There are critiques for and against self-publishing. What are your thoughts?

I have an appreciation for those who choose to go the self-publishing route. It takes a lot of guts, time and energy to even get to that; and you thought querying agents and publishers was hard! It's not for everyone, but it's not impossible. If you believe in your story 110% that should radiate off the screen towards your potential readers.

Today's electronic age has finally bleed into tangible books. I know there has been a lot of controversy over ebooks and readers like the Kindle. You represent ebooks. Where do you stand on price, distribution, and the percentage the publisher should receive?

Ebooks are interesting in that there has to be some sort of compensation for both the publisher and the author for all the work put into writing and publication, yet eBooks are clearly different from print books. I think a fair price would be anything under $5, and if you really think about it, any book you'd consider reading should be worth at least $5, and if not, there are other books in the sea. Ebooks are probably the easiest and the hardest to distribute in that there are venues on the internet where you can advertise and distribute for not cost at all, but reeling in your proper audience can be extremely difficult. As with most other companies, eBook publication grants the author a higher royalty percentage than does traditional print, which is how it should always be. The cost of printing is nonexistent, therefore the author should reap more of the benefits; Reuts has no problem with that. 

Ashley, thank you for all this viable information. I'm sure many readers will appreciate your perspective. 

Interested in finding out more about Reuts Publications or in submitting your work. Visit their SITE or EMAIL them with questions. Even better, leave a question in the comments and Ashley may just stop by and answer it.