When I started Grey Gecko Press, I wanted it to be a resource for authors like myself who knew about the industry and were, quite frankly, fed up. A haven, if you will, for authors who wanted something new, something better. A place where authors thrived and are respected and made a part of the process.

We succeeded. In just over a year of full operations, Grey Gecko has published 14 full-length titles and 13 short stories in 10 different genres, all with the direct input of their creators, artists, and editors. Through long nights and longer weekends, the Geckos have built a company that’s earning praise and acclaim throughout the industry and with readers worldwide.

But we’re still a small press, and that means we have limited resources. We don’t have hundreds of employees, or even fifty. We have a few dedicated folks who love books, readers, and stories, and we’re all working hard to make sure that this dream we all share succeeds in the long-term. And part of that is knowing when we’ve reached the limit of the resources at our disposal.

We currently have over 340 submissions in our slushpile. That may not seem like a lot, but when you’re talking about just a few people reading and reviewing them, it becomes somewhat daunting, not to mention time-consuming. We all have other responsibilities, too, such as conventions, marketing, layouts, editing, and somewhere in there finding time to have lives outside of work.

This is why we’ve decided to temporarily close submissions. Not because we stopped wanting to hear from new authors, or don’t want to look at more manuscripts, but rather because we do want both of those things… but we want to do them the right way. Which is not to make authors wait 9 months to a year to hear back from us, with that delay only getting longer and longer as the submissions pile up. So we’re going to go through our slushpile, get answers to those who’ve been waiting so patiently, and make sure we treat everyone the way we’d want to be treated: we’re putting authors first. That is a core tenet of our business. Heck, it’s our motto! But we can’t do that if we’re always falling further behind.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, though, and you can help us get there faster: it’s called the Slushpile Reader Program. It’s free to apply for the program, and once accepted, there’s no cost involved. You get to read unedited manuscripts and vote on them, helping us choose the next bestseller! In return, you’ll receive some nifty swag for your votes on books we ultimately publish. So make sure to check out this great program.

I expect that we’ll open submissions again this fall, but that could be sooner if we get some more readers in the SRP. Rest assured, I’ll be here to let you know when we’re throwing the doors back open – and I can’t wait to read your work!

 

Jason Aydelotte

Chief Gecko