MSI Press Blog

  MSI Press has added to its collection of affiliated books, a self-published book edited by Boris Shekhtman, a prolific author of MSI Press books and books published by Cambridge University Press. Contributing authors include Dina Kupchanka (Specialized Language Training Center), Natalia Lord (Foreign Service Institute), and Svetlana Sibrina (Specialized Language Training Center).   To purchase this book on Amazon. click HERE . For more posts and Boris Shekhtman and his books, click HERE . For more posts about Dina Kupchanka, click HERE . For more posts on language learning, click HERE . To see more affiliated books and learn about affiliated status, click HRE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

For those who have been enjoying various videos produced by a range of users of Boris Shekhtman's book, How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , beloved by foreign language learners on four continents and in two dozen countries, here is yet another video: Anthony Lauder discussing the book . For mores posts on this book, click HERE . For more posts on Boris Shekhtman and his books (yes, several others), click HERE .

It is Tuesday. Time to tall turkey. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side. Today's topic  is the anatomy of a successful book. We are talking here about books by small presses, micro presses, and self-published authors. Large presses have a different sales volume and a different approach to marketing and sales not typically available to those without their big pockets. The image of a successful book is a high volume of sales from the get-go (and maybe even from pre-orders) that either steadily builds or starts big and stays there on a flat trajectory. Conversely, if a book starts slowly, stumbles, and has a long spell of poor sales, one often assumes that the book is and always will be a poor s...

  Cancer has a way of knocking down the best and the brightest, no matter the fight they put up: Rith Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell , and so many others. And this week, Madeleine Albright. Since I used to work at State Department, I saw M. Albright in action. Impressive action, I would add. For a short but impressive biography, click HERE . While she lived a long life and helped many women develop good careers in what are often male roles, one could wish that cancer had tiptoed away and not pushed her out the door. One can always wish... Unfortunately, this week we learned that another member of our family, like Carl , has been hit with a sudden and late diagnosis of Stage 4 metastatic cancer. Lord, have mercy! Not just for the people but also for the furry critters, like our Murjan and Intrepid , who died from cancer, and three other cats living with us who have survived it--so far. Finding cures will never be too soon. Finding cancer early is the key for now, and we are heartened...

  Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters , written by Ken Mogren and illustrated by Joella Goyette, is now available for pre-order at the 50% discounted sale price of $10.  Pre-order sale is available only at the MSI Press webstore. Sale will continue through release date of the book: April 30, 2022. Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters is a collection of over 100 entertaining, fictional mini stories about comical human behavior. Written in sonnet form, each of 22 chapters starts with a cartoonish illustration by Joella Goyette that introduces the theme of the stories that follow. Humorist, Ken Mogren, features grandmothers who are anything but stereotypical, as well as other folks whose behavior is best described as unconventional.

  Last Sunday, 3-20-2020, would have been the 52d anniversary for Carl and me had he not died in August. I make this post here and not Cancer Diary, although Carl died from Cancer, because Carl was an important member of the MSI Press staff from its inception in 2003 until the month before he died. He was still working on typesetting tasks on July 23, 2021 when he fell and was admitted to Stanford, then sent home on a very short 10-day hospice.  I am also including it here, on Caturday, because our cats were a very important part of Carl's life. Particularly Intrepid, who lived up to his name yet snuggled with Carl every night and, like Carl, died of cancer three years ago, resulting in a book named after him, and Murjan, shown here, who never know whether he was dog or human but certainly did not consider himself a cat, could be found at Carl's elbow every day, especially at mealtimes. He was a very polite cat and would wait his turn for food, and one could have a fairly long...

  Watch the presentation HERE . For more posts about Dr. Sabzevary, his lectures, and his book, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

Dennis Standing in the kitchen, cabinet door open, Dennis and Dad are seeking a snack. “Well, Dennis, it looks like we need to make a trip to the store soon. We are out of your favorite items.” Holding his picture communication support device, Dennis requests cookies.  Dad shows Dennis a bag of crackers and a granola bar, “No cookies, how about one of these?” Dennis repeats his request for cookies and Dad replies, “No. No cookies.” A typical snack time in Dennis’ house is usually pretty casual. Dennis may receive a package of whatever snack he wants as long as he uses his communication device to make the request. Following his training and routine, Dennis persists with his request for cookies, creating a picture sentence, “I want cookie, please.” Dad answers more firmly, “No cookies.”  Feeling confused and reprimanded, Dennis becomes agitated, screams out and stomps his foot.  Opening the cupboard wider, Dad encourages Dennis to look inside, “Look Dennis, we...

  It is Tuesday. Time to tall turkey. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side. Today's topic  is book royalties. These are sometimes negotiable, and authors certainly should not accept royalties that they do not consider fair. What, though, should they consiider? Basis of calculation. Percentage of net revenue You receive a percentage, typically 10%, but sometimes less and very occasionally more, of the book sales after all costs, including printing, promotion, catalogue and other fees, advertising, and other expenses, have been subtracted from the gross revenue. Royalties based on net revenue will be lower than those based on retail price or gross sales. This is the most common model for struc...

This picture goes with maintaining a sense of independence and trying to help out the caregiver, especially when the caregiver is a family member and the cancer patient is still living at home (pre-hospice or on hospice -- although if put on hospice, chances are the patient has progressed to the point of not being able to assist with self-care), like my husband Carl was. Carl's push toward self-care was prompted by an unwillingness to talk about death (link to earlier post) and not wanting to admit that terminally ill (not necessarily good things because we had to scramble after he died to hack his accounts to take care of matters that could have been planned for -- but not just he but we, the whole family, were choosing to focus on life, not death . So, as a tinkerer, he came up with some home adaptations that could be helpful to anyone with reduced and reducing mobility. The picture above is the way in which he used towels to assist himself in getting up from the toilet once bei...

In How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , Shekhtman suggests 7 tools that can take your language today to a much higher level tomorrow and the day after, without learning any new words or grammar. These tools teach you to make the most of what you have -- immediately. Here are the 7 tools: Show your stuff. Build your islands. Shift gears. Simplify. Embellish.  Break awar. Say what? Thousands of students around the world have proved that these tools work. Just Google them and see where all they have been used. (And Google contains only the tip of the iceberg.) Luca Lompiero says that this is a little book with a big bang. Are you learning a language? Try this book, recommended by leaders in the field, and see your language improve overnight -- then share your experiences with us! For more posts about Boris and his books, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  We received this note from Network for Animals (NFA), which is doing great work worldwide, and, now especially, in Ukraine to help abandoned, sick, and desperate animals. Perhaps there are others out there, who read Caturday posts, who would like to join us either in donating or in following the suggestions in this note from NFA. While it’s fact that making a difference and saving animals costs money and lots of it,  we are  NOT  writing today to ask for a donation .   The Ukraine conflict is one of the worst crises we have seen since World War II. As people fled the embattled country, many animals were left abandoned, terrified, injured and starving on war-torn streets. These are the smallest, voiceless victims of war, and it’s critical that we stand together as animal lovers and unite to provide as much help to these poor, innocent animals as possible. Today we are not asking for a donation, but for your help with another vital component of our work; it's ca...

  Watch the presentation HERE . For more posts about Dr. Sabzevary, his lectures, and his book, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  Recently, Dr. Kristin Wilcox, co-author with her son of  Andrew's Awesome Adventures with His ADHD Brain , was interviewed on the An ADD Woman Podcast : "Let's Talk Inattentive ADHD with Kristin Wilcox, Ph.D." For more posts about Kristin and her book, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  The TriCity Daily in New Delhi, India featured an article on MSI Press yesterday: " MSI Press Provides a Precious Opportunities for Budding Writers to Showcase Their Creativity ." Points made: MSI Press LLC gives a chance to particularly new authors with significant skills. MSI Press takes pride in the quality of their authors' writing and the originality of their books’ subject matter.  MSI Press’ hybrid publishing arm San Juan Books serves as an alternative for new authors who don’t have a well-established platform and has gained a reputation for taking chances on authors who might not be supported by other publishers.  MSI Press LLC books have won many awards at the gold, silver, bronze, honorable mention, and legacy levels.  MSI Press’ books are sold all over the world. Read the entire article for more details. For posts about MSI Press in the news, click HERE . Visit MSI Press on Wikitia .

  It is Tuesday. Time to tall turkey. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side. Today's topic  is book consignment. It is a valuable tool for book distribution that few authors know about. Most authors, especially new ones, assume that the distributor will place their books on bookstore shelves, and they (the authors) will sit back and collect royalties through their publisher. Yes, it works that way, but quite poorly for authors without wide name recognition, and many stores will simply not shelve their books. However, they might be willing to take books on consignment; this is when you place books in the store with the understanding that payment will be made when all the books are sold, and if...

  By the time, Carl was diagnosed, his cancer was metastized to his liver, lungs, bones, and upper stomach. After many biopsies and scans, the primary could not be found, and the cancer was officially labeled Cancer of Unknown Primary . Impaired Mobility: harder and harder to walk and climb stairs     We associated this with worsening of gout, which had been present for more than a decade     This could have been due as well to cancer-related hypercalcemia and bone cancer Frequent urination     We associated this with normal aging     This could have been related to  prostate cancer (not the case with Carl but the case with many) Pain in the side     We associated this with a gallbladder attack; it appeared similar to what our daughter, who had her gallbladder removed, had gone through.     We did not know that this same kind of pain is diagnostic of liver cancer. Frequent dozing off while working on the com...

Luca Lampariello explains how to use Shekhtman's islands ( How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately ) in this short, well-explained, captivating  Youtube video . For more posts about Boris Shekhtman and his books, click  HERE . 25% discount available on this book at  www.msipress.con/shop  with code FF25.

With the current freezing conditions and the increased bombing, the situation in Ukraine is becoming more dire, but the  Network for Animals  continues to feed abandoned animals, support shelters, and help the injured. It must be heartbreaking and gut-wrenching to have to leave a pet behind; knowing that care is being given by NFA has to be just a little reassuring. But NFA cannot take care of all those wonderful critters without help, especially monetary assistance. At its website, click on the video icon to listen to the director's appeal and get an auditory and visual update on what is happening, what help is being given, and what help is needed. There continues to be grave concern that at some point the supply chain will be cut off, so a major effort is being made to gather in as many supplies as possible now. Even just a few dollars can help. All too often, when humanitarian aid is gathered for people, the animals are forgotten. Both people and animals need help. Please c...