MSI Press Blog

  t is Tuesday. 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. This week we look at a couple of troubling situations  we recently encountered. In a familiar but frustrating scenario, one of our titles, listed at $16.95, was suddenly selling on Amazon for $23.25—a 37% markup. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble continued to list the book at the correct price. The author, understandably, was concerned: he wanted to email his large mailing list with a launch announcement, but linking to Amazon risked alienating readers with sticker shock. Why the price change? At the same time, we had an author whose book usually retails for $24.95 who suddenly found it selling for $10. This made it difficult for her to sell ...

  As artificial intelligence becomes a more ubiquitously used -- and accepted -- tool, authors need to consider how to use the tool responsibly. Here are some guidelines that can help. 1. AI as a Tool, Not a Source AI can help brainstorm, summarize, or reframe—but it’s not an original authority. Treat AI outputs as draft material that must be verified against trusted sources before inclusion. 2. Disclosure & Transparency Many publishers now require authors to disclose AI assistance in research or drafting. Transparency protects credibility and avoids accusations of hidden reliance. 3. Fact-Checking AI Outputs AI can produce plausible but inaccurate information. Always cross-check facts with primary sources (documents, data, expert publications). Never cite AI as the source—cite the verified material it points you to. 4. Copyright & Originality AI-generated text is generally not copyrightable. If you need to use AI content verbatim, treat it as your own wr...

  Authors, especially first-time authors of non-fiction books, must and should rely on available, already published information. The question is how to handle the use of it in your own work. Yes, of course, there are guides on how to cite something (APA Manual, Chicago Manual of Style, etc.), but what you can cite is something else. How do you avoid violating copyright law and finding yourself in a big unhealthy pile of muck and perhaps even having to take your book off the shelf? Here are some basic guidelines. 1. Lyrics & Poetry Even a single line of song lyrics or poetry is usually protected. Publishers almost always require permission and payment for reproduction. Safer route: paraphrase the sentiment or describe the effect instead of quoting. 2. Books & Prose Short quotations (a few lines) may fall under fair use , especially for commentary, criticism, or scholarship. Extended excerpts (e.g., 100+ lines) almost always require permission . Rule of thumb: i...