MSI Press Blog

  Authors frequently confuse LIST and NET and, in this way, end up with contracts that pay lower royalties when they believe that they are getting a good deal. Often, they cannot negotiate in ways that benefit themselves because they do not understand this difference and its significance. Let's break this down. List refers to the retail price of the book. Payment on list means a percentage of the retail price of the book. If royalties are 8% of list (5-8% is typical), then on a $10 book, royalties would be 80 cents; if they are 10%, royalties are $1, on every book sold. Easy to calculate, easy to predict income, and always standardized, no surprises or overestimations. Net refers to what is leftover after expenses. Gross revenue gets adjusted by a number of expenses: printing costs, printer set-up fees, shipping costs, handling fees, distributor percentage of sales (typically, 40%-55% per book), distributors' initial and continuing catalogue listing costs (without which online ...

Following up on last week's post about the categories of book awards and how they affect ROI, this Tuesday we look at the most useful category for small press authors: the minor awards. (The major awards, such as the Pulitzer are generally not a realistic goal for first-time authors, authors without name recognition, and authors whose books have not soared quickly onto the NYT Bestseller lists .)  📊 Why Minor Book Awards Don’t Drive Big Sales Audience Reach : Minor awards don’t have the media amplification or bookstore promotion that major awards do. Their announcements stay within publishing circles rather than reaching the general public. Discoverability Limits : Even with a gold seal, most readers don’t browse Amazon or bookstores by award category. They buy based on recommendations, reviews, or visibility in mainstream outlets. Marketing Dependency : The award itself doesn’t sell books — it’s how the author/publisher leverages it. Without a campaign (press releases, socia...

Authors often ask: Do awards really matter for my book’s success? The answer is yes — but not all awards carry the same weight. For nonfiction, it’s helpful to think of awards in three categories: major, minor (competitive), and less-competitive. Each plays a different role in ROI (return on investment), both financially and in terms of credibility. 📚 Major Awards (Transformative ROI) These are the prizes that can catapult a nonfiction book into bestseller status and secure long-term influence. They attract mainstream media coverage, bookstore promotion, and institutional adoption. Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, History) National Book Award (Nonfiction) National Book Critics Circle Award (Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir) PEN America Literary Awards (Nonfiction categories) Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Nonfiction) Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Nonfiction categories) 👉 ROI impact : Immediate financial spike, sustained visibility, and enduring cultural influen...