MSI Press Blog

  It 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.  Today's topic look at finding a publisher from a different perspective, not the one that advises authors how to prepare proposals and cold-approach editors. This approach, well-done, can work. That is often, however, not how a publisher is found. Sometimes, it is through serendipity. More often than not, it happens through networking. A few examples should be enough to illustrate the principle. Attending a conference, meeting a publisher     This is probably the most traditional "warm approach" way to land a contract. If you are hoping to impress a publisher at a conference, come prepared. Know why you would like to publish wi...

  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 popped up because I received three book proposals that were very easy and quick to turn down. Although perhaps some editors might not have responded at all, I do like to get back to authors who submit proposals. Often, if a book is almost viable, just needs some tweaking, I might give some suggestions for improvement. (Not all authors take these suggestions kindly, but in those cases, I consider nasty responses evidence that I made the right decision in rejecting the manuscript; I would not want to work with such an author.) In today's cases, I was presented with proposals for novels. That is an easy...

  While helping a first-time author, I quite coincidentally came across an old 5-star review for Publishing for Smarties: How to Find a Publisher on Amazon. Review from Amazon: Van W. Wolverton 5.0 out of 5 stars  Kickstart your book’s journey to the marketplace Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2014 Verified Purchase The path from “I’m going to write a book about that” to seeing your work in print (whether on paper or screen) is winding, sometimes steep, and sports more than a few hidden potholes. Here’s your shortcut past some of those first blind curves and potholes, a detailed and thorough guide to the various ways you can usher your creation from your computer into the marketplace. “Publishing for Smarties: Finding a Publisher” guides you through understanding the pros and cons of all the current publishing techniques, from the traditional publishing house that takes your manuscript and does as much or as little as it believes necessary to make it market-worthy—whi...

  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 about reviews. How do you get reviews?  How should you interpret them? How should you handle bad reviews? So, let's take each question separately. How do you get reviews? There are professional reviewers. Some will review before the book is published -- they want a 3-4 month heads-up (i.e. book in hand, with a later release date). These are highly desirable. Examples are Library Journal , School Library Journal , Foreword Reviews (the free version), and Publishers Weekly . All of them accept submissions sent directly to them. (There are also otherLs; Google them.) You can put your book up on Net...

  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 about whether to seek traditional publication, self-publish, or go the hybrid route. Each of these approaches to publications has advantages and disadvantages. - Self-publish (you do everything yourself):      Pro: You can proceed immediately. You have full control over all content and design. You get all the net income.     Con: You have full control over all content and design--meaning, the book is only as good as your own professional skills (or, you can pay for professional services that a traditional publisher would provide for free). You don't know what you don't know. It wi...

Sometimes a book title flies into an author's mind, and from there begins the writing of a story or  a book. More often, though, an author agonizes over the title of a book, and that agony can slow down or even preclude the writing of the book. Does not having a title mean not having a book? No. Just put nearly anything as a working title (only because you will need to file your documents under some title), and write the book. Focus on the theme of the book and the goal that you want to reach. Why are you writing the book? Let the words for that play out in your story. What is the story about? Develop it. Who are the characters? Develop them. What is the takeaway you want for readers? Make sure that is clear. Along the way, the title will likely become obvious. If it does not, stay with your working title. Make it short (less than 8 words). Make it clearly connected with the theme/message of your book. Make it your 8-second elevator speech about the book. Then, send ...