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. This week we look at advertising, particularly distributor advertising (Ingram) vs retailer advertising (Amazon). I asked AI a series of questions in order to evaluate which would be better for a small publisher, and here are the answers:    🧠  What Is Ingram iD? Ingram iD is Ingram’s advertising platform designed for publishers and authors using Lightning Source (LSI) or IngramSpark. It automates ad creation and placement across: Facebook & Instagram Google Search & Display Email newsletters  like Bookfinity and Page & Pairing You simply enter your ISBN, and their AI builds ads with copy, images, and targetin...

  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  addresses advertising, i.e. spending money on getting your book enough attention for it to soar, or at least to fly. There is no end to advertising opportunities. The question becomes then, where do you best spend your money if you have it and what do you do if you are broke. I have money. Good for you!  You have options, depending upon how much you have and want to spend. There are print-based ads that can cost a little or cost a lot. Some (but far from all) include Catalogues: Book World Dealer is one example. Book magazines: Foreword Reviews is an example. If you cannot afford a part-page ad, th...

   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 asks, very simply, what of the standard advice to authors is still viable, given the many changes in the book industry and life in general during and post-covid? Let's look at various pieces of advice that most authors have received from their publishers or from online writing sites. For books to sell, you need a lot of reviews.  Over 100 reviews is the recommended quantity. That is the classic advice. However, we have had hot-selling books that have had nearly no reviews. In those cases, there has been word of mouth "selling," in which influencers have recommended the book, book clubs hav...