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's conversation addresses the fate of older books. Is it possible to bring them back into the world of active books? Sure - and, it depends.  Some of our oldest books are among our best sellers. However, other older book simply fall by the wayside, and that does not have to be. After all the effort put into writing it and, assumedly, marketing it when the book first came out, it is a shame when older books are allowed to languish in the boneyard. Here are some CPR strategies authors have used. Do  something , anything. If you forget your book, it is likely others will, too, and new folks will not find out about it. So, whatever

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's conversation takes another look at the question of sales. This time, we attempt to answer the question that accompanies an unpleasant experience that many authors have: Why are sales from my book dropping off so radically? There are always ups and downs in book sales. Some are natural. Others are the result of the times. Yet others are the result of the times in the author's life, interest, and commitment The "First" Effect The first month after book release is almost always the best for any author. That is the time that specific book launch activities take place. That is when friends and relatives jump in to buy.

  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 how book marketing has changed over time--and especially recently. What used to be effective is not now effective and what is now effective is new to many authors and small publishers. The shift means new skills, and it also means financial investments in new ways, though there is some good news in there. While not all authors and presses will have the same experiences, here we share the experiences that have accrued to MSI Press over the last 21 years. Bulk Mail In the 1990s, this was a staple--and a pretty good source for revenue--for the small press arm of American Global Studies Institute. (This pre-dates MSI Press,

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.  Once again, we pick up the topic of book marketing and social media. If, as  Lisa Angle contends, "Connection is the new world of marketing," then the question arises as to how to make social marketing more effective. What are the best do's and don't's? How can social media marketing time be best spent? Start with understanding what drives social media marketing effectiveness Readers who are likely to buy books typically are looking for that connection to the author that Lisa Angle has pointed out. Publishers can help with this, but authors must initiate and maintain this. Readers are likely to buy books from authors they