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 post looks at the relationship between book marketing plans and book sales. Specifically, book sales can be quirky, which makes it difficult to put together a book marketing plan for self-publishing authors. (Publishers usually have established plans that they apply to all books, and they only accept books that they believe they can market effectively through their established marketing plans. Let's take a look at some favorite marketing barometers and see how they really stack up. Amazon Top 100 If a book lands in the Amazon Top 100, it clearly has scads of sales, right? No, not always. Perhaps even not often. Amazon's t...

  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...

  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 ups and downs of book sales. Great one week, dead the next. Great one month, dead the next. So, what can an author do? Typically, books (no matter who publishes them) have heydays for short periods of time and incognito moments for long periods of time. For books to be seen frequently by potential readers, purchasers, and fans, they heydays need to outlive the incognito moments. Making the most of any high-ranking appearance on any Amazon bestseller list can make a difference between a long-term viable book and a short-term fizzle. When your book is in its glory moment, promote, promote, promote! I...