MSI Press Blog

  photo by Frank Perez Because we work with first-time authors, we often receive book submissions that are clear they would have benefitted from a professional edit. Yes, we edit, but when it is clear that the task will be immense, we are not interested in taking on the book. You may not need to hire an editor if: You have professional writing experience. You have a friend or acquaintance who is an English teacher, editor, or something similar. You were the star in your college English class in short story writing, advanced composition, or the like. Most new authors can benefit from a professional editor if they can afford one. (If not, then find a friend to help.) A professional editor can give your manuscript the edge among the vast number of manuscripts received.  An editor can, of course, find your typos and grammatical errors, but so can a good computer program. If you are writing a book not because you are a writer but because you are a content specialist and want to sha...

  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 rejections. How should you respond to them? To answer the obvious question first, yes, ethically, you should tell publishers that you are making a multiple submission. Most publishers understand that authors cannot wait weeks for one publisher after another to react to their books; therefore, multiple submissions, especially for a cutting-edge book or one that might become dated, is often the most pragmatic way to go. And, of course, once a publisher accepts your book, you should immediately let all other editors know that you are withdrawing the book from their consideration. That said, there a...

  (photo by Frank Perez 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 an important understanding that many new authors do not have and that can make a huge difference in whether or not their book gets accepted--the proposal. Knowing what to put into a proposal is very important. Taking the time to write a targeted proposal will pay off in dividends. Using a one-size-fits-all proposal will not impress most acquisitions editors, even if that proposal is prepared by a consultant or specialist or sold to you by some company purporting to be very successful at getting proposals accepted by publishers. A standardized proposal will generally work ag...