MSI Press Blog

  GodSway  by Diana Keathley is on pre-order but will be out soon -- October 2! -- and already it has received honorable mention in two book competitions:   New York Book Festival Hollywood Book Festival Also, already, it has gather a number of 5-star ratings. Here are samples from Goodreads: #1. I love this book. In these pages you’ll read stories of how God did extraordinary things in response to a woman’s unrelenting day to day faith. I felt joy and it gave me a renewed trust and faith in a loving God that longs for an intimate relationship with us. GodSway reminds us that stories of faith need to be remembered and shared for the glory of God and the encouragement of others. #2.  This memoir was heartfelt and genuine. Diana Keathley writes candidly about her faith journey and her divine encounters along the way. I was encouraged by how she invited God into her everyday and praised His faithfulness in life's biggest blessings. If you love to read about God's Goodness and Pres

  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 is giveaways. Do they really help in obtaining book reviews and promoting your book? Let's take each question separately. Do book giveaways really help in getting book reviews? Once upon a time they did. Today is seemingly a different story. Library Thing was and likely still is a popular place for giveaways. After all, it is a beehive of book review postings. We used to give away a couple dozen copies each time a book was released. We do not do that anymore. In the past, when Tim (last name forgotten) was the head of Library Thing, a book given away was tracked; it resulted in a review, typically on LT, Amazon, and B&a

  Literary Titan says: "Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat’s Story  is a heartwarming memoir of one special cat. Readers will learn about the Catholic faith and get a unique perspective on their practices and beliefs. Cat lovers, children, Christians, and everyone who likes a feel-good story will enjoy this short book." Read the rest of the 5-star review HERE . Read more reviews HERE . For more posts about Sula and her books, click HERE . For more Caturday posts, click HERE . LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msi

" Any freshman in college who is a Christian or is looking into the Christian faith will likely benefit from working through these chapter-by-chapter reflections." US Review of Books Read the full review HERE . Read more posts about Gregory Jones and his book HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com. 

  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 book reviews. Why are they important and what they will do for you as an author. And why a lot of reviews do not turn immediately into a lot of increased sales. Why you should care about reviews : Reviews get the news out about your book. Even bad reviews can result in publicity that brings out book sales. Some bookstores (e.g., the Barnes and Noble chain) usually check out book reviews before stocking a book from an independent publisher (which is a hard-to-get agreement to begin with); in my experience, the minimum required is 25 good (4-5 stars) reviews. There are a significant number of pe

From reviewer Helen Dumont at Midwest Book Review:  Critique: With a very special appeal to readers who enjoy limericks and humorous verse. "Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters" is a lighthearted joy to read from first page to last. Written and illustrated with wit and comedic insight into human foibles, fables, and fun, "Spunky Grandmas and Other Amusing Characters" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Poetry & Humor collections. To read the rest of the review, click HERE . To read more posts about Ken and his book, including excerpts, click HRE .                                    Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

  Congratulations to Franki Bagdade for continuing wonderful reviews of her book, I Love My Children, But I Don't Always Like Them .  As a parent of two kids and also a psychologist, I have read MANY books on parenting over the years and this one is by far the absolute BEST one I have encountered. It is the perfect length - parents do not have time to read, and this one is manageable, easy to wade through and a pleasure to read. I Love My Kids But I Don't Always Like Them is a brilliant guide to parenting ALL types of children, including our more difficult ones.  Sharp, insightful and solidly based in psychological science, this book is chock full of easy-to-use practical advice, with illustrative, highly relatable and colorful examples. Reading it feels like you are sitting down over coffee with the author herself or a fellow mom (a really smart one!) Franki Bagdade really understands children AND really understands parents, helping bridge the divide between the two. This boo

  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 the bug-a-bear of every author: the negative review. Some negative reviews are, of course, fair; some point to helpful things for revision; some may not reflect objective reality but honest opinion, and others are just plain mean. So, how should an author react? First, analyze the review -- is it honest or dishonest? (If you cannot make an objective analysis, ask a friend or colleague to analyze the review.) Then, determine a course of action, one course, of course, being to take no action at all.  The honest negative review: Are the points made valid or at least valid within an honest mindset

   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

  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 the need to go after book reviews. Why do you have to go after them? Why not just let them come to you? (And maybe we should talk a little more again about why you need reviews.) Why you need reviews credibility, especially if this is your first book, you have a weak platform, and/or your name is unknown in the genre and field in which you are writing getting the word out -- word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising, but reviews generally let the brains associated with those mouths know about the existence of the book quotes for promoting the book, including for the book descripti

  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 once again addresses reviews, but from a different angle. We can all agree that reviews are important, but they are only helpful if they are available. Why, then, do some reviews over time disappear and what, if anything can you do about it? After all, it is hard enough to get reviews in the first place. So, why do reviews disappear? Sometimes, it is an accident. The Internet is expansive and sometimes clumsy. When websites update, things can accidentally disappear. Sometimes, it is part of an update. If the review is old and the blogger or whoever posted the review on his/her website updates posts to ke