MSI Press Blog

  Today's tip for parents from two talented teachers comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.   #164 Vacation Memoirs   Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising up every time we fail.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson   Here is an activity that is fun, easy, inexpensive, motivational, and rewarding for years to come. (It will help increase your child’s love of writing and writing skills as well!) Become a collector of postcards everywhere you go. Vacation spots are an obvious place to find them, but they can often be found in museums, shops (even rest stops!), and other places that people visit often. Encourage your child to write briefly about his experiences and feelings while at the place depicted on the postcard. He may also want to include notes about things to bring or do the next time he visits. He might write about the best parts of the visit or a funny thing that happened while there. You may ...

  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 a question that has repeatedly been asked of our au pair services: how do I boil my very rich and complex life down to fit into a book? Well, to do that, you need to be able and willing to weed out what does not appropriately fit into the book. (Adding in is always easier than weeding out; any successful graduate student dissertation writer will tell you that!) So, let's look at some of the guides you can use. (These are not the only ones.) Readership/audience Who do you want to read your book? Is it for your progeny? Is it for the general public? The answer will dictate the kind of narration you use and the amount ...

  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 takes a look at memoirs. Everyone, it seems, well, lots of people, have the desire to share their life story, and most assume that lots of other people will want to buy their memoir and read it. Well...the reality may not be as heartwarming and positive. According to some statistics, memoirs are among the poorest selling books. Except for perhaps some personal friends, authors without a well-known name have trouble gaining traction for their memoirs. (Who wants to read the life story of Mr. or Ms. Nobody?) Most people's stories are not unique enough to create a "wow" factor needed to get readers to pick up the...

  For those attracted by the charm of the South, check out the following MSI publications: Abandoned, neglected and beaten by a mother who really did care about her but suffered from her own demons and addictions, left with friends and relatives, as well as placed in foster homes, molested and raped on more than one occasion, including by men considered upright, the little girl who grew up to become an educator, minister, and entrepreneur learned to survive by running away again and again. This heartbreaking and heartwarming story, told with courageous frankness, reveals a deep trust in God that, in the long run, promoted an unbelievable resilience, allowing a young girl, turned young woman, to forgive those who hurt her and to reach out to all those who hurt with a message of healing and hope. For more posts by and about Gewanda and her book, click HERE . A heaping slice of old-fashioned Southern storytelling, this book gives readers a taste of genuine American life that will keep...