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, 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 P...

  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 talks to those who use social media and explains the importance of predictability for effectively promoting your book. Specifically, how do we know? Most-Read Posts Our most-read posts come from our regular columns; other posts may be looked it, but the statistics show us that, with some exceptions, it is the regular columns that readers looks forward to and come back to. Here are some of them: The Story behind [a particular book, a different one each time] Sundays Cancer Diary Mondays A Publisher's Conversation with Authors Tuesdays (yeah, today) Posts dedicated to achievement of high levels of foreign language proficie...

   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...