MSI Press Blog

  Women have shaped publishing far longer than most people realize. From early feminist and small‑press pioneers of the 1960s–1980s—who built “a feisty counterculture” of women‑run presses during the mimeograph revolution—to the global network of women’s presses founded during second‑wave feminism, women have steadily expanded their influence in every corner of the industry. Today, women make up 79% of publishing employees and now publish more books than men, a dramatic rise from just 20% in the 1970s. But the story goes deeper: many of the small, mission‑driven presses that anchor today’s nonfiction and niche‑topic landscape were founded by women, often with a commitment to community, clarity, and author dignity. MSI Press fits naturally into that lineage—steady, independent, values‑driven, and woman‑owned. This long arc—from grassroots presses to industry leadership—shows how women not only entered publishing but transformed it, opening doors for diverse voices and reshaping the ...

  Today's shares blog post comes from Julia Aziz, author of  Lessons of Labor . From Julia: Another round of women's circles (online support group and more) are now forming. She writes: Release & Empower is designed for women who are often attending to other people’s needs. We are all helpers in some way, whether that happens as mental health professionals, healthcare or wellness practitioners, moms, elder caregivers, teachers, or go-to friends. Everyone is used to giving a lot of themselves, and most really crave some space to receive. If this sounds like you, maybe you’re also wanting to: Release negative emotions and shift into a more relaxed, centered way of being regardless of what’s going on around you Feel strong enough to make courageous choices and clear about your next steps Be able to set healthy boundaries and feel heart-centered and balanced in your relationships and responsibilities Appreciate your life and know you are not only good enough, but really worth ...

  Today's shared post comes from Marti Wells-Smith ( Lamentations of the Heart ); she writes about Women of Wisdom . Check it out! For other posts about women and women's issues, click HERE . For other posts about Marti and her book, click 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.  Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our  Authors' Pages .

  March is Women's History Month. We celebrate by recommending the following books for women. Order from our webstore and get a 25% discount with coupon code FF25.             108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas (Julie Gentile) Are you too busy for self-care? From a one-minute meditation to building a routine you love to wake up to, this quick read and everyday self-care resource gives you the energy to live a mindful, more nourished life by taking good care of yourself. With Julie M. Gentile, award-winning author, yoga teacher and Millennial mom, as your guide, you'll give birth to your highest self through self-care.  Book Excellence Awards Finalist IPPY Living Now Bronze Medal Read more posts about this book HERE . A Woman's Guide to Self-Nurturing (Joanna Romer) A Woman's Guide to Self-Nurturing offers a new perspective on how to comfort yourself while bolstering self-esteem. Using Bible stories as well as creative techniques fo...

  Bertha Cooper is a speaker par excellence. She has spoken to many groups and continues to speak to them. Her most recent presentations have been about each of her books, sponsored by the Soroptimist International of Sequim this past month:    One of our favorite presentations by Bertha here at MSI Press was recorded on Youtube by Norwester Rotary. Listen...you will get really good advice (along with information and insights that you might first encounter here). HERE is the link. For more posts about Bertha and her books, click HERE . For more books on aging, click HERE .

  The Scheheradaze  Foundation is auctioning items, each of which is accompanied by a story. The purpose of the auction is to help Afghan girls and other girls around the world. The stories are an added benefit to the items.  Here is what the organization says about the auction and the need for funding: Women and girls around the world urgently need the help of The Scheherazade Foundation. Thanks to recent crowdfunding campaigns, we're now paying for orphan girls' education in  Taliban-controlled Afghanistan , launching a 'camel library' in Baluchistan, and are working on a major and exciting new initiative for Arabia: the SF All-Female  Empty Quarter Expedition .  Click HERE for details and information about the foundation, the auction, and the stories, but hurry. The auction ends soon!

  Congratulations to MSI Press author Bertha Cooper on her book, Women, We're Only Old Once, being selected for the Phoenix Award (Best New Voice) in the category of Health and Fitness. For more posts about Bertha and her book, click HERE .

  Wishing all women a happy March 8th! Scientists, teachers, truck drivers -- whatever the profession. Mothers, sisters, wives, daughters. Among our publications are many just for women. Here are some of them, with links to more information: 57 Steps to Paradise 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas Girl, You Got This! A Woman's Guide to Self-Nurturing How to Be a Good Mommy When You're Sick Lamentations of the Heart Lessons of Labor Mommy Poisoned Our House Guest Widow: A Survival Guide for the First Year Widow: How to Survive and Thrive Your 2d, 3rd, and 4th Year Women, We're Only Old Once

  Book excerpt: Self-Nurturing or Entertainment We all like to be entertained. The trouble is, sometimes entertainment isn’t as satisfying as we think it should be. The reason for this is because, instead of nurturing us in some way, the entertainment drains us, even makes us feel bad about ourselves. What kind of entertainment does this, and how can we avoid it? A little bit of forethought will usually do the trick. Take movies for example: perhaps we are assiduous in our efforts to avoid violence in films—we just don’t like it. But many of the movies out today contain violence, whether we like it or not. (This was explained clearly on the PBS special “Makers”: most movies, it seems are geared for men, and men, according to this special, like to see something being blown up or somebody getting shot.) So suppose you’re going to a movie with a man—husband, brother, male friend—and he is gravitating toward a really violent flick, while you’d like to see something like “The 100 Fo...