MSI Press Blog

  The Humble Pencil: A Writer’s Timeless Companion On this day in 1857, Hyman Lipman changed the way we write and revise by patenting the first pencil with an attached eraser. Nearly 200 years later, in an era of digital tools, voice-to-text software, and AI-generated prose, the simple pencil remains a steadfast ally for writers, editors, and creative minds. Despite the convenience of modern technology, there’s something uniquely satisfying about the tactile experience of a pencil gliding across a page. Unlike the unyielding permanence of ink or the cold efficiency of a keyboard, a pencil embodies the creative process itself—imperfect, adaptable, and always open to revision. For writers, a pencil isn’t just a tool—it’s a philosophy. It reminds us that mistakes aren’t failures but stepping stones. It gives us permission to erase, rethink, and refine. The whisper of graphite against paper is a quiet act of creation, a tangible connection between thought and expression. Editors, too, ...

  Just released on pre-order: The Book That (Almost) Got Me Fired: How I (Barely) Survived a Year in Corporate American (Kelly James). Released date is June 15, 2024. Also in e-book format . The MSI Press webstore offers a 25% discount on pre-orders. Use coupon code FF25.                                       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 reques...

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 About factors that lead to book success (or note). Factos include pre-publication efforts and post-publication efforts. From the time you decide to write a book, factors that pre-date publication are as important as those that post-date publication--and unlike what all too many authors expect, factors that post-date publication are critical. Pre-publication: Writing is the easy part; revising is the hard part. Some authors think that once the last word is on paper, they are done. In reality, the last word is just the beginning of producing the manuscript that will become the book. Revision includes reviewing the concepts--i...

  Happy International Women's Day ! We are taking a different approach today because it is International Women's Day. So, it seems natural to look at the process of women writing books for women, using some examples from our onw publications. Of course, there are no limits to the topics that women are interested in. The range really is as broad as for men. However, there are some books that zone in on areas experienced principally or exclusively by women and sell nearly exclusively to women. Is it worth writing such narrow-niche books? Based on sales, the answer appears to be yes, and don't forget that women make up over half of the world's population, so the unanalyzed market is large. While the topics that women can and do write about for each other are many, the ones we have focused on at our press and that seem to resonate with a large enough part of the population are: aging, health & fitness, and life events. AGING Aging happens to all of us, and it would seem...

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 how you get an acquisition editor to consider your proposal serious. Most have only a few minutes to look at each cover letter/proposal. Will yours get more than a curosry glance?  So, let's look at each item in an authorial contact. The proposal If a publisher has guidelines for the proposal, follow them. Don't assume you know better than the publisher what the publisher needs or should publish. Our submission guidelines  are at our website.  All the categories are important to us (and to any publisher who provides guidelines). If some are missing, we will ask the aut...

How long does it take to write a good book? Tony Overbay, author of He's a Porn Addict...Now What? An Expert and a Former Addict Answer Your Questions , relates his 15-year journey into the writing of his book. Read all the details on his FaceBook post here .

Ever wish you could have someone guide you personally through the jungle of moving from idea to manuscript to published book? Now you can! Starting September 2, MSI Press is offering a 10-week highly personalized interactive online course, Authoring 101. Only 10 spots available. Sign up now to ensure yourself a spot.Click HERE to enroll. TOPICS Week 1. Shaping a though, idea, or experience into a viable book concept Discusson hour: evalaution of ideas (existence of niche, narrow enough focus) Week 2. Everything is story – what is your story/message Discussion hour; sharing stories Week 3. Starting your book –  outline, “research,” and theme Discussion hour: when.how/if “research” is needed (even for memoirs), is your outline manageable, is your them classic enough to sell & does it reflect your “message” Week 4: Table of Contents – organizing your research or experience into “story” Discussion hour: sharing of TOCs, do they reflect the theme,...

For struggling writers (struggling to write, struggling to get published, struggling to sell books), this article, published last year after Joanna Charnas's second book came out, is a gem. (link: https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/how-my-dream-came-true-but-then-i-lost-my-mind-the-psychodynamics-of-being-a-new-author/) sanfranciscobookreview.com/how-my-dream-c…

For struggling writers (struggling to write, struggling to get published, struggling to sell books), this article, published last year after Joanna Charnas's second book came out is a gem. (link: https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/how-my-dream-came-true-but-then-i-lost-my-mind-the-psychodynamics-of-being-a-new-author/) sanfranciscobookreview.com/how-my-dream-c…