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 suggest that authors can do a rudimentary analysis of their lack of sales on their own. From that, they should be able to develop plans to approach marketing and promotion more effectively. Book Reviews This is a biggie. Book reviews , more than anything else, sell books. While it is difficult to come up with a number that will make a difference--depends on the genre, number of competing books--typically, books with fewer than 50 book reviews are not selling, and 75-100 is considered by some in the industry to be critical to springboarding to "bestseller" status. So, How many reviews does your book have? If a paltry...

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 asks (and answers) I question I see underlying a number of authors' organizations posts on the Internet that do a great disservice to authors. The question: Do publishers cheat authors out of royalties? The short is that traditional publishers are honest; there is no reason not to be. Scammers are everywhere, and many would-be published authors get sucked in by being told how wonderful there book is when a traditional publisher will not take it (because it is not wonderful). Let's look first at why traditional publishers have to be honest, and then let's look at why authors question their royalties. (To set the st...

  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, the topic is one that authors often ask me about, with frustration. Why do great sales ranking on Amazon not show up as great sales? This is actually a very common situation, and there are reasons for the seeming mismatch. Amazon’s Sales Rank ≠ Sales : A book can rank in the top 100 of a niche category and still not sell a single copy that month. Category ranks are relative and can be misleading if the category itself has low traffic. Inventory Lag : If Amazon still has stock from earlier orders (especially from expanded distribution), sales may not register with your distributor until that stock is replenished. Used Book Cannibali...

  Yay! Our July Newsletter is out. For the month of July, we’re tuning into powerful ideas, standout achievements, and insights that matter for both readers and authors. Our Featured Author, Renyuan Dong, offers a compelling exploration of philosophy and modern life in  Rainstorm of Tomorrow – The Ever-Flowing Banquet of Philosophy. We’re also excited to share our latest audiobook releases—perfect for summer listening on the go. Plus, join us in celebrating several MSI authors who’ve made it into Amazon’s Top 100! And if you're an author tracking your own book's performance, don’t miss this month’s Author Tip: Why a High Amazon Rank Doesn’t Always Mean High Sales—a smart, behind-the-scenes look at how rankings really work. Get a copy of the newsletter HERE .  You can subscribe to the newsletter HERE as well as read past issues. To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount, use code FF25 at  MSI Press webstore . Want to read an MSI Press book and not have ...