MSI Press Blog

  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 reviews. How do you get reviews?  How should you interpret them? How should you handle bad reviews? So, let's take each question separately. How do you get reviews? There are professional reviewers. Some will review before the book is published -- they want a 3-4 month heads-up (i.e. book in hand, with a later release date). These are highly desirable. Examples are Library Journal , School Library Journal , Foreword Reviews (the free version), and Publishers Weekly . All of them accept submissions sent directly to them. (There are also otherLs; Google them.) You can put your book up on Net...

  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 addresses the bug-a-bear of every author: the negative review. Some negative reviews are, of course, fair; some point to helpful things for revision; some may not reflect objective reality but honest opinion, and others are just plain mean. So, how should an author react? First, analyze the review -- is it honest or dishonest? (If you cannot make an objective analysis, ask a friend or colleague to analyze the review.) Then, determine a course of action, one course, of course, being to take no action at all.  The honest negative review: Are the points made valid or at least valid within an honest mindset...

  US Review of Books has recommended  Eternal Springs: Joy Found in the Book of John  by Bruce Floren. Reviewsd by USR's highly respected reviewer, Barbara Bamberger Scott, whose reviews are highly meaningful. Says Scott: "This lively theme gives current readers a sense of hope: they can and will experience new life, enjoy protection amidst worldly chaos, all while continuing to assert free will." Read the rest of the review here:  Book Reviews - The US Review of Books: Professional Book Reviews Read other posts about joy: MSI Press Blog Read other posts about happiness: MSI Press Blog Read other posts about bliss: MSI Press Blog Book Description: What if joy isn’t optional in the Christian life—but essential? For many, religion feels heavy, demanding, and joyless. Yet Jesus promised life “to the full.” In Eternal Springs, the author draws from his deeply personal journey of leaving faith behind to pursue happiness, where he ultimately discovered that true joy could...

Congratulation to Haim Omer for a very nice review of Courageous Parents by US Review of Books. According to the reviewer, " This is an extremely well-written book, offering advice that is clear, easy to understand, and well-attuned to the everyday realities of parenting. Omer provides practical suggestions on an impressive breadth of issues." Read the whole review HERE . Read more posts by and about Haim and his book HERE .

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 discusses the difficulties in getting book reviews -- from the publisher perspective and the author perspective. Sometimes, those perspectives are the same. Reference here is not to paid reviews; those are pretty easy to get -- put up your money, and back comes a review. Reference here is to unpaid, professional reviews, what every publisher wants and expects and what every author should, too. Lost in the Haystack of Pre-Publication Reviews Pre-publication reviews are hard to get because there are very few reviewers out there, and they are overwhelmed with books being sent to them. One reviewer who wanted to review one of our ...

  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 giveaways. Do they really help in obtaining book reviews and promoting your book? Let's take each question separately. Do book giveaways really help in getting book reviews? Once upon a time they did. Today is seemingly a different story. Library Thing was and likely still is a popular place for giveaways. After all, it is a beehive of book review postings. We used to give away a couple dozen copies each time a book was released. We do not do that anymore. In the past, when Tim (last name forgotten) was the head of Library Thing, a book given away was tracked; it resulted in a review, typically on LT, Amazon, and B...

  From US Review of Books book review of Passing On; Preparing for the Afterlife: "...written beautifully in the descriptions of bliss, peace, forgiveness,  joy and beauty, both on earth and what others have described in the afterlife through their NDEs. The work about how to prepare for the afterlife, such as reading, meditation, being in nature and praying, is helpful as is the Appendix with its focus on afterlife characteristics."                                                  -Carol Anderson,  U.S. Review of Books Read the rest of the book review HERE . Read more posts about Passing On HERE . Read more posts about Joanna and all her books HERE .

  Just in: US Review of Books' Review of  Pathways to Inner Peace  by Diane Dreher: " Dreher triumphs in providing an actionable, practical guide for remedying loneliness and restoring hope. This book seamlessly fuses philosophy, history, science, and spiritual wisdom from diverse traditions. In what has been aptly described as a microwave society, Dreher recommends taking time to set one's intention, engage in deep breathing, focus on the beauty of nature, reach out to loved ones, and explore different creative outlets. Through thought-provoking questions, the book encourages readers to tap into their goals, hopes, and dreams—to appreciate and nurture their relationships and engage in acts of self-love. Written in a style that is an impressive blend of scholarly text, inspirational self-help, engaging storytelling, and therapeutic journaling, this book is an insightful and beautifully unique source of healing for a hurting world." Read the full review HERE . Book Des...