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.  Today's topic takes a look at how a book gets into the Top 100 on Amazon, based on the experience of our press. From what we have seen, there are at least three ways to get onto this very desirable list: 1.       The first month after your book is released, hustle like crazy to get sales. It is much easier to get into the top 100 of “hot new releases” because you are only competing with other books coming out that month, not with all books available on Amazon. 2.       Concentrate your book sales into a short time period if you can. (If you are selling at a workshop, for example, or a pu...

    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...

  t 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 a couple of troubling situations  we recently encountered. In a familiar but frustrating scenario, one of our titles, listed at $16.95, was suddenly selling on Amazon for $23.25—a 37% markup. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble continued to list the book at the correct price. The author, understandably, was concerned: he wanted to email his large mailing list with a launch announcement, but linking to Amazon risked alienating readers with sticker shock. Why the price change? At the same time, we had an author whose book usually retails for $24.95 who suddenly found it selling for $10. This made it difficult for her to sell ...

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 discuss Amazon's author pages. Do you really need one? Yes! 📚 Why Every Author Needs an Amazon Author Page Not every author sets up an Amazon Author Page. Some assume it’s optional, or that their book listings speak for themselves. But skipping this step can quietly depress your visibility—and your sales. Here’s why your Author Page matters more than you think: 🔍 1. Search Algorithms Rely on It If you have an unusual name—or even a common one—the Amazon search algorithm looks for an author page match before surfacing your book. No match? The system may redirect searchers to someone else’s page. Your book becomes invisibl...