MSI Press Blog

    Today is Independent Bookstore Day. In lieu of shared posts from one author, as we typically do each day in the blog post, From the Blog Posts of MSI Press Authors, we are presenting tributes from a range of authors in support of their local independent bookstores. From Julia Aziz I adore the independent bookstores in my city of Austin, TX. When I went to BookPeople and told them about the release of Lessons of Labor, they immediately offered to host a book release party and stock my book there. I felt so supported, both as a professional and as a longtime community member. BookPeople continues to be my happy place--a space to rest, read, and discover. Julia Aziz author of  Lessons from Labor blog posts  by and about Julia Julia's blog From Franki Bagdades blog post on the topic: There is no replacement for entering a space filled with books. Running your hands over glossy covers, flipping through the pages. Hearing someone laugh behind you as they read, a child's "ooo

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 how authors can sell their books. After all, it makes no sense to put all the effort into writing a book, self-publishing it or getting it published, and then having it sit on a shelf for ever, with no opportunity for it to share its message. Unfortunately, many, if not most new authors, in our experience, never think beyond the day their book appears in print (or, in some cases, beyond their first month of book launch activities). They assume that, of course, they did the work of writing the book, and the publisher will do the work of marketing the book. It does not work that way, and marketing

  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 one that you do not see discussed very often, and it should be . Authors are always faced with the question of when to release a book. Release does not have to happen immediately. It can come after a period of putting out an Advance Review Copy (ARC). Some publishers routinely put out ARCs, but that may not be the right answer for any given author. So, let's take a look at each option. ARC  As with anything else in life, there are both upsides and downsides to producing an ARC and waiting through a 6-month or so period prior to releasing a book. Here are some of them; you might be able to think of others (or have expe

   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 asks, very simply, what of the standard advice to authors is still viable, given the many changes in the book industry and life in general during and post-covid? Let's look at various pieces of advice that most authors have received from their publishers or from online writing sites. For books to sell, you need a lot of reviews.  Over 100 reviews is the recommended quantity. That is the classic advice. However, we have had hot-selling books that have had nearly no reviews. In those cases, there has been word of mouth "selling," in which influencers have recommended the book, book clubs hav

  Diana Keathley, author of GodSway, has announced a book launch after the book's release on October 2. Diana says:  Join us on Monday evening, October 2, 2023 for coffee and dessert to celebrate the launch of  GodSway: My Anecdotes with God,  at The Studio Tulsa, 2221 E. Admiral Blvd, Tulsa, OK, 74110, 6:00-8:00pm. Mingle to the music, and enjoy a sweet treat while you savor the best coffee in T-town, courtesy of Double Shot Coffee Co. We'll have book signing, a reading from  GodSway,  time to network, and some special GodSway giveaways. Come join the fun! For more posts about Diana 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

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 publicists. Do you need one?  What can you expect from one? What should you not expect from one? How should you go about finding one?  So, let's take each question separately. Do you need a publicist? Is your book selling?  Yes. You probably do not need a publicist though in some cases a publicist can help your book sell more copies. No. Consider hiring a publicist. Is this your first book? Yes. If you have a mentor or a strong editor to guide you, you may not need a publicist. No, and feel lost about how to go about getting your book noticed. Consider hiring a publicist. Do you have a strong