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 whether to seek traditional publication, self-publish, or go the hybrid route. Each of these approaches to publications has advantages and disadvantages. - Self-publish (you do everything yourself):      Pro: You can proceed immediately. You have full control over all content and design. You get all the net income.     Con: You have full control over all content and design--meaning, the book is only as good as your own professional skills (or, you can pay for professional services that a traditional publisher would provide for free). You don't know what you don't know. It wi...

\ 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's conversation addresses the topic of hybrid publishing. More specifically, when might an author consider hybrid publishing as the best option? Here are some possible answers to that question. Publishing Timeline It takes considerable time to find an agent and then to find a publisher. If there is some urgency to your need to have a book out the door, say, for example, an upcoming event in the next 8-12 months, but you want a quality, traditionally published look to your book, hybrid publishing might be your best option. Higher Royalties Typically, traditional publishers pay 8-10% on net. They need to recoup their investment. H...

  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 seems like a good time to do something we have never done before, but perhaps we should have. Perhaps we even should do it periodically. What is it? Information about San Juan Books, our hybrid publishing division, and perhaps one of the better kept secrets around, given the many ways in which San Juan Books supports authors. So, here is what you may need to know about SJB -- and, if you do not need to know it, perhaps you know someone who does! So, here is our own marketing information (for SJB). PUBLISH YOUR BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE! At MSI Press, we believe every author deserves exceptional services at a transparent, affordable rate....

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 what happens -- from what we have seen -- when authors decide to go it alone. As publishers, we've witnessed a recurring pattern when working with aspiring authors. Many talented writers approach us with manuscripts that show promise but require developmental editing or platform building before they're market-ready. While many authors appreciate professional guidance, some find it difficult to receive constructive feedback. For those authors, the self-publishing route can seem appealing, particularly with platforms like Amazon Kindle offering free publication options. Authors gain complete creative control and high...

  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 contracts -- what is a good one, what is a bad one, and what do the specialized terms actually mean? I will answer these questions in a series of posts, using, to start, our contracts, and will go through them paragraph by paragraph. Then, I will look at some other publishers' contracts for differing content. So far in this series, we have looked at paragraphs 1-7. Now we will look at paragrahs XX. At this point, it is important to know that all contracts differ, sometimes even those from the same publishing house, and numbers are not going to match. However, all contracts should have essen...