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 multiple submissions. Some publishers accept; some do not. Are you required to tell? What are the advantages and disadvantages of multiple submissions? To answer the obvious question first, yes, ethically, you should tell publishers that you are making a multiple submission. Most publishers understand that authors cannot wait weeks for one publisher after another to react to their books; therefore, multiple submissions, especially for a cutting-edge book or one that might become dated, is often the most pragmatic way to go. And, of course, once a publisher accepts your book, you should immediately...

  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 rejections. How should you respond to them? To answer the obvious question first, yes, ethically, you should tell publishers that you are making a multiple submission. Most publishers understand that authors cannot wait weeks for one publisher after another to react to their books; therefore, multiple submissions, especially for a cutting-edge book or one that might become dated, is often the most pragmatic way to go. And, of course, once a publisher accepts your book, you should immediately let all other editors know that you are withdrawing the book from their consideration. That said, there a...

  Islam, like all major religions, contains multiple ways of understanding and living faith. Two of its most visible expressions — Sufism and fundamental Islam — share the same roots but differ in how they approach God, scripture, and spiritual practice. 🌿 Shared Foundations Both Sufism and fundamental Islam: Revere the Qur’an as the word of God. Follow the Prophet Muhammad as the model of faith and conduct. Emphasize submission to God (Allah) as the essence of Islam. Value community, prayer, and moral discipline . Their divergence lies not in belief, but in interpretation and emphasis . 🌙 Sufism — The Inner Path Focus: Direct, experiential union with God through love and remembrance. Method: Meditation, poetry, music, and dhikr (repetition of divine names). Goal: Purify the heart and dissolve the ego ( fana ) to experience divine presence. View of Scripture: Symbolic and mystical — verses are seen as invitations to inner transformation. Community: Organized into spiri...

  (photo by Frank Perez) 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 the publication process itself. You have a manuscript in hand, now what? There are several stages. So, let's take each stage separately. Stage One. Completion of the Manuscript You have finished writing the manuscript and have carefully proofread it, but you are NOT ready to move to Stage Two. There are a few things you need to do first. If not done, this is the stage that often dooms a manuscript never to move to Stage Two and on into becoming a book. You proofread, right? For what did you proofread? Spelling? Ran it through the spellchecker? Certain your own eyes wil...

  This week, I’d like to speak candidly about something that happened recently—and offer a bit of guidance for authors seeking publication. I received a call on my personal cell phone from a writer I didn’t know. He had found my number online and decided to reach out directly to pitch his book. Unfortunately, he caught me at a difficult moment: I was at a doctor’s office, fielding urgent calls about my daughter’s care. I answered because I was expecting medical updates. Instead, I found myself on the receiving end of a cold pitch—and when I asked the caller to send an email instead, he seemed annoyed. Let me be clear: I understand the passion and urgency that drive authors to seek a publisher. I admire that drive. But cold calling a publisher’s personal number—especially without invitation or context—is not the way to begin a professional relationship. Publishing is a collaborative process built on mutual respect, timing, and trust. That begins with honoring boundaries. So, wha...

  Excerpt from How to Argue with an Atheist , by Professor TL Brink STEP #2: Accept the limits of reason     STUDENT: Dr. Brink, is it OK for our weekly religion discussion?   BRINK: You are right on time. Any problems with what we covered last week?   STUDENT: No, like I said, I am a rational kind of person, so I have no problems accepting that I exist and that other people exist.   BRINK: And what about that people are driven by values?   STUDENT: Oh, yeh, that too is logical, but I just can't see what that has to do with religion. Humans to me are just like other animals: they exist, they have desires. So where does God fit into the picture?   BRINK: That is a few more steps down the road.   STUDENT: Must be, because what you said last time was so rational, and religion still seems irrational.   BRINK: Tell me what you mean by being rational.   STUDENT: Following the rules of reason.   BRINK: Give me an example of good, rati...