MSI Press Blog

  The following excerpt comes from Porn and the Pandemic (Joshua Shea). Preface A few words about this project: This book was researched and written between May 5, 2020, and May 21, 2020 during the COVID-19 “Coronavirus” pandemic. Any events of note regarding the pandemic that took place after May 21, 2020, are not reflected in this book. All statistics within the book were accurate at the time of writing and/or publication unless otherwise noted. The challenge with statistics is getting them from an independently audited source. Potential conflicts, where obvious, are noted. Although all of the original quotations or personal profiles were compiled during the research phase of this book, names were changed when requested by participants and some details condensed. All of the participants’ validity has been independently verified. While told in the first person, with several references to my former pornography addiction, the aim of this book is to capture a snapshot of both th

  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 addresses the value of books that fit clear niches and platforms that are conduits to those niches. I am always a bit saddened and frustrated when authors of a pretty good book state in their proposal that no way is their book a niche book, that it will be of interest to everyone in the world, or millions of people, or every woman, etc., referring to a huge population base. Reaching a base that large, unless one has immense amounts of money (tens of thousands, if not more) to invest, is quite unrealistic -- and then there is the issue of creating your audience, i.e. interesting people who are not actively searching for your

  When times get tough and everyone has to look out for everyone else -- helping children, older parents, neighbors, and others, the most forgotten person is the self. Yet, taking care of the self can be the single most important thing you do in order to be able to care for all the others who need your help, regardless of your role in their lives or relationship to them. So, start out the week being good to yourself. Here are some books that can help.     Mama, do you find yourself too busy to take good care of yourself? Whatever your situation, you deserve spectacular health and wellness. With Julie M. Gentile as your personal wellness mentor, this book coaches you along your own authentic self-care path. Using 108 writing prompts and self-care practices, including yoga poses, meditations, and breathing exercises, Julie shows you practical ways to live well that only a mama modern would understand. Become the self-care goddess you truly want to be—you’re worth it! A Woman’s Guide to S

  (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's book back story features How to Stay Calm in Chaos by Julie Gentile. from the author -- Growing up, one of my dreams was to become an author. That dream came true on February 1, 2019, when my first book, 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas , was published. I didn’t know just 18 months later my second book would be born. Inspired by working full-time from home with young children logging into school online during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote How to Stay Calm in Chaos: An Everyday Self-Care Guide . Writing has always been a way for me to organize my thoughts and process my experiences. Accepting that we were living in a pandemic was no different. With the world on lockdown, I continued to persevere for myself and my children, and I did it all with the self-care foundation I built over the last several years. A daily yoga and meditation practice, journaling, and walks in nature were the reasons I was able to support myself mentally and

  Today's book back story is about Bennettt Easterling's book,   God Speaks into Darkness . From the publisher --  This book was one of 12 produced during the pandemic in answer to a call from the publisher to authors to produce a series of books to provide support to readers during the pandemic. They were to be very reasonably priced and also available in e-book versions to make them accessible to as many readers as possible. Each author who accepted the call was asked to write a pandemic-oriented book in their own specialty/genre. Easterling had written two award-winning spiritual books,  Of God, Rattlesnakes, and Okra  and  Jesus Is Still Passing By . Bennett's paperback book can also be purchased at the  MSI Press webstore  at discount. (Use FF25 for 25% discount.) Pinnacle Book Achievement Award American Book Fest Best Books FinalistA For more posts about Bennett and his book, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face B

  Today's book back story is about Bennettt Easterling's book,   God Speaks into Darkness . From the publisher --  This book was one of 12 produced during the pandemic in answer to a call from the publisher to authors to produce a series of books to provide support to readers during the pandemic. They were to be very reasonably priced and also available in e-book versions to make them accessible to as many readers as possible. Each author who accepted the call was asked to write a pandemic-oriented book in their own specialty/genre. Easterling had written two award-winning spiritual books, Of God, Rattlesnakes, and Okra and Jesus Is Still Passing By . Bennett's paperback book can also be purchased at the  MSI Press webstore  at discount. (Use FF25 for 25% discount.) Pinnacle Book Achievement Award American Book Fest Best Books FinalistA For more posts about Bennett and his book, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book

  Back Story of 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas From the author: The Story Behind the Book: How Self-Care Helped Me Achieve My Dream of Writing My First Book Julie M. Gentile It started between an inhale and an exhale on my yoga mat. My idea to write a book for other busy moms like me trying to live well was planted in the pause between both parts of the breath. I had just had my second child and had become more aware of the options busy moms had to manage their full plates. One word about being a busy mom immediately came to mind: Overwhelmed. I knew I couldn’t manage my own busy life without self-care by my side. Since becoming a yoga teacher in 2011, I was already practicing a variety of nourishing practices to feed my mind, body and soul: getting quality sleep, staying hydrated, practicing yoga, meditating, exercising, journaling, eating more plant-based foods and reading uplifting content. These practices helped me pause enough to get glimpses of how I co

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 the path of book sales from launch to later one. The question that comes up again and again is why do book sales decrease, rather than increase, after the heady days of the book launch are past? While one might think and hope that a launch is just that--a platform for moving forward, too often the book launch brings the highest levels of sales with a modest or rapid dropoff thereafter. So, what gives? Sometimes, the author has put all his/her money and efforts in one basket of eggs: the launch. Once the launch is past, so are the set-aside money, energy, interest, and plans. What now? is a frequent que