THIS PAGE IS INTENDED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE USE OF MSI PRESS AUTHORS, TO HELP WITH BOOK PRODUCTION, PROMOTION AND MARKETING. IT CONTAINS THE LATEST INFORMATION AND SUPERCEDES ANY INFORMATION THAT COMES OUT IN THE MONTHLY NOTES (NEWSLETTER FOR AUTHORS).
ACTIONS REQUIRED AND DESIRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER PUBLICATION
This CHECKLIST FOR NEWLY PUBLISHED AUTHORS covers the legal, administrative, and promotional actions that authors need to do once their book is out. Some listed actions (like Library of Congress copyright registration) are required; other are simply highly recommended.
Last update: 7-23-23
MSI Press prepares ARCs in specific cases. Sometimes, ARCs are necessary; sometimes, they are advantageous; sometimes, they are neither. Advance Review Copy explains in detail.
Last update: 5-17-23
It is critical for sales that authors be listed in Amazon’s Author Central. This is something authors must do for themselves. This author provides some guidance.
Please note that book sales reported here are from Book Scan and not from our distributor. They may (or, more likely, may not be accurate.) Please see the information on Book Scan below for greater clarification.
Last update: 7-7-23
Amazon rankings can be confusing, and, for sure, they are imprecise at determining book sales. However, they contain much useful information. The rankings at Amazon are similar to those at Barnes & Noble, so understanding one helps to understand the other. This document tries to demystify the rankings as well as provide advice on how to, potentially, achieve a better ranking for your book.
Last update: 7-7-23
AMAZON TOP 100
Yes, it is possible to get into Amazon’s top 100. We have authors who do regularly. Keeping in mind that the top 100 is relative to sales volume of other books in the same category (niche), this AMAZON TOP 100 document explains how some books are able to achieve this status and what you can do to position your book better for this elite status.
Last update: 8-3-23
AUDIOBOOK HELP
MSI Press does not contract with authors for rights to audiobooks. Some MSI Press authors have made their own, and more recently we have seen a number of audio book options come into being. Some are now available through MSI Press, as a pass-through service (permission will be needed to modify the contract in order for MSI Press to do this), and we now have a growing number of audiobooks.
Here are our current Audio Book Options.
Last update. 2-2-23
AUTHOR DISCOUNTS AND CODES
Did you forget the codes needed to get author discounts through our webstore? The AUTHOR DISCOUNTS AND CODES document lists them for quick reference, including discounts for family members, acquaintances and friends.
Last update: 3-3-23
a. There are two ways to be able to add A+ Content to your book(s):
i. On your own. You will need to have a brand registry (trademark). Some of our authors have trademarked their product(s). Most have not. However, to upload content to Amazon, you will need a trademark or a pending application. When you have your A+ content up, include that information on your web page and in your social media posts—and let us know. It will automatically show up on Amazon but not at other booksellers. We can amplify on your book page, author page, and in posts on our social media platforms.
ii. Through MSI Press. We are an Amazon Central Seller and can, in that capacity, upload A+ Content for most of our books. (I would say, “all our books,” but I do not know that for sure until we try all our books.)
BIBLETS
BIBLETS are Bookshop’s equivalent to the Amazon Look-Inside. Statistics show that more than 80% of all books are purchased by readers who been able to “look inside” first. This documents describes the nature of biblets, the process of bibletization of MSI books, and the status of individual books within the various phases of production to date. Please note that not all may be able to be bibletized (old files) or may warrant bibletization (poor sales).
Backlisted books are not eligible for bibletization because they are not distributed and therefore not available on Bookshop.
We are working on a Take-a-Peek feature for all of our books, and that will facilitate the look inside on our own website. Take-a-Peeks include front matter and first chapters and will be available for download in exchange for an email address for our mailing list.
Last update: 10-10-23
BLUE STAR BOOKS
Blue Star books are MSI Press stellar bestsellers. Being identified as a BLUE STAR BOOK has a number of benefits.
Last update: 08-08-24
BOOK AWARDS
This document contains a list of all the book awards that we know about, including information about which authors have earned each of the awards (where an MSI Press author has won one — and, surprisingly, many of these awards have been won by our authors).
This document is in progress. We still need to add some of the competitions identified n 2022 Notes. Additional competitions will be added as we become aware of them. Please check back periodically for the updated version.
Need help? Book Award Pro, of which MSI is a partner, provides free and paid assistance to MSI Press authors. The information is contained in the downloadable Book Awards document.
The MSI Press blog contains information about book awards from time to time. You can read these posts at the MSI Press blogsite.
Download BOOK AWARDS.
Last update. 5-31-23
BOOK BUB
MSI Press is a Book Bub partner.
One of the advantages to our partnership is access to a wonderful pdf file that shares Book Bub Marketing Examples.
- Looking to build a website or improve one that already exists? Book Bub has suggestions for what works best for gaining reader interest and attention.
- How about your author bio? What should go into that? Book Bub has suggestions, based on bios that have helped authors stand out.
- Social media platforms? Book Bub has suggestions for Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
Last update: 6-26-23
BOOK DISCOVERABILITY AND VISIBILITY
If no one can see your book, no one can buy your book. If no one discovers your book, no one reads your book. This document prevents a list of actions that MSI Press takes and ones that you can take to improve your BOOK DISCOVERABILITY AND VISIBILITY.
Last update: 7-24-24
BOOK PRODUCTION TIMETABLE
There are many steps in the book production process. For the most part, they are sequential. Some do not have specific deadlines, but once copyediting starts, deadlines, some of the immutable, kick in. If deadlines are missed in some cases, books will have to be rescheduled for a later release date. The BOOK PRODUCTION TIMETABLE document provides the steps and time frames from contract to post-publication promotion and marketing.
For more details about the book production process, this MSI Press blog post might help.
Last update. 3-3-23
BOOK PROMOTION – A DECISION-MAKING STRATEGY
This document provides guidance on how you might spend the three resources you have available: time, money, and energy. Authors will differ in the balance of these.
See also documents below about marketing help and guest posts.
Last update: 11-11-23
BOOK PROMOTION – AWAKING A SLEEPING BOOK
This document has a list of suggestions for what an author can do to garner book sales for a book that has slowed down in sales and gone to sleep. Books that are long in the tooth and have not had any sales for a while can be brought to life. These suggestions come from examples of actual books that have “awakened” sometimes after 5-10 years.
Last update: 11-11-23
Promoting your book in magazines can be tricky but highly effective. Some magazines want to talk about your books; others want to talk about your topic but will include information about your book. This book provides a guide to approaching magazine editors for promoting your book.
Last update: 10-17-24
A+ CONTENT
A+ Content is a promotional tool available to authors whose books are on Amazon. It helps increase the visibility of the book. This document, A+ CONTENT GUIDANCE, walks authors through the concepts, process, and eligibility requirements for A+ Content.
Last update: 11-11-24
BOOK REVIEWS
This document contains a list of book review possibilities, both pre-publication and post-publication, paid and unpaid. We will add more review possibilities as I hear about them.
The MSI Press blog contains information about book awards from time to time. You can read these posts at the MSI Press blog site.
Download BOOK REVIEWS
Last update. 2-2-23
Book Scan is a feature available at Amazon Central for authors to have a picture of their total book scales. Except, BS can be inaccurate. This document explains how and why. (Note: if you need to know your sales volume, just ask. We have a fairly current total sales number at all times.)
Since sales reflect royalties, please read this LETTER TO AUTHORS- CLARIFICATION ON BOOK SALES REPORTING AND ROYALTY PAYMENTS to better understand the relationship between Book Scan figures, actual distributor figures, and royalty calculations.
Last update: 7-7-23
BOOKSTORES
We have three documents that might help you here, depending upon what you are looking for.
ABOUT BOOKSTORES focuses on where to find bookstores.
BOOK SIGNINGS AT BOOKSTORES tells the pros and cons (and how) of setting up signings at bookstores.
GETTING BOOKSTORES TO CARRY YOUR BOOK(S) focuses on how to get your book into bookstores.
Last update. 7-14-24
COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION
Authors should register their copyright with the Library of Congress within 90 days of publication. Within weeks or months, authors will receive a certificate of registration. It is helpful for MSI Press if authors send a photocopy of that document for MSI records.
Last update. 3-3-23
DISTRIBUTION AND SALES POLICIES
For the first two years after publication, regardless of sales, books are front-listed and enjoy full distribution; they also benefit from right-of-return status. After that period, book sales must warrant maintaining these statuses. The DISTRIBUTION AND SALES POLICIES document explains the conditions for maintaining these statuses and authors’ options when the conditions are not met. The document contains three sections: right of return, consignment, and backlisting.
Last update: 10-10-23
This is a critical space for authors and their books to be in. This document provides general information.
Last update: 7-7-23
HISTORY OF MSI PRESS LLC
For those interested in history, this document, HISTORY OF MSI PRESS LLC, briefly describes the founding and evolution of MSI Press.
Last update: 9-23-23
LISTS (EMAIL, MAILING)
A mailing list is the single most effective way to sell larger quantities of your book. All authors should maintain a mailing list. Some publishers consider authors without MAILING LISTS not to be serious authors and will not publish their books.
Using this step-by-step guide, authors can build their own EMAIL LISTS.
Once the list is built, noting that a robust program to continue building is essential for successful email marketing, authors can employ a number of EMAIL PROMOTION STRATEGIES.
Last update: 09-01-24
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION
coming soon: how to finalize your manuscript before publication, ensure acceptance for quality, and speed up the copyediting process
MARKETING & PROMOTION HELP
This MARKETING ACTIVITIES document provides guidance for marketing and promotion, keeping in mind that macro (national/international/generic) activities are undertaken by the press while authors are expected to handle micro (local/topic-specific) activities. Since marketing and promotion success is limited only be imagination and depends on individual authors’ willingness to invest efforts (and the direction in which they feel they can best use their talents and connections), this document is only a starting point. However, for authors who are not marketers (most are not), it can be a good source of support.
Here is a useful resource, a free book with 50 ways to market your book for free (we already do some of those for you — check with us). Some work only for self-published authors, but most work for all authors. Getting the work out without cost is valuable for all authors.
These MSI Press blogposts about marketing can be helpful.
You might also check out these MSI Press blogposts about book promotion and, for new books about to be launched, blogposts about book launches.
Last update. 7-7-23
MARKETING OLDER BOOKS
Some of our oldest books are among our best sellers. However, other older book simply fall by the wayside, and that does not have to be. After all the effort put into writing it and, assumedly, marketing it when the book first came out, it is a shame when older books are allowed to languish in the boneyard. If you want to re-launch your older book, there are things you can do short of hiring a publicist (and yes, you could also do that if you need/want that sort of more high-powered help). MARKETING OLDER BOOKS is full of suggestions.
Last update: 08-08-24
MSI Press encourages authors to submit guest posts to its blog–and to each other’s blogs (as well as blogs of strangers, acquaintances, and friends). In this way, authors can help themselves, each other, and the press. This document explains the value of guest posts, the requirements/format, and the types compatible with MSI Press blog.
Last update: 10-13-23
PRINT ON DEMAND: NATURE, STRUCTURE, & REALIZATIONS OF POD
Authors often misunderstand what POD actually means or involves. This document looks at the important issues of what POD encompasses, covering questions about print runs, inventory, excess inventory, and more.
Last update: 11-23-23
Includes information about pre-order sales during an ARC period and those immediately prior to book release.
Last update: 5-16-23
REVERSION OF RIGHTS
The REVERSION OF RIGHTS document explains the difference between copyright and granted rights and the conditions under which rights may be reverted (returned) to authors. Timing and type of publication play roles in how rights reversion is handled, but authors always are in a position to ask to have their rights reverted.
Last update: 4-4-23
ROYALTIES
For most authors, MSI Press pays 10% on list (retail) price as royalties for paperback books and hard cover books. That generally works out to be about 50% of net. A 50% net option is available. For e-books, MSI Press pays 50% of net. Annual statements distributed in February and March provide calculations for royalties earned the preceding year.
The document, ROYALTIES: HOW AND WHEN THEY ARE CALCULATED, provides detailed information about how royalties are calculated. Authors with any concerns about
The TIMETABLE FOR PAYMENT OF ROYALTIES depends on the amount of royalties, with royalties exceeding $600 in any quarter for books by any US citizen (the IRS required reporting level) triggering a quarterly payment.
Royalties are reported to the IRS for the year in which they are paid, not the year in which they are earned.
To help you understand the significant of your sales volume, please see INTERPRETING YOUR BOOK SALES,
Last update: 11-23-23
It has been found that readers like to read a portion of a book before purchasing it. This document lists several options for readers to read a portion of MSI Press books.
Last update: 10-13-23
SOCIAL MEDIA
MSI Press maintains an active social media presence. MSI Press Social Media Posts can be found on our blog, X/Twitter, Instagram, and Face Book. We continue to explore other venus for social media, and all of our social media accounts are linked to our website, making it easy for visitors to bounce off onto one of our social media platforms to get a better feel for MSI Press and what it does.
We encourage others to find a social media platform that works for them and contribute to it regularly. Here are some thought on MAKING THE MOST OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
If you do not know where to begin with social media or your current platforn(s) is/are not seemingly effective, two documents, SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES can provide you with a system to establish a viable social media presence and to evaluate the system you have in place. SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY GUIDANCE can guide you to establishing viable goals and making reasonable choices in platform determination and use.
Last update: 11-12-24
UNDERSTANDING YOUR BOOK CONTRACT
The MSI Press blog has a series of posts about book contracts that might be helpful.
Last update 10-10-23
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