YOU HAVE REACHED THE RIGHT PAGE FOR:

  • contact for general information
  • prepaid/bulk orders
  • arranging to interview one of our authors
  • authors looking for a publisher/manuscript submission (MSI or SJB)
  • author au pairs:
    • guide on the side
    • production pro
    • word wizards
    • marketing express
  • affiliate status

Just scroll to reach your topic of interest.

 

Information:
info@msipress.com

 

Prepaid/bulk Orders:

MSI Press
1760-F Airline Hwy., # 203
Hollister, CA 95023
TEL/FAX (831) 886-2486
orders@msipress.com (purchase orders and queries)
order at our webstore (www.msipress.com/shop) with appropriate coupon codes

 

Want to interview one of our authors?
Contact us at info@msipress.com

 

AUTHORS LOOKING FOR A PUBLISHER

If you are currently working on a book, chances are we can help you with your publishing needs. We offer both traditional and hybrid publishing as well as author au pair assistance to writers wishing to self-publish and affiliate status to self-published authors looking for greater exposure.

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING HYBRID PUBLISHING AUTHOR
AU PAIRS		 AFFILIATE STATUS
Authors with a strong publishing history, successful sales experience, exploitable platform, and well-written manuscript that fits within the lines (topics and genres) that we publish First-time authors and authors without a strong publishing history or without a ready-made platform — or whose books do not fall within the lines that we publish. Preferred in 2025. Self-publishing authors who need production support and/or marketing guidance in an “entrée” manner. Self-published authors who feel that association with a traditional publisher will enhance the promotion of their book(s). Pass-through purchase link to Amazon or other bookseller.

 

TRADITIONAL PUBLICATION

Authors with a strong publishing history and ready-made platforms:

To submit a book proposal for traditional publishing, read our information for authors document and then, if you would like to explore working with us, fill out our book proposal template — do not omit information — and submit to editor@msipress.com.

With a few exceptions, the works of authors who have not published with us before are only accepted through our SJB division. Over time, we have found that the greatest expectations that are not backed up with the greatest prior results generally end in untenable risk for us and frustrated disappointment for the author. The book market is growing saturated, and traditional publishing is becoming less of a good place for new authors to test the waters–the waters are not often coming that far ashore now.

For excellent insight into the factors that MSI Press LLC and other publishers consider before offering a contract for traditional publication, take a few minutes to read this article from Writers’ Digest.

 

HYBRID PUBLICATION

First-time authors, authors without a strong publishing history. without a ready-made platform, with an interrupted publishing history, with the inability to put daily efforts into book promotion, or whose books do not fall within the lines that we currently publish:

To submit a book proposal to San Juan Books, our hybrid publishing division, read through the information provided in WHY PUBLISH WITH SAN JUAN BOOKS, and then, if you want to explore working with us, fill out our book proposal template — do not omit information — and submit to editor@msipress.com, noting that this is a submission for San Juan Books.

Hybrid publication is becoming more and more of a “thing” in the book industry. In fact, some book competitions and other marketing options for publishers are available almost exclusively for hybrid publications. The Library of Congress does catalogue and shelve hybrid books, and there is not the sting of self-publication (although that “sting” seems to be disappearing as tens of thousands newly self-published books appear every month).

If you have not published with us before, a proposal submitted to San Juan Books is going to get you more attention than an attempt to convince us that traditional publishing of your book is in our interest. When authors are willing to support confidence in their book with their own resources, we gain confidence in joining our resources with theirs to make the book a success, and in exchange we split revenue (50/50), which provides authors with much higher royalties than does traditional publishing, where the publisher’s sunk costs must be considered in establishing a royalty structure (typically 10% of list or 10% of net). We are also open to creative financing for those who need that kind of assistance; just ask.

With the exception of resource allocation, more control in some areas of decision-making about the book during the production process, and concurrent greater share (generally 50/50) of net revenue, MSI Press treats both its traditional books and SJB publications the same. The same label (all books are published under the MSI label; SJB books carry an additional notice (“a san juan book”) on the copyright page, website book title page, and with the LOC). The same careful editing. The same quality typesetting and graphic design. The same social media and pre-marketing support. The same support for promotional and marketing opportunities. The same old-fashioned editor support for questions (or handholding needs) that arise anytime during the lifetime of the book, including to heirs. The same access to other MSI Press authors, author opportunities (support for awards, exhibits, and the like). The same monthly communications/updates about MSI Press activities. The same inclusion on the MSI Press website and in the MSI Press webstore (as well, of course, as availability to booksellers online and local) The same frequent promotion in MSI Press social media, e-blasts to readers/librarians/bookstores, assistance with advertising (we pay for initial press releases and advertising in the distributor’s catalogue), and the same consistent support for new and marketing opportunities,

A significant advantage for SJB authors is the expectation from the beginning that we will be providing them with a significant amount of personal attention to help understand the publishing process and improve the potential of the book.

Contact editor@msipress.com.

 

AUTHOR AU PAIRS

Author au pairs hold authors’ hands through all aspects of the writing process, from concept to conclusion (whatever that might look like for you). As a self-publishing author (or self-published author setting up a small press), you will have the backing of a traditional press with 20+ years of experience producing award-winning books. We offer the following author au pair services:

Guide on the Side

This is hand-holding on steroids. The guides work on an hourly rate of $60/hour and can advise self-publishing authors on any topic related to book publishing: scope and sequence of a book (what publishers are looking for in the organization of a book), ISBN (all books need one), Library of Congress Control Number application (a nice-to-have that makes libraries more likely to purchase your book), copyright (for your book — and for the use of copyrighted texts in your book), quality of writing issues (we can do a manuscript evaluation for you as well as a copyedit through our book evaluation and editorial services; we also can refer you to a developmental editor or a ghost writer), typesetting and graphic design (we can refer, and, if schedules permit, we can often do the typesetting and graphic design through the production pro service), publishing options (and avoiding scams), wholesalers/distributors (what you need and what is required to get it), preparation of press release and marketing materials, marketing essential information (what options are out there; how to determine cost-effectiveness; and how to avoid scams); we can direct you to book award opportunities and services, audiobook services, e-book conversion or preparation services, book review opportunities (with an understanding of the relative value of each), affiliate status (where appropriate and desired), advice on website design (and referrals if desired), SEO, and much more. Coaching, advising, door opening, and moral support — that is what a good guide does.

Production Pro

We provide you with the same graphic services (typesetting and cover design) for e-book and paperback/hard cover book, watermarked pdf for use with trusted reviewers, and cover jpeg for use in advertising and elsewhere. Fee not dependent on time involved. Set fee: $1750.

Word Wizards

We provide a full range of editing, copyediting/line editing (following whichever prescribed style manual is needed), bringing your book to professionally finished status, reading for typesetting. Editing does not include developmental editing (rewriting) or ghostwriting, but we can refer you to trusted developmental editors and ghostwriters. We also provide initial press releases and submit them to the same PR distribution sites we use for our traditionally published books. Fee not dependent on time involved. Set fee for editorial services: $1200.

Marketing Express

For reasonable fees that are worked out between authors and us, we will assist with some aspects of marketing, such as eblasts ($125, includes preparation of the content), distribution of press releases ($120 includes preparation of press release and distribution to 240 PR distribution sites), submission of books for exhibitions and awards ($25 processing fee plus cost to acquire book and actual cost to file for exhibition or award competition), inclusion in our webstore ($25 annual fee; book must pass our standards requirements and inclusion does not include sales — links instead to source of sales, such as Amazon.com), and other activities for individual fees negotiated between MSI Press and individual authors.

Contact editor@msipress.com.

AFFILIATE STATUS

We will consider affiliate status for self-published authors who meet our publishing standards. At an annual fee of $25, affiliate status gives self-published authors a listing in our webstore, access to a wealth of author information at our Author Hub, and copies of a monthly newsletter that contain information about MSI Press, the book industry, and opportunities for book promotion, marketing, and awards. A pass-through link is placed in our webstore, connecting to the author’s bookseller of choice.

Contact us at info@msipress.com.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT WORKING WITH MSI PRESS LLC

Some facts and statistics

  • We accept agented and unagented books; the majority of our books have come directly from author proposals.
  • 86% of our authors hold traditional contracts with us, but the changing nature of the book industry has dictated a new emphasis on hybrid publications, beginning in 2025.
  • 14% of our authors hold hybrid contracts; we are very happy to expand the number of hybrid authors who publish with us and expect to do so, but we do hold them to the same quality-of-writing standard that we expect from all of our authors, many of whom have won more than one award for their writing; 50% of authors holding hybrid contracts also hold one or more traditional contracts with us, concluded subsequently to the publication of their hybrid books.
  • Of the proposals made to us, our acceptance rate currently ranges from 5% for traditional publication to 25%. The most common reasons for non-acceptance have to do with poor homework on the part of the author: overly optimistic representation of the potential market (i.e. the author has not done the research to provide an accurate picture), poor writing (often grammatically accurate but simply flat, not able to pull in a reader), and, in a very few cases, a misunderstanding of the publishing field (unresearched and unrealistic expectations of the book market today, the role of the publisher, and the role of the author).
  • In some cases, the book is good, but we are the wrong publisher; take a look at the lines we publish, and please do not send us novels, poetry, erotica, or other topics that you cannot find in our webstore.
  • See B. L. Ham’s book, Publishing for Smarties: Finding a Publisher, for an inside look on how acquisitions editors think. (This book has been highly recommended by MidWest Book Review.)

Basics for Manuscript Submission

  1. Multiple submissions. We accept these, reluctantly, because we know authors cannot afford to do one single submission after another and hope to see their book in print this decade. However, we will not get into a bidding war. If you have a better deal from another publisher, take it. If we know that you are making multiple submissions (ethically, you should disclose this, and there are often dead giveaways, anyway), we may ask you to come back and talk to us about publication as a San Juan Book if you do not find another publisher. (SJB is not a guarantee of acceptance. We accept about 20% of the proposals for San Juan Books, but that is more than double of our acceptance for traditional publication.)
  2. Formatting/writing specs. (Ask for our spec sheet.) We use APA style, the Harvard comma, American punctuation (punctuation inside quotations, not outside), and footnotes (rather than endnotes). We expect references to be complete (in accordance with expectations of the APA Style Manual) and websites cited to be currently available.
  3. Good writing. We require writing that uses active voice, avoids overuse of linking verbs, takes the shortest route to making a statement (hard-hitting, dramatic, not discursive and hard to follow), and focuses on what the reader needs to hear (rather than what the writer wants to hear from himself or herself).
  4. Platform. A solid platform is as important as a solid book. If you do not know what is meant by platform, do some research on your own; our book proposal template (see link above) provides some information in this regard.

Don’t quite understand the publishing process?

Check out this detailed list of stages through which our books pass in going from manuscript to widely available published book. STAGES OF BOOK PROCESSING.

 

MSI PRESS RATINGS AS A PUBLISHER