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Book Review & Contest Insights from Real Reviews and Submissions

What separates great books from the rest? Below are articles with insights from real reviews and contest submissions—what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve your book. You’ll also find a wide range of articles covering writing, publishing, marketing, and more. Each article has a Comments section so you can read advice from other authors and leave your own.

Why Some Books Win Awards (And Most Don’t) — Insights From Real Contest Submissions New!

What separates award-winning books from the rest? After evaluating contest submissions across a wide range of genres, certain patterns become clear. Some books consistently rise to the top. Others, even with strong ideas and clear effort behind them, fall short. The difference is rarely dramatic—it...

What We’ve Learned From Reviewing Hundreds of Thousands of Books (And Why Most Don’t Stand Out) New!

After reviewing and evaluating books across thousands of submissions over the past two decades, certain patterns become impossible to ignore. Some books immediately stand out to reviewers. Others—even well-intentioned ones—fade into the middle or fall short. The difference is rarely luck. It comes down to...

Five Internet Marketing Books You Should Read Now

The latest books on Internet marketing depict how social media and online marketing have changed and tell you how to navigate these changes. These are the five Internet marketing books you should read today.

#1: The Social Media Side Door: How to Bypass the Gatekeepers to Gain Greater Access and Influence

Doesn’t that title get you all excited? In the book, Ian Greenleigh, a social media strategist, talks about how anyone can get through the gates that lie hidden in plain sight and gain access to business executives, innovators, thought leaders, and other people with power, fame, clout, and resources. If you’re trying to get the attention of some influential individuals and organizations to your work, this book will show you how.

#2: Jab,Jab,Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World

Here, Gary Vaynerchuk, a social media expert and New York Times best-selling author, dishes on the right way to connect with prospective customers and outplay competition. If you’re clueless about social media marketing, grab a copy of this book now. It will tell you everything you need to know. Vaynerchuk combines advice from two previous best-selling books and adds more tips on how to successfully engage customers, build relationships, organize social media campaigns, navigate different social media platforms, and knock out competitors.

#3: The Thank You Economy (Enhanced Edition)

If you’re looking for tips on how to do online marketing that doesn’t annoy, overwhelm, and put off potential clients, you have to read this book. According to bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk, the Internet gave birth to what he calls the “Thank You Economy.” Because of it, companies have changed the way they do business, reverting to business principles that give emphasis on customer relations, customer service, and individual attention instead of profit, profit, profit.

#4: W/out Their Permission: How 21st Century Will Be Made, and Not Managed

Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit.com co-founder, is only 30, yet this book, which is essentially his memoir, is chock-full of useful advice and remarkable accomplishments that would make a 60-year-old envious. In Without Their Permission, the author talks about the Internet’s power as a democratic tool for building communities, disseminating information, and developing businesses with stunning results. He shares tips, ideas, and techniques for young entrepreneurs who want to start a business, build a following, and expand their networks.

#5: Word of Mouse: 101+ Trends in How We Buy, Sell, Live, Work, and Play

Gadgets, social media networks, apps, online resources, and online marketing trends shape our world and dictate how we do business. In Word of Mouse, Marc Ostrofsky, a trend watcher and bestselling author, teaches us how to identify marketing opportunities for businesses and how to find the right tools to take advantage of them. He talks about how to deal with information overload and dishes out tips on how to utilize the world’s most effective technologies for success in business and in life.