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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...

How to Write an Autobiography and Why You Should - Part 2

Why You Should Write an Autobiography

So many stories have gone untold; others become distorted with time when told by different people. This brings us to one of the most obvious reasons why people write autobiographies. Simply put, they want to tell their story from their own point of view. Writing an autobiography, however, demands that a person write a factual account of their lives. Exaggerations should be avoided at all costs. As you write, you get to include all the aspects of different events that have occurred in your life, your opinion of them, and what you felt as you lived through them. This will give the autobiography an aspect of comprehensiveness and adds to the richness of the storyline.

Another great advantage to writing your autobiography is that you get to leave a legacy. Your family can look into your life and be inspired by your story. It gives them an opportunity to learn from you and also build on your success. Consider the times you felt discouraged and thought that you would never manage to succeed. Those dark days that preceded your triumph, the tears that you shed while praying for a way out, the last thread of hope you clung to. Then, finally, the breakthrough happened, sending you into pure bliss after a long, dreary wait. Now, you can preserve such moments on paper. Other people can benefit from reading about the impactful times that have taken place in your life. 

Looking back into our past also helps us to define and plan our future. Without considering the past and where we have come from, we could be lost in life, not knowing our purpose and where we are headed. As you write the autobiography, you get to really think about past events and how they have shaped you. This helps you focus on what’s most important in life. It also creates a sense of gratitude in you. You remember those who really inspired you and invested in you, and how much they changed the course of your life.

Writing an autobiography helps you translate precious memories and make them timeless. Think of the beautiful moments that you have experienced. The kind of moments you would never have wanted to end. Some are so splendid that you cannot help but share them with the world. The kind of memories we share to inspire and encourage others. Well, writing a book and incorporating these delightful times is one way of ensuring they are never forgotten.

Still, many people opt out of writing their own accounts as they believe their lives are just ordinary and not many would be interested in reading their book. This is quite untrue. Many autobiographies I have read are written by ordinary people who live pretty normal lives. You only have to be sincere and write in an engaging way. Many readers are interested in stories in which they can relate to the author. Authenticity and simplicity sometimes turn the most mundane stories into masterpieces.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Edith Wairimu