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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...
Is Partnership Publishing the Way Forward?
Most writers will think first before they partner with a publishing company. Partnering with a publishing house can be good for a writer’s career, especially for novice writers. However, choosing the wrong publishing company can lead to nasty results. So, is partnership publishing the way forward? This is just one of the questions that most writers ask before they share their works with the world. Before you go and find yourself a partner, you should first know how to evaluate a publisher. Evaluating your partner will enable you to choose the best one while at the same time it will prevent you from spending too much.
So, is partnership publishing the way forward or should we choose another one? Let us start by evaluating your partner. One of the things that you need to consider is the cover appeal for their works. Despite what a famous axiom states, you should consider judging a book by its cover, especially when you are in the literary game. If a book has an unattractive cover then it might as well just be left on a shelf. Your partner should be able to provide you with the best cover for your work.
Is partnership publishing the way forward when it comes to content? This is another question that you need to answer when choosing a publishing company. Look at the books that your publishing house has published before. Skim through a few chapters and see how they are written. If the book makes you sleepy and the pages are unappealing to your taste, then you might want to look for another publishing group. Along with the types of books that they publish, you should also check on their management styles. Most partners in the literary game are strict. They will require you to hand over a manuscript in just a couple of weeks. They will also require you to do things just for the sake of the book. If you will be handling this type of publisher then it is actually better for you to look for another company.
Is partnership publishing the way forward when it comes to attraction? Your partner will also be the one who will be handling all the advertising and the marketing efforts. While you are writing your manuscript, your partner will be the one to handle the place where your books will be sold. He will also be the one to handle any additional requirements, such as added bonuses for those who will be purchasing your work.
If you want to know more about your publishing partner then you should also check their credentials. Look for the history of the company, how long it has been operating, how many writers they have or if they have already been awarded by the literary community. You should be careful when you choose your partner so that you are able to protect your career.