Author Services

Author Articles

Hundreds of Helpful Articles

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...

Make Reading Fun For Kids - Developing A Reading Culture.

Reading is supposed to be enjoyed. Whether it is done for research, leisure or work, one should find joy in reading. Unfortunately, this is not always the case as many see reading as a task, often done because they have to. This usually comes from the way reading is presented to us as children. Kids are often forced to read both at home and at school, making them more likely to resent reading and hold onto that resentment into their adulthood. 

There are, however, several ways you can help your child fall in love with reading.

Read To Them And Make It Fun: Make it a habit to read to your kids, and not just at bedtime. Make it enjoyable by including special voices and gestures while reading. This way, you are more likely to have their full attention.

Read With Them: When your kids learn to read, it does not mean that you stop reading to them. Read to and with them. Take turns reading different chapters of their favorite books with them.

Teach By Example: You too should read and show them that reading is a part of day-to-day life. In addition, if they ask what you are reading, don't ignore them, explain to them in a brief and appropriate way what your book is about.

Let Them Choose What To Read: By showing them that they have a say, they will feel that it is their choice to read instead of viewing it as a forced task. Select about three to five books and ask them to pick which one to read. Alternate the books on the next round to be sure you eventually get around to reading all of them.

Kids' reading activities: Let them have their friends over if possible. Whether for just a few hours or a sleepover, carve out a slot for them to read together but be sure to do so without taking away from the fun of the playdate. 

Themed Parties: For a birthday party, why not have someone embody your child's favorite character and read to them from their favorite books. Full costume, voices, setup, and everything. Make it fun.

Encourage Them To Read - Do Not Force: Whatever you do, do not force kids to read as this will only make them resent it. Kids are different from each other and some will learn to read faster than others. Do not compare them or force them to read like others. Treat each like an individual with encouragement that suits their personality and pace.

Make Reading A Ritual: Reading does not have to be done every day but make sure you have a regular schedule, for the entire family if possible. However, be sure to keep it fun by including some changes. Change where you read from so it does not get boring. If possible, you can occasionally read outdoors like at the beach or in the park, just to keep it exciting.

Read to them before they can read and then continue reading to and with them after they learn to read. But always keep it exciting.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Faridah Nassozi