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.

The Wonderful World of the Ebook: What You Need to Know

So you want to enter the world of creating ebooks for profit? Well, what you need to know is it is quite easy to become a professional writer. Creating a book on your own only relies on a little bit of creativity along with some publishing skills. In order to start making your own books you first need to select a topic.

Many readers enjoy non-fiction stories since they include various facts that people really like to read. You can write a biography about a famous person or about various facts and figures. Many talented writers also write books based on history and they often include juicy facts that people want to read. In some cases, you can even select a subject like mathematics or physics and then start from there.

Of course, you can also create a book based on fictional characters. If you are writing a novel, then consider the genre of the story and also the characters portrayed in your book. You first need to consider the protagonist and the antagonist of the story. After you have selected the main characters and you have the other members in place, then the next step is to select the background of the story, the setting and the story’s timeline. Consider the location as to where your story will take place and the various sights and sounds that are within that area. Now, create several chapters and consider looking for a twist or climax in the story. Once you have it all figured out, then you can start writing.

When it comes to writing, you will need to become a living encyclopedia. This means that the type of book you write should reflect your knowledge and ideas. Never create a book which is outside your boundaries or outside your knowledge zone. However, if you create a book outside your specialty then you must do research. A good way to create a well made book is to read various books by other writers. For instance, if you are writing a book about Abraham Lincoln then you can read some of the books written about him. There are tons of books online based on Lincoln’s life, along with several websites that can provide you with additional information about him.

On the other hand, you can also read various books based on love stories or other publications. Once you have learned more about the writing style or the setting of other books, then you will get an idea as to what type of story you will be writing. Then you will also need to look for a publishing company.


 

Read more...

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...