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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...

Thinking of Becoming a Digital Nomad? Read This Before You Leap (Part 1 of 2)

Becoming a digital nomad is all the rave, especially for millennials and people who are tired of being confined inside a cubicle for eight hours. If you look at your social media feed, you could swoon in envy watching your friends working on their laptops on a secluded beach or on a serene mountaintop. Everyone wants freedom and flexibility at work. You’re reading this because you are considering becoming a digital nomad. Before you quit your job in exchange for more freedom, read on first to see if you are ready for digital nomadism.

A digital nomad is a remote worker who is location independent and has control of his work schedule. Digital nomads use technology to communicate with clients or while running their own business. This work trend became increasingly popular with the emergence of the internet, as it has enabled people to reach others worldwide through portable gadgets.

Digital nomads can work anywhere--cafes, co-work spaces, libraries, and any place with access to wi-fi. What lures many professionals to get into this lifestyle is the prospect of travel while working at the same time. A huge percentage of digital nomads are writers who earn a decent passive income from managing a blog or website, freelance writing or authoring self-published books. 

Moreover, many people do not see themselves working nine-to-five for the rest of their lives. At some point, they plan to become independent and take charge of their professional affairs. Many find the traditional office model as not conducive to learning and professional growth. Throw in the snarky bosses and annoying co-workers. Digital nomadism eliminates office politics.

Why not embrace the digital nomad lifestyle? We all want to be in control, but we still have to consider many factors before jumping into the nomadic lifestyle. The first step in taking control is to make sure that you are in control of yourself. Browse through these questions and see if you are ready to become a nomadic writer.

1. Do you have debts and outstanding expenditures?

How can you travel and work when you are up to your neck in credit card expenses and other debts? You are paying for stuff you purchased on installment and you have loans to pay. You won’t find the beach or the mountaintop relaxing if a pile of debts keeps reminding you to pay.

Deal with your unnecessary expenses. Cut your credit card debt and loan payments. Find a way to control your compulsive buying. Bear in mind that you cannot expect long-term happiness to yield from material things.

2. Do you have a reliable passive income?

A nomadic lifestyle for writers can also be demanding. Wandering about doesn’t mean you won’t be spending for your essential needs. Writers who chose the nomadic path have worked on generating a passive income over the years to accumulate earnings that would prove handy if they decide to become independent someday. 

The internet provides plenty of passive income opportunities for writers. Just Google “passive income for writers” and you won’t be disappointed. Taking action is entirely up to you.

 

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Vincent Dublado