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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...
The New Year’s Goal Every Self-Published Author Should Consider Adopting
The journey of a self-published author isn’t easy. I know, because I’m one myself. Over the last three years, however, I’ve learned that this one thing in particular makes the road easier, and that’s where this one goal comes in. The goal you should consider...
Are Typos in Published Books Unavoidable?
As someone who reads a lot of self-published books, I’m always surprised at the number of typos I find. They’re not necessarily on every page, nor in every book, but I’ve found many overall. You know what else I’ve discovered? Typos in traditionally published books....
Negotiating Royalties with Your Small Publisher
I've been through the grind with a small press for my first two traditionally published books. I can understand how you feel. You’ve poured your soul into your manuscript, and now you’re staring at a contract from a small publisher. The big hurdle? Royalties. They’re...
What Publishers Really Care About: The Audience-Building Secret Every Author Must Know
As an editor who’s seen countless manuscripts cross my desk, I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty: the key for writers, whether self-published or traditionally published, is building your audience. It’s not just about writing a great book—it’s about creating a community of...
Self Versus Traditional Publishing
I don’t know about you, but writing the last page of my novel always makes me feel good. I’ve accomplished something. The novel is done. It’s finished! Now I go through endless hours of proofing, editing, and more proofing. It’s frustrating because I can’t help...
The Curious Case of the Missing Illustrator
I've started to see a strange phenomenon in children's books. It's almost magical, but not in a good way. Perhaps the worst-kept secret in the publishing world is that illustrators are the real heroes of children’s literature, but for some inexplicable reason, in the world...
The Publishing Controversy of Ghostwritten Fiction
I think most of us know when we pick up a memoir written by a celebrity that they had help writing it, but when it comes to ghostwriting—which is when someone else writes a book on behalf of another person whose name appears on the...
Writers and the World of Wattpad
In the interest of full disclosure, I only hopped onto the Wattpad bandwagon about 18 months ago. I had heard of it but paid little attention to the global online storytelling behemoth that has revolutionized the way writers and readers connect. I'm pretty late to the...
Open Access and Why One of Your Books Should Be OA
Open Access (OA) has been around for ages but has usually been the domain of computer science, academia, law, and medical technology. It refers to the free availability of content online without financial or legal barriers, and in the spirit of human interest, so that...
Why An English Teacher Buddy Shouldn’t Be Your Editor
You've finished your manuscript, redrafted and polished it to the best of your ability, and now it is time for someone else to take a critical look. It’s perfectly natural to think of the people you trust—say, perhaps, your English teacher friend. Sure, they may...