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...

How To Attract The Right Reviewer

When an author publishes books offered to a worldwide readership via Amazon or any of the other platforms, he/she writes the best description possible with one aim; to attract purchasers. Sales, or page reads, are everything, whether the author simply wants to share a story or...

How To Keep A Positive Mindset

  More often than not it is human instinct to take the simple and easiest option in life. To strive in the world of creativity takes a lot of hard work, and self-motivation. You also have to exude confidence in your ability. To have the confidence...

Small Steps To Realise Your Dream

I have always dreamed of creating a book filled with my poetry, but I only had a few poems that I felt were good enough to show others.I didn't think it was feasible to make a book out of them, so I never pursued the...

Inspirational Places To Visit

If you are a writer or simply a lover of literature, then where better to visit than the childhood home of your favourite writer. You can walk in their footsteps and get a sense of their lives. Here are my top places to visit around the...

How To Build A Valuable Network

As discussed in an earlier article, networking is a great way to meet new people who share your passion for writing. They can be a source of inspiration and support when your creativity hits a brick wall. Here I look at ways you can prepare...

Networking For The Introvert Part 2

If you’re a writer, the truth is you need a network or connections in the industry in which you intend to make a career. Networking isn’t a recent phenomenon either. From the dawn of time people have been networking and making helpful contacts in their...

Networking For The Introvert

Networking, when I first started, was a horrific prospect. Although I am far from introverted, the thought of ‘blowing my own trumpet’ was something that was quite alien. I think modesty is a normal character trait for most of us, so going out there and...

Why Should Writers Blog?

Modern life seems to require that we include social media as part of our daily routine. And many would argue that if you are a writer and don’t have a social media presence, then you have no presence at all. And by presence they mean...

Fifty Shades of Naughty: The Explosion of Erotica

Erotica. The word has been around for a long time and conjures up naughty, lustful images of debasement, debauchery and a whole lotta sex. Until recently, the term was used only in hushed undertones, whispered among women. Books on the subject were usually found hidden...

Famous Fictional Girl Sleuths: Nancy vs. Trixie

Many women readers of today will have fond memories of locking themselves into their bedrooms as young teens, voraciously consuming the newest edition of the Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden mystery series, all the while wishing that their young and uneventful lives could have been...