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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. Below that are hundreds of articles on topics all authors face in today’s literary landscape. Get help and advice on Writing, Marketing, Publishing, Social Networking 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...

5 Ways Authors Can Use Pinterest

At the mention of social media, an author’s mind jumps to Twitter and Facebook. However, image-based platforms are now giving these two major sites a run for their money. One such platform is Pinterest, which apparently popped up out of nowhere and within no time...

5 Ways Social Media Can Be Used To Launch A Book

Many authors wonder how social media can be useful to them, especially when they are about to launch a new book. They often wonder how they can use it to create a buzz around their books even before they are launched. Several years ago, authors...

Five Social Media Tips For Authors

Social media is very important for authors and every author should create his own social media network. However, it is easy for authors to get lost in the webs they create, especially if they don’t have a social media strategy. In order for an author...

The Top 10 Myths Surrounding Social Media Marketing for Authors

There is more advice circulating about social media than we can ever hope to handle. When it comes to marketing books, many authors spend a great deal of time, money and effort to build a social media following but projected sales still fall short. So...

Maximizing The Power of a Single Tweet: Twitter and the Author Partnership

Twitter can be a very powerful tool for book authors who know how to wield it in the vast social media expanse. Let’s say you’ve just published a book and you have 1000 Twitter followers. You then put out a single Tweet about your book,...

5 Effective Author Promotional Tips on How to Create a Book Promo

More and more writers are breaking the tradition of seeking commercial publication for their books and striking out on their own by self-publication. If you are one of these writers, getting your book noticed could be a very daunting task without the connections and resources...

6 Ways Authors Can Use Facebook To Promote Their Books

Most people who have accounts on Facebook rarely make full use of their profiles, even when they want to gain more visibility. Little do they know that there are many things they can do on Facebook to promote their books. The following are some ways...

Four Big Mistakes Authors Make on Facebook

Many authors seem to have a bitter-sweet relationship with Facebook. The reasons are because Facebook is constantly changing, it is complicated to use, and people are always breaking the rules. If you are a writer, unless you are willing to hire someone to manage your...

How Successful Authors Use Social Media

Social media is one of the most commonly used terms these days. It is made up of the Internet, where interaction happens, and the people who use it. Before, it was mainly used to connect and interact with family, friends and colleagues who live in...

The 10 Most Inspiring Social Media Sites For Authors

Authors, both published and self-published, experience writer's block every once in a while. They lack material to write about, and have difficulty working on new projects. When this happens, normally people take a break by walking in the park or they stroll around their neighborhood...