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. 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...

How To Stop Being An Unhealthy Writer

Obviously, most writers lead sedentary lives. Writers barely move. Often, writers do not eat right. Writers are often alone and isolated. There is a solution. Enter the fitness and nutrition website known as Sparkpeople.com. The website is totally free and not some type of Weight Watchers. Often,...

Using Networking to Your Advantage

Whether you are a novice or a veteran writer, networking can do wonders for your career. Before the Internet, writers would just sit down in front of a typewriter or a pen and paper and then write away. After that, they would send their manuscripts...

Dealing With Negative Reviews

You have published your book, it is selling and now you just have to wait until the reviews roll in. Maybe your first few reviews are awesome, five stars, the readers love your work. You are on cloud nine, but then the dreaded 1-star review...

More Ideas of What Not to Do for Authors

I’m a book blogger who’s in a lot of groups for readers and authors on Facebook. You would be surprised to find out how much we all teach each other. Same goes for Twitter, though maybe not as much. I have been keeping tabs on...

Dealing with Harsh Feedback on Social Media

There are many reasons for ‘online meanies’ whose only ambition is to spoil your day and discredit your work as a writer. It is difficult to explain why people feel the need to be outright mean on social media platforms. There are many psychological explanations...

How To Keep Motivated Constantly

Why are many people motivated for only a short time and then lose it? One reason is that every one of us has standards, and these differ from person to person. These standards are backed up by our rituals or actions that we perform every day. If...

Why Are You Not Reaching Your Writing Goals?

What would you do if you could not fail? Imagine in detail where, in five years from now, you would like to be living. What would your home look like? What would you look like? What will you be doing? What areas of your life are you grateful for? Most...

How To Set Goals And Achieve Them

Think of two choices that you have made that changed the path of your life. The choice you made at that particular time altered your life, whether it be for the good or not. Did you go to a certain restaurant or club and meet...

Social Media Platform: Using Goodreads to Connect with Readers

While the usual social media platforms are a great way for authors to connect with readers and tease new promotional materials, Goodreads is a platform that is claiming its space little by little and becoming a force to be reckoned with. Purely a platform for...

Social Media Platforms: Using Twitter for Building a Reader Bank

Although every social media platform has its perks, finding that one platform that is best suited for you can actually work wonders for authors and their online presence. The reader community is close knit and simply impressive. While promotions and marketing are becoming a necessity with...