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...

Writing Your First Draft (Part 2 of 2)

Since the first draft is riddled with issues that need fixing, the writer should reserve it for his reading. The first draft of a story is something the writer does not share with friends, family, or a partner to read. It is up to the writer's discretion...

Writing Your First Draft (Part 1 of 2)

For those writers struggling to get their thoughts down on paper, “Just start writing” is often the dispensed advice. The rationale behind it is that it becomes less intimidating to write once the writer sees that he has put down words. It becomes smoother in...

5 Non-Existent Words Copywriters Should NEVER Use

Are you are a real grammar queen (or king)? Or are you one of those who really don’t care what their writing is like so long as it sells? It matters not which one you are; the important thing is this – the very last...

Details for Setting

I have previously discussed the importance of sensory details. It gives a three-dimensional effect that transports the reader into the event or situation he is reading. The description of a setting is one that is most challenging for most writers. It can prove taxing, even...

The Need for Introspection

Introspection is an intentional implanting of thought into a character's mind to reveal his response to an event. It can give a clue to what course of action he would take. The lack of introspection leaves the reader blind, having no way of understanding how...

A Writer’s Guide to Style – Part 2

Back to our example. Do you remember the rule? The modifier word, in this case ‘only’, should be as near to the word it modifies as possible. You told the detective that you ran, you didn’t crawl, walk, or anything else. If you didn’t want...

A Writer’s Guide to Style – Part 1

A style guide for writers can answer so many questions that haunt writers, be they amateurs or professionals, regardless of the attention they pay to grammatical detail. Perfect grammar does not make any piece of writing more powerful but bad grammar leaves a bad taste...

Flashback or Recollection?

Some beginner writers are confused between flashback and recollection. A flashback is a full scene from the past that a character returns to. It often has something to do with an episode in his life. A recollection is a fragment of the past brought back...

Multiple Viewpoints in Fiction

Point of view determines the writer’s relationship to the story. What viewpoint to use can also be dictated by the pervading taste in reading fare. The first-person narration became popular with the advent of young adult supernatural romances. Along with it is the choice to...

What to Do While Waiting for a Publisher's Response

One of the most mentally excruciating experiences in a writer’s life is when he finishes his novel. He has edited and polished it to perfection and sends it off to a publisher. While waiting for a response, his mind is beset by thoughts and notions...