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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...

Horrific Inspirations: The West Virginia Peniteniary

America’s citizens have often criticized its justice system. From false convictions and multiple innocents on death row to the misconduct and alleged abuse of the system by prosecutors, police, and judges, it’s clear that the system doesn’t do much for any of the accused. In...

Horrific Inspirations: The Dullahan

In Ireland, there’s a legend of a fairy that, similar to the banshee, is associated with the calling of Death. However, unlike the banshee, it’s also heralded as a harbinger of death, and whoever is unlucky enough to encounter it will either have blood thrown...

Horrific Inspirations: The Key of Solomon

During the European Witch Trials, many of the Catholic Church’s practices came under fire. Some priests stated magic that includes God’s blessing was allowed. Others said that using any kind of magic was a sin and that defending the practice alone was grounds for witchcraft....

Romantic Inspirations: Annabel Lee

I remember watching a certain movie while waiting in a doctor’s office one day. The wait was really long, and since there were a ton of books and toys nearby, I decided to play with them. Someone turned the TV on, and at first, I...

Romantic Inspirations: The Fall of the House of Usher

Edgar Allen Poe was a prominent figure in the American Romantic Movement. From his dark, gothic works, to his tragic love stories, he was revered for his short stories and poems. One of these stories was The Fall of the House of Usher. The story begins...

The Episodic Novel in Its Opening Chapter

Often, the first chapter of the novel introduces the reader to the technique that the writer will use throughout the novel. The reader may not be familiar with this, but it affects how he will engage with the plot and characters in his reading experience....

Foreshadowing in Fiction

You may have heard of the term 'foreshadowing' before. In fiction, it is a technique used in present situations that gives a hint of what may happen in the future. It works like a cliffhanger, a type of whetting the reader’s appetite as the writer...

The Alchemy of Writing

You write in a way that comes naturally to you. Still, none of your writing manifests any rhyme and reason. Your characters lack depth. Your plot is too contrived. You fear that your story is too clichéd. You feel that you have written something that...

Romantic Inspirations: Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a book that provided a stark contrast to the otherwise clean image of Victorian society. From its dark dealings with morality, mentality, and appearance, to its countless inspiration of various dramatizations, Wuthering Heights remains a classic to this day. Its dark...

Romantic Inspirations: Innocents in Prison

For the longest time, criminals have fascinated and terrified writers. From The Deprived by Steffen Hou to Death Row, Texas by Michelle Lyons, it’s true that criminals who have been abandoned by society are interesting subjects to write about. Some are guilty beyond all measure,...