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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...

What If Your Protagonist’s Biggest Flaw Was Just Terrible Fashion Sense?

When we consider a protagonist's defining flaw, we often think of a tragic backstory, a deep insecurity, or a self-destructive habit. What if I say your protagonist's biggest struggle was just an awful fashion sense and nothing else? Yes! In storytelling, even the most seemingly...

Coping With a Bad Review

Being an author requires thick skin. For many authors, it can feel like a personal attack, but in most cases it is not. Even classic authors like Jane Austen or modern best-selling authors like Stephen King get bad reviews. There are three types of bad reviews. The first...

Think Like a Reader

What do you look for in a book? A compelling plot? Believable characters? Good descriptions? Do you want to feel involved in the story? Perhaps all of these things. If that’s the case, you’re in good company because that’s what most readers seek. So, when...

Goth-Lit for the Modern Reader

Gothic literature has fascinated readers for centuries with its eerie settings, mind-jarring psychology, and a dive into the furthest recesses of fear. While the genre was once defined by haunted castles and supernatural apparitions, today’s gothic fiction has expanded to reflect contemporary anxieties, making it...

Chivalry in Fiction: The Man-sel in Distress

The concept of chivalry in fiction has traditionally centered around male protagonists rescuing women, often portraying men as protectors and women as the ones in need of saving. However, in recent years, adult fiction has witnessed a radical shift with a rise in stories where...

Spare the Dog, Save the Story

Few storytelling choices are as divisive as killing off a beloved pet. Whether in books, movies, or TV shows, the loss of an animal companion elicits some of the strongest emotional reactions from audiences. For many, a pet’s death in fiction is not just sad—it...

The Dangers of Using AI to Create a Children’s Picture Book

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being touted across the Internet as the latest way to make easy money. Like any get-rich-quick scheme, it is not the real path to easy money. One major area where AI is being used to create poor books is in the...

Christian Fiction Guidelines

The Christian Book Association and Christian Retail Association know their audience. Appealing to Christians across all denominations is not easy, but when it comes to fiction, they developed guidelines that ensure the books in their member bookstores will appeal to all Christian customers. If several customers...

Writing a Scene Where Silence Says More Than Words!

We've all been there—reading a book or watching a movie where a character says absolutely nothing, yet you feel the character's emotions. Just imagine: two characters sit at a table, face to face, in a dim room. The air between them is thick with tension,...

Why Didn’t Your Book Get a Free Review?

As a reviewer, I tend to look at the books waiting for a free review the longest—those at the four-month mark. Because I target these books that have been passed over by other reviewers, I understand why they may not have been picked up. If...