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...

From Cover to Cover – What Makes a Book – part 1

How many people, including new authors, really know all the different bits to a book? For example, do you know what a publisher means when they say ‘front matter’ or ‘back matter’? What is a preface? Is it the same as an introduction, a prologue, or a foreword?...

How Long Does It Take To Write A Book – Part 5

Up to now, we’ve covered writing and, by now, you should be able to figure out roughly how long it will take you to write your book. But what about publishing? How Long to Publish a Book? Once the writing is done, you’ve revised it, edited and...

How Long Does It Take To Write A Book – Part 4

Non-fiction is one thing but what if you are thinking about writing a novel? That is a whole different ballgame. How Long to Write a Novel? Novels take, on average, significantly longer to write than a non-fiction book and there are two reasons why: Depending on the genre,...

How Long Does It Take To Write A Book – Part 3

The next thing you want to know is how long it takes to write and we start small for that. How Long to Write 500 Words? If you set your daily goal at a minimum of 500 words it’s important to have a rough idea of how...

How Long Does It Take To Write A Book – Part 2

Getting into the habit of writing every day is the first step in producing your masterpiece but it doesn’t answer the question of how long it will take. You don’t just take the type of book into account, nor is it all about the estimated...

How Long Does It Take To Write A Book – Part 1

So, how long should a book be? Nine times out of ten the answer to that question will be “it depends” or something like it. On what? Well, to start with, it depends on what type of book it is. Whether it is a fictional novel...

Quick Ways to Relax your Mind as a Writer- Part 2

Take time off social media The demand placed on our minds as we process different information constantly starts to slow us down and becomes a source of stress. The shift of focus as you try to multitask between different activities also places a strain on our...

Quick Ways to Relax your Mind as a Writer- Part 1

Reading and writing are intense processes that require a lot of mental energy. As a writer and reviewer, you can subject yourself to strenuous schedules that are demanding not only on the brain but also on the body as a whole. There are quick and long...

Computer Tips for Writers – Part 2

Welcome back. Computers are an integral part of most writers’ lives and getting the right hardware and software plays an important part in your success. But there is more to it than that. You also need to know how to use your system to manage...

Computer Tips For Writers – Part 1

So many writers know how to write, they know what they want to write but few have any idea about the technology they need to write. Unless you are planning on writing your entire book using pen and paper, you need to give consideration to...