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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...

A Lust for Life: Love and Hate

With the publication of the now famous poem Fire and Ice, written by Robert Frost, many people have contemplated whether or not the world will end in fire or ice. Scientists have debated this, as do students in their classrooms. Stephenie Meyer used the poem in...

Zora Neale Hurston

Despite the progress made in civil rights movements, many individuals still find themselves the victims of prejudice and discrimination. From police corruption to the rise of the alt-right, to even the increasing hate crimes against minorities, many have turned to protests to stop these crimes,...

Literary Inspirations: William Wordsworth

Regarded as one of the founders of Romanticism in England, William Wordsworth has inspired a countless number of works. From Lyrical Ballads in 1798 to French Revolution in 1810, he has continued to dominate the literary world throughout the centuries. He’s even appeared in numerous...

Literary Inspirations: Wilfred Owen

In his poem Dulce et Decorum Est, Owen describes the horrors of chemical warfare. And yet, he also tells the reader how great an honor it would be to die for your country. Despite all the terrors of war, and the sins committed on the battlefield,...

Literary Inspirations: The Lost Generation

When former President George Bush declared a War on Terror, patriotic fervor followed. People were enlisting in the military in massive rates. Americans were uniting under the notion that they were defending their country. And while there was a plethora of human rights violations, from...

Literary Inspirations: Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was a masterful poet that has left many praiseworthy works. Many authors have even dedicated the very first pages of their books to her poetry. And despite the pressures of societal norms back then, Dickinson still managed to carve out for herself a...

Literary Inspirations: Robert Frost

If I had to pick a poet I would read over and over again, it would have to be Robert Frost. From his realistic portrayals of rural life to his command of literary devices, Frost has been recognized by both critics and the public alike. He’s...

Griffins in Literature

I remembered watching my older brother play a video game called Phantasy Star Online. He was fighting one of the bosses, and I was cheering him on. However, when I saw the boss, I froze. It was this weird monster with wings on its back...

The Complexities of Nature: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

When I first read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, I had to admit, I was interested. From the crisp imagery to the use of science and self-awareness, I was enchanted. So much so it inspired me to read all sorts of nature publications throughout the...

Literary Inspirations: Walt Whitman

I competed in the Academic Decathlon when I was in high school. The theme that year was nature. During that time, I came across a lot of different nature writers from Annie Dillard to Rachel Carson. Yet one writer stuck out, so much so I went...