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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...

What Causes Writer’s Block?

Writer’s block is more common than you might think; many writers come to a point where they run dry or, at the very least, find it hard going because the ideas are not flowing. They get mentally and physically exhausted, may not be able to...

4 Ways To Write Better Nonfiction

Nonfiction books are selling well because people just love to learn. In 2017, more than 280 million nonfiction books sold in the USA alone. With nonfiction writing, you have one goal – to impart accurate information about an idea, event, or facts. It doesn’t have...

10 Questions To Ask Your Fictional Characters

You put months, even years of sweat and tears into crafting your novel but the hardest work, the most important bit of it, is the bit that nobody else sees. It’s the bit that is strictly between you and your main characters. What is it?...

An Author’s Guide To the Three Components of a Book – Part 1

Every book has three major components and understanding them will help you to produce a properly constructed manuscript. Each component has specific elements and sticking to the structure will not only help you to craft your book, it will also make it look more professional....

Write Suspense The Way Stephen King Does – Part 2

We’ve seen how Stephen King built up the suspense in Misery, but what about other books that he has written, and there have been many others! In 1978, he released a book called The Stand and he created much the same kind of apprehension among readers once the...

Write Suspense The Way Stephen King Does – Part 1

Stephen King is one of the most acclaimed writers today, the top writer of horror fiction in the USA. But you don’t need to be a fan of King’s to learn a few things from him about writing. You’re not writing a thriller a horror...

7 Tips To Keeping Your Editor Happy

You’ve written your book and you are ready to send it to your editor but, before you hit the Send button, do take another look at your manuscript. As far as your editor is concerned, detail is all-important and it’s the small things that matter...

Make Your First Sentence Count

Your book has been written; well, the first draft anyway, so give yourself a huge pat on the back for getting that far. Take a short break and then go back to it – re-read your opening lines. These are what sell your book and...

10 Tips to Maintaining Positivity When Writing About Tragedy or Death – Part 2

Ready to carry on? Then let’s continue with our tips on maintaining positivity when writing about tragedy. Choose a Partner When you write about tragedy and loss, you can find yourself in some very dark and lonely places. Find yourself a partner; it can be a friend,...

10 Tips to Maintaining Positivity When Writing About Tragedy or Death – Part 1

When you experience loss and tragedy in your life, you eventually learn to live with it but when you write about it, it can become hard to maintain an air of positivity. Writing about this kind of thing will nee a unique approach so follow these...