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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...

How to Write Erotic Fiction

Recent years have seen the resurgence of erotic fiction and it is currently one of the more popular genres on the market. Erotic writing has been around for centuries, but modern readers have managed to disassociate from the feeling of “slightly smutty” that dogged the...

Nothing to Lose Except Writer's Block

Writer's block got you in its cruel grasp again? Fear not, my friends, I shall make a list of some of the most basic plots to help you out of your block's hold. But first, try to keep in mind that you may need to...

Advice for New Children's Authors From Established Authors

Setting out to achieve something you’d love to happen isn’t necessarily easy. It often involves all sorts of things you never imagined it would involve when you were there at the starting point.  There are certain things most authors would love to have known about being...

Improve your Writing by Reviewing

Struggling writers might think that becoming a reviewer is a waste of time. Hours spent reading someone else's book and then writing about it could be construed as time taken away from their own precious work. However, becoming a reviewer most definitely has its benefits....

Creating a Blog that Precedes your Book

There are many reasons why people start blogs but have you considered starting one before writing your book. An obvious reason for doing this is to create a platform to showcase your writing style and skills. The internet is a blessing to any person aspiring...

3 Tips on Tying the Ends of your Plot Together

I have struggled with this a lot since I get excited about different ideas and I always want to accomplish them all. Perhaps I should be the last person offering my take on making a book come together. I have planned and discarded a few...

Fitting Settings - What to consider when selecting a Setting for your Story (Part 1)

Every story requires an appropriate setting. Consequently, there are many considerations that every author has to consider when choosing the right background. Some of these are expounded in this article. Fictitious or Real Places Choosing a real place or a fictional one is among the first decisions...

Writing Memorable Characters

Plots can be interesting. Twists and turns can be exhilarating. However, nothing can compare to a memorable lead character that readers can fall in love with. Your lead character can be traditionally good, villainous, or an antihero.  A memorable lead character is unlike any run-of-the-mill character....

7 Rules to Naming Your Fictional Characters

If you have had children then you know how hard it is to pick names for them. It’s the same as trying to name your characters. The names need to suit their personality, must match with the era and be memorable. There are some unwritten rules...

6 Writing Exercises to Boost Creativity – Part 2

Still not found that creative streak you want? These three tips might be just the push you need. Create Some Negative Space Negative space is, in art and design, the area that is around an object but is not part of the object itself. This applies to...