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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...

Tips for Writing Your Very First eBook – Part 2

Writing an eBook is not easy, but by now you should have, at the very least, a topic in mind for your book. So, what’s next? Research. It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable about your topic you think you are, there is always more research to do. Tip...

Tips for Writing Your Very First eBook – Part 1

Writing and publishing your very first eBook can change your life, especially if you are looking for a bit of extra income or if you are looking to take your first steps as an author. There are plenty of writers out there and plenty of...

Stuck For Story Ideas – Try These Little Tricks to Get Going

Some writers are lucky – ideas just pour out of them. Sometimes they have so many ideas they can’t even write them all down. Unfortunately, many writers have the opposite problem – they get stuck for ideas. Following are several tricks and tips to coming...

You Have Written Yourself Into a Corner, Now What?

You’ve got this great story idea and you’ve been going along, with everything falling into place. You are in the zone and you know, just know that you are going to power through this story and get it to market fast. Then suddenly you find you’ve...

8 Reasons Why People Balk at Going Freelance – Part 2

Welcome back to my mini-series on why people hold back on going freelance. Has it happened to you? Have you got a skill that you think others would benefit from, but haven’t the guts to take it anywhere? Here are the next four reasons why...

8 Reasons Why People Balk at Going Freelance – Part 1

How many times have you heard someone say, or thought it yourself, “I hate my job, I wish I could work for myself!” Really, what is holding you back? There are millions of freelancers out there, people who have a skill to offer, like writing, web...

Inspirational Places To Write

Sometimes working from home can become a little too comfortable. If you have spent days in your pyjamas with ruffled hair and living on a diet of strong coffee and cereal, then it is time to get out of your office and look for inspiration...

The Myths Of Writing

This is the second instalment of the myths of being a writer. Is writers' block real and a genuine problem? Not really. The truth is that the feeling of writers' block isn’t exactly a block from writing at all. It has little or nothing to do with actually writing. Usually, writers...

Tips For Writing For Children

If you are considering attempting a children's book, you must enter an alternate world, one loaded with different styles. Is your book aimed at toddlers and under fives with a picture or board book, or a novel for teenagers? There are different rules to follow for...

How to Write an Autobiography and Why You Should - Part 1

Writing a Great Autobiography There are many reasons for writing an autobiography. For some people, they have the desire to tell their story and be an inspiration to others, either through the difficulties they have been through or the joys they have encountered. Whatever the reason,...