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...

Should You Leave the Boring Stuff in Your Story Or Take It Out?

With few exceptions, all stories have boring stuff in them. Even the best selling pros tend to have at least a little bit of the boring in their otherwise perfect novels. If you are a reader or a writer, you know exactly what I mean...

How To Create A Believable Villain

Creating a believable, three-dimensional villain is probably the hardest thing a writer has to do. The mistake most new writers make is to create a villain that is so evil, they are totally unbelievable. So what’s the secret? Quite simple - to create a real...

The Republic of Yemen Myth Monsters

In How to Write a Unique Spooky Story, I wrote about how to write a unique spooky story by either creating your own monster, creature, or horror yourself or by finding a monster that is not well known. I advised finding a monster by researching...

Banish Writers' Block

Everyone experiences writers' block at some point in their writing career... right? We have all stared at the empty computer screen wondering how to start. The 300-page novel seems an impossible mountain to climb. Here are the main things I do that inspire or help me...

The Art Of Self Editing Your Manuscript

Well done, your latest or first manuscript is complete. It has taken you months, maybe years of blood, sweat, tears and frustration. You have broken through the many days of writers' block and regained creativity. So what now? Who do you send your manuscript to? The...

What to Do While Waiting for Your Beta Readers

Not all authors use beta readers, but they can be extremely helpful in sorting out a story. From noticing dropped subplots, to typos, to missing sequences, beta readers can contribute to your success as an author. In my experience, they have always helped to improve...

Do Your Characters Fail to Come to Life?

Many writers are very good at creating characters and some even have a natural talent for creating living, breathing, three-dimensional people without working up a sweat, while other writers have to apply all manner of life support just get their characters to breathe on their own....

Tips for Coming up with Great Character Names

Every story is its own world; whether it is set on another planet, a small town, a bustling city, or a future time. So choosing the right names for your characters can be a challenge. You want a name that will stand out in your...

Zimbabwean Legends

You can write your unique spooky story by either creating your own monster, creature, or horror yourself or by finding a monster that is not well known. Researching myths and legends in other cultures will help you to find something that has a rich history...

Argentinian Myth Monsters

Want to write your own spooky story? In How to Write a Unique Spooky Story, I advised either creating your own monster, creature, or horror yourself or by finding a monster that is not well known. I advised finding a monster by researching myths and...