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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...

Different Types of Dictation and Transcription

When it comes to writing, most writers immediately think of typing with a computer or writing on paper with a pen or pencil. There are, in fact, very few writers that think about dictation as a writing method because only recently have people been able...

The LGBT Community in Literature

I remember taking a course on the psychosocial issues of HIV, and learned about the different issues surrounding the LGBT community. From political discrimination, to religious and societal prejudice, there’s no doubt that in the past this group has been ostracized. However, in that class, I’ve...

Why It’s Completely Fine For Your Character To Go Insane

I recently had the pleasure of watching a play of a video game called Nier Automata, which encompasses a beautiful story where existentialism and philosophical negativity intertwine. I even cried when one of my favorite characters had gone insane, and struggled between hating his love interest,...

Horror in Children’s Literature

Recently, I’ve had the absolute pleasure of reading Portraits of the Eerie by Mathilde Musset, a poetry book that talks about the different monsters we encounter in our childhood. The dark yet playful illustrations, the gothic atmosphere of the words, the smooth, soothing rhymes; to...

Different Writing Methods

Methods of writing have evolved over the years from writing with pen and paper to typewriters to computers. With so many different options, writers often struggle to find the method best suited to their writing style or they often end up stuck with one method...

Creatures from Bahamas Myth and Legend

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...

Monsters and Creatures of Afghanistan

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...

Japanese Folk 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...

Tips on Making Illustrations Stand Out

A picture is worth a thousand words and, as every author of children’s books knows, illustrations can make or break a book. When creative illustrations are woven together with an amazing story, the book becomes simply outstanding and is more likely to captivate its target...

Tips on Choosing a Title for your Non-Fiction Book

Any author can attest to the fact that choosing a title is not as easy as seems, whether in the case of a non-fiction or fiction book. In many instances, authors may grapple with the best title to give their book, bearing in mind that...