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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

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)

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...

Practical Techniques To Get Rid Of Writer's Block

Writer's block refers to the state of being mentally exhausted and unable to come up with any new, meaningful ideas for your book. It is something most writers struggle with at one point or another. Even after writing several bestsellers, many writers will still find...

How To Write A Captivating Novel

How To Write A Captivating Novel To be successful, your novel needs to capture the reader's mind and transport them to the setting of the story. To achieve this, there are some basic ingredients that your story must have. Some of these must be part...

Why I Don't Like First Person Narration

I readily admit that many authors use first person narration, but I don’t like it. I greatly prefer standard third person narration for several reasons. Can anyone imagine a historical novel about George Washington written in first person narration? Or a novel entitled, I, Moses or even...

What to Write about in Media and Entertainment

Media and entertainment is a very large field as it includes everything from celebrities to reporters to TV shows and movies. Because the field is so large, it is important for writers to focus their writing by topic and perspective. The writer should choose a specific...

What to Write About in Law

The law is a very large and very popular topic choice for writers because, in general, people are interested in how the law directly affects them, possible changes that could affect them, and the politics of them. However, because the law is such a huge...

When Is Your Book Over?

Ever read a book and wondered, “I just started this and I’m finished already?” The plot was amazing but the ending came too quickly. The characters were real and authentic, but the words “The End” are read before you know it. Or the book is...

How to Get Your Story Heard

From James Patterson, John Grisham, Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes and Joyce Meyers to Stephen King, what do they all have in common? They are experts in getting their stories heard. How? Each of these authors focused on the needs and interests of their readers. The above-mentioned...

5 Great Books to Research Your Historical Fiction: 1970s

Historical fiction is a great way to capture an era, whether it is the elegant Victorian era or the swinging pace and sizzle of the Jazz era. Unlike contemporary novels or even fantasy where all a writer needs is their imagination, historical fiction requires meticulous...

5 Great Books to Research Your Historical Fiction: 1960s

Historical fiction is a great way to capture an era, whether it is the elegant Victorian era or the swinging pace and sizzle of the Jazz era. Unlike contemporary novels or even fantasy where all a writer needs is their imagination, historical fiction requires meticulous...

Settings in Horror: The Asylum

From the inhumane abuse of Pennhurst Asylum, to the animalistic cruelties of the Royal Bethlehem Hospital, for years writers have used the mental asylum in order to flirt with the fragile boundary between reality and insanity. Books like Madness so Discrete by Mindy McGinnis have...