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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...

Make This the Year to Write That Book You’ve Always Wanted to Write

I can’t count the number of times people have walked up to me at book signings while buying one of my books and said, “I’ve always wanted to write a book.I’ve had this idea for years. What advice would you give me for writing a book?” I...

How to write Southern Gothic

There’s something about the Old South that has captured the minds of artists for many decades. From the gilded wealth of the Antebellum era, or the fallen grace of the Reconstruction era, the South is filled with scandals, prejudice, and elitism, with the scent of...

Common Sense in Paranormal Romance, or How to Avoid DYING in the Arms of a Loved One

Since the advent of Twilight, I’ve lost count of the many fans who have dedicated themselves to the controversial vampires vs. twilight debacle. Whether it be from raving adolescent girls or screeching moms, the book has been praised for bringing a more supernatural flair into modern...

How to Write Book Reviews

Most people think that writing book reviews is easy; after all, if you read the book then you should be able to simply sit down and write a review instantly without any difficulty. This assumption might be true of a quick two-sentence review on Goodreads, but...

What to Write About in Health

Health is a very large and very popular topic choice for writers because, in general, people are always interested in their own health and well-being, as well as that of those they care about. However, because health is such a large topic area, it is...

Three Essential Elements to Writing Gothic Horror

It’s no secret that the Gothic horror genre has existed outside the realm of normalcy. From the chilling, bloody scenes of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, to the psychological massacre of Robert Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, these books are terrifying as they are complex. Drawing...

How to Write an Author Interview

An author interview can be conducted multiple ways: phone, email, video chat, and/or social media. Yet, one aspect always remains the same - the person conducting the interview needs to already know most of the interview questions before it is time to conduct the interview....

Your Novel's First Page

Here are two hypothetical beginnings to a novel: Beginning No. 1    Caroline heard the knock on her front door from her upstairs bedroom. It was probably next door neighbor and widow Mrs. McGillicuddy again. As her dementia worsened, Mrs. McGillicuddy had gotten in the habit of...

What to Write About in Education

Education is a large subject area with numerous topics that can be written about. However, it can also be a difficult area in which to get started because of the overwhelming topic options. The best way to begin is in narrowing down your topic. In...

5 Great Books to Research Your Historical Fiction: 1920s

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 of even fantasy, where all a writer needs is their imagination, historical fiction requires meticulous...