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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...
Mastering Character Tropes for Captivating Fiction
In the realm of fiction writing, tropes have long been the building blocks that authors use to shape their stories and captivate readers. A trope is a recurring narrative device or motif that helps create familiarity and connects work to a larger literary tradition. While...
Weaving Wonders: Collaborative Storytelling in the "Wild Cards" Series
In the vast realm of speculative fiction, there exists a remarkable series that exemplifies the power of collaboration and shared storytelling. Enter the realm of "Wild Cards," an anthology series edited by the esteemed George R.R. Martin. From its humble beginnings as a superhero role-playing...
A Guide to unleash the Power of Collaboration in Fiction
In the world of fiction writing, collaboration has emerged as a powerful tool, allowing authors to harness the collective creativity of multiple minds. Co-writing and crowdsourcing have revolutionized the way stories are crafted, breaking the barriers of individual authorship and inviting a diverse range of...
The Synergy of Creativity and Technology: Empowering Authors in the Digital Age
In the vast realm of fiction writing, a new chapter has unfolded, one where technology has become a trusted ally for authors. Technology has revolutionized every facet of the creative process from the inception of an idea to the final publication. In this article, we...
What the WGA's Strike Reveals About the Literary World
On May 2, 2023, the Writers Guild of America, or the WGA, initiated a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television after the two sides failed to come to an agreement in regard to contract negotiations with streaming services. This comes after six...
Surviving the Writing Rollercoaster: Learnings from Successful Authors
Stephen King is known worldwide for his horror novels, but few people know that he was once a struggling writer, dealing with rejection and criticism just like many others. When King was starting his writing career, he received dozens of rejection letters for his short...
Mental Health in Literature and the Media
With self-care becoming more prominent in society, many readers have taken an interest in how to take care of themselves and their loved ones mentally and emotionally. If you go to your local bookstore, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of books detailing different psychological...
Of Tenderness in Stories: Revisiting Olga Nawoja Tokarczuk's Nobel Prize 2019 Speech
"I write fiction, but it is never pure fabrication. When I write, I have to feel everything inside myself. I have to let all the living beings and objects that appear in the book go through me, everything that is human and beyond human, everything...
Creating Captivating Worlds: Tips and Tricks for Sci-Fi World Building
World-building is a critical aspect of sci-fi storytelling. It is the process of creating an immersive and detailed universe that can transport readers to a different world. The key to successful world-building is to start with the basics. Start with considering the following 4 aspects...
Staying Creative
Have you ever heard someone say that there’s no such thing as writer’s block? I have. I have also been told on several occasions that writer’s block is nothing more than the author choosing to stop being creative. As a writer, I can tell you this...