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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...
What is Euphemism? How to Use It in Writing, and Classic Examples in Fiction
Euphemism is a literary and figurative device that masks offensive or inappropriate ideas into a more acceptable, polite expression. It comes from the Greek “euphēmismos,” which means "words of good omen," and is available in every society as a palatable way of saying something that...
4 Ways to Effectively Write Exposition in Fiction
Exposition is a literary device that establishes crucial background information and fills in the gaps in your narrative. These details can include a backstory and a setting description. And though exposition is required for nearly every story, it’s easy not to execute; it's easy to...
The Meaning, Effects and Examples of Colloquialism
Colloquialisms capture expressions that have become typical within a specific language, locality, or era. And writers use them to infuse their characters with personality and authenticity. In this article, we explore the nature of colloquialism and how they make a story feel real and keeps...
Situational Irony
Irony is a simple literary tool, yet complex in its own way. The secret is in fully understanding irony as a literary tool and the various types of irony. This will help you a lot when it comes to including irony in your work including a...
What's Kinesthesia?
What is kinesthesia (kinesthetic imagery)? From the name, you can tell that kinesthesia is associated with motion. Let’s take a look at its definition. The definition of kinesthesia (kinesthetic imagery) Kinesthetic imagery is a type of imagery that is used as a poetic device. Writers use kinesthesia to describe...
What Is Antimetabole? Understand the Rhetorical Device with Examples from Literature
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Who can forget those powerful words by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy? Antimetabole has helped in crafting so many more remarkable expressions. And in this article, we...
Archetype Examples and Functions in Literature
An archetype is any story element repeatedly appearing in stories from various cultures, symbolizing something universal in the human experience. It can be a type of character, situation, setting or symbolic object. In this article, we explore the various forms of archetypes in fiction and...
Exploring the Humor and Wisdom of Aphorism in Literature
Writers throughout history have made their work remarkable by employing aphorisms. These concise, insightful, and sometimes humorous expressions give your writing depth and universal appeal. In this article, we explore the meaning, lasting effects, and prominent examples of aphorism. What is Aphorism? Aphorism is an expression of...
What is Anthropomorphism? Definition, Functions and Examples
Many famous and compelling tales prevalent among people of various cultures are mostly not about humans. Humanity's early storytellers told stories about animals and objects with human traits and experience. This storytelling technique, called anthropomorphism, has continued in modern fiction writing, giving writers the means...
What is Mood?
You had been having a bad day, then after reading a book you felt happy. Or maybe you read a book that made you feel really sad. Are you familiar with that? Well, maybe you felt something different from what I’ve mentioned, but the most...