Author Services

Author Articles

Hundreds of Helpful Articles

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...

Creative Mindfulness: Doodle Inspiration

This exercise takes a look at art-based methodology with a focused activity that brings art to the emotional mind too and can be very useful for unlocking creative thoughts and allowing your ideas a little freedom. The Theory Do you remember those times in school where you...

Creative Mindfulness: Music Motivation

Many of us turn to music when we need an emotional boost. Whether it’s songs about a painful break-up, or a party mix to get us in the mood for going out, or even a slow, calming rhythm to fall asleep to, music has the...

Imagery

There’s always one book that comes into your mind every time you try to think about all the good books you’ve read. Chances are very high that you remember every detail about the story, whether it was fiction or nonfiction. Now, what makes that book...

Allusion

One of the good things about the English language is the fact that it is very equipped. As a writer, you have a variety of tools and devices at your exposal to help you manipulate your ideas and come up with great content. I know...

Creative Mindfulness: Playing With Monologues

This activity encourages you to take a bold step forward with your mindfulness practice. Borrowed from the world of drama education, this is one instant mood-shifter you don’t want to miss. The Theory A great many practices from creative mindfulness guidebooks are based on activities and practices...

Creative Mindfulness: Tactile Storytelling

Some people get a really good feeling from tidying up and seeing a super well-organized desk or room in front of them, with everything in its place. This mindfulness exercise looks at the sense of peace that comes from such organizational efforts, but with a...

Onomatopoeia

You have an amazing story. But then, when it gets to the point where you want to tell your reader about the distant barking of dogs in the neighborhood, the sound of the live engine of your truck in the garage, or the sound made...

Similes

Similes are very common in our daily conversations and the content we read. Similes are one of the most-used literary devices in the English language. But it won’t surprise me that you don’t know the definition of a simile. It’s common for most people to...

About Hyperbole

You may have heard the word hyperbole once or twice as a writer. But what do you know about hyperbole? Allow me to tell you all you need to know about hyperbole. One of the most important things you should do when learning a new word...

Personification

Writing can be so exciting and fun, especially when you have fully mastered the skill of clearly expressing yourself to your audience. Mastering the clear expression of your thoughts and ideas entails a lot of things, one among them being the ability to correctly use...