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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...

The Art of Personification

The sun can smile rather than shine, and a breeze can sigh rather than blow. Personification, giving inanimate things human characteristics, provokes a reader’s imagination and awakens his senses. Giving objects human attributes can wake a reader up to the unique within the ordinary. Everyday things...

When to Show and When to Tell

Although “show, don’t tell” has become a cardinal rule in the writing community, feelings remain divided. Is it really more challenging to describe than to simply put the right adjective? Does showing instead of telling encourage writers to exercise their brain muscles in evoking sensory...

Avoiding Stereotypes in Writing

Years ago, stereotyping in fiction was very common, and readers accepted them without question. Stereotypes, therefore, are nothing new. An emperor in his empire, a lawyer in a courtroom, a detective in a crime scene, a prostitute in the streets—every known character and profession has...

Why You Need to Dream of Greatness

Writers as artists are often perceived as an eccentric lot. They view things from a more imaginative perspective and their inner lives are far from average. This eccentricity is what helps them keep going, especially when the going gets tough. Writers who tackle full-length novels do...

The Purpose of Environmental Details

Environmental details are not shown merely for local color or effect. It has other relevant purposes such as a) establishing the relevance of the time period; b) giving a concrete setting where characters can perform their existential roles; c) allowing the writer to create a world...

Words That Aren’t Words – Or Are They?

You think a word sounds good and you want it in your story. But is it really a word? Does it matter? It is, after all, your story. But, then again, if the made-up word you want to use only makes sense to you, then...

Show, Don't Tell

Anyone who has ever looked up any writing advice must have heard or read the widely spread saying "show, don't tell". It is everywhere and yet, somehow, is one of the most overlooked points in novels. I know there are thousands of articles on this...

Rules for Series Characters

Sherlock Holmes. Harry Potter. Nancy Drew. Tom Ripley. What do they have in common? They are series characters who are completely developed as they are distinctly identifiable by their physical, psychological, and emotional characteristics. Can you imagine if the authors who created these popular heroes...

Character Aging in the Passage of Time

In a novel, especially an epic saga, time plays an important part in the formation and growth of characters. How time takes its toll on a character’s physical change must be skillfully demonstrated or the passing of time will be unnoticeable and unconvincing. Example: The story...

Developing Good Writing Habits

For some writers, writing feels like having homework every day for the rest of their lives. Writing becomes a drag when you feel that you have to and not because you want to, and this doesn’t have to be the case. Developing good writing habits...