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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...
Larger than Life Heroes
Books, films, and television are saturated by heroes and heroines. These characters possess attributes that go beyond realistic dimensions. Most of them don’t die, especially when they are featured as the protagonist in a popular series. No matter how insurmountable the odds are, they emerge...
What Motivates Your Character?
Captain Ahab is determined to exact revenge on a whale that bit off his leg. Fantastic Mr. Fox steals food from three ruthless farmers to save his family and friends. Yossarian walks backward to make certain that no one will sneak up on him from...
On Letting Family and Friends Read Your Work
No matter how solitary the writing profession can be, every writer needs moral support. That support is an extrinsic motivation that they need to keep going, an assurance that the world will be waiting to read the story that they have been putting their blood,...
Your Characters' Identifying Traits
Memorable characters have identifying characteristics that make them unique, and these identifying traits must be sustained throughout the story. Think of the snarky Severus Snape, the resentful Holden Caulfield, the vengeful Captain Ahab, and the repressed Dr. Henry Jekyll. Your character’s traits can be modified by...
Applying Moral Pressure on Characters
Major characters, the protagonist and the antagonist, are at the opposite poles of the plot that creates tension and conflict. The protagonist is expected to be heroic or admired. However, if he needs to earn the love of readers, he will have to perform a...
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...