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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...

Learning to Take Constructive Criticism

When I first started writing, I had a handful of beta readers, all related to me. They’d read my work and say, “I loved it! It was so good!” I’d walk away and pat myself on the back. I’d think, “Well, what can I say?...

Why We Love Dystopian Fiction (Part 2 of 2)

Dystopian fiction sees our present conditions as the roots that could bear the fruit of dystopian trends and practices in the future. Dystopian fiction encourages us to guard our freedom Dystopia is a popular theme among young adult fiction these days. This is because it teaches the...

Why We Love Dystopian Fiction (part 1 of 2)

Depictions of the future abound in popular culture. This is because it’s fun to predict what the unseen holds. We love to speculate on the outcomes of our present actions. We are all fascinated with what the future holds. As a young boy, I enjoyed...

Painless Writing Revisions (Part 2 of 2)

You don’t need to revise chronologically Our brain is conditioned to read stories in the beginning, middle, and end frame. However, some writers find it easier to revise if they start working in the middle or at the end of their manuscript. Revising from the middle...

Painless Writing Revisions (Part 1 of 2)

Revision is painful for some writers and often they try to pass off the first draft as acceptable. It’s more convenient this way. The writer operates on the assumption and hopes that his first draft passes standards. If you’re writing for a living, you’ll never be...

Story Ideas For Children Part 2

There is no better way for your child to explore their creativity and imagination than with storytelling. It not only helps build their confidence and curiosity but also makes them so much more aware of themselves. Please share the following story ideas with your children...

Story Ideas For Children Part 1

As a writer, your love for the written word is probably something that is running through your blood. You will probably agree it is never too early to enjoy creating a good story. Have you ever wanted to share your passion for writing with your...

Other Skills that Modern Writers Must Develop (Part 2 of 2)

4. Share your toys. Gone are the days when you lock yourself in a tower to write and keep your work hidden only to be read and published posthumously. Well, it may be an exaggeration, but if your work is too personal and you have no...

Other Skills that Modern Writers Must Develop (Part 1 of 2)

Fields of discipline evolve with the march of time. Back in my college days during the nineties, we were never taught about looking ahead to how the business of writing and publishing would evolve. Despite the early beginnings of e-book publishing, we merely considered it...

Autobiography Versus Memoir: What's the Difference? (Part 2 of 2)

As for ethical implications, mind your motives before working on your memoir. Why do you want to expose a slice of your life, to begin with? If you’re disgruntled over someone and you want to embarrass this person through your writing, you may be courting...