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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. Below that are hundreds of articles on topics all authors face in today’s literary landscape. Get help and advice on Writing, Marketing, Publishing, Social Networking 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...

Writing Informative Articles

You have written and submitted your quality article with the hope that it will help drive more traffic to your site. The problem is, many authors experience rejection from publishers and webmasters. You start to reevaluate yourself, wondering what you did wrong. Rejection has always...

Writing How You Speak

Most of the time, I tend to be a proper English kind of gal when writing. This habit stems from elementary school. Kids would use slang which I still don't understand what they meant. I grew up wanting to be a lawyer. Life took a...

Why Writing Is Good For You

As a writer, how do I begin my day? I head for the Keurig! I could be wrong, but probably most writers start their days with either coffee or tea. Then, I tidy up the bedroom. You, as a writer, probably make your bed. Right? Then, I...

The Advantages Of Writer's Market

As I was thinking of a topic to write about, Writer’s Market popped into my head. So, I may learn a little about what I am preaching. I used Writer’s Market like a Bible when younger and looking for work. it was very useful. According to...

Using Backstory in Your Novel – Part Two

Welcome back; in this part, we look at how to bring your backstory into your main story. Infusing Your Backstory into Your Novel You may have some of the richest characters in your novel, but that doesn’t mean your readers need to know every single piece of...

Using Backstory in Your Novel – Part One

Any writer knows that backstory is important; it tells readers what happened in the characters’ lives before the story began. It's much like personal history, detailing something that happened in the near or distant past that had an impact on the character. It isn’t just important...

Article Writing Made Easy

The pros will tell any novice writer that putting up a website or blogging as a business requires writing and distribution of articles to draw target traffic. And while we are on the subject, this is why content writers are in high demand. The submission...

Discipline in Writing (Part 2 of 2)

So just do the work, period. No amount of prodding will help you get started if you do not have the willpower to commit to the task. Motivational articles can only go as far as guiding you towards self-improvement. The entire legwork is still up...

Discipline in Writing (Part 1 of 2)

Most writers will tell you that the most difficult part of writing is the beginning part, where you stare at a blank piece of paper or Word document. Writing is a love-hate relationship for most writers, but it is always gratifying to see the finished...

How to Become a Better Writer

Good writing takes time and practice but it is important to know where to begin. Here are a few tips that can guide you: 1. Do not compare yourself with others Becoming an expert writer takes time but sometimes it is easy to get distracted by the...