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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...

Mistakes to Avoid when Writing Fiction - Part 1 of 2

Even for prolific writers, writing fiction can pose a few (if not many) challenges. When you know what to watch out for, you will be better at avoiding these mistakes and creating a story that readers will love. Here are a few mistakes to avoid...

Simple Practical Tips on How to Become a Better Writer - Part 2 of 2

Be Adventurous Try out new writing styles, read books from other genres, try changing things around. By looking for new ways of writing, you build excitement so that you are not settling down every day at your desk to write in the same style that you...

Simple Practical Tips on How to Become a Better Writer - Part 1 of 2

Sometimes becoming a better writer requires just taking simple steps consistently until you start to notice that you are growing and finally becoming the kind of writer that you want to be. Here are a few easy steps or tips you should take to get...

Addressing Social Issues

As society has changed and evolved, so must the way authors write the things that influence the following generations. Every seasoned author has written about a touchy subject at one time or another. It should go without saying that some subjects require some sensitivity, understanding...

Keep Comedy Humorous

Choosing which genre or sub-genres best suits a manuscript can be a troublesome task. It is also true that some books require warnings to specify who the target audience is. I have seen several different kinds of warnings for thrillers, horrors, romances and even poetry...

How Do You Create a Plot?

What is the definition of a plot? Put simply it is a plan of the sequence of events your novel is going to take, which will form the basis of your storyline.  This is an example of a sequence of events. Helen woke from a deep sleep...

Researching and Analyzing Fiction Novels

It is a given that to perfect the art of writing, a writer must read each day. But in order to really learn the craft of writing, you must do more than just read. You have to get into the habit of reading with an...

How to Find Your Writing Voice

We hear a great deal about finding your writer’s ‘voice’ and the importance of it, but the actual definition is often misunderstood. A writing 'voice' is generally the tone and style an author writes in. A new writer may find it difficult to find their...

Accurate Non-Fiction

Writing non-fiction requires just as much detailed work and finesse as writing fiction. It takes a level of patience as well as some very serious research. All biographies, autobiographies, memoirs or any other personal stories need some form of research as well. However, when you...

Writing Fiction

As any author knows, writing anything for any genre can be a long and drawn-out process full of research, maps, notes, ideas, and locations. This includes fiction and science fiction. I have seen several writers in several different groups who have asked the same question...