Writers and Authors Archives - The Contemporary Small Press

Who Wrote the Book of Judges? Samuel, Editors, and Evidence

Eleanor WhitmoreAugust 18, 2026

For American Bible readers, who wrote the book of Judges looks like a question that should have a one-name answer. Samuel is often the first name given in study notes, church discussions, and online Bible resources. Yet Judges never identifies its author. Ancient Jewish tradition credits the prophet Samuel, while many modern scholars believe the […]

How to Copyright a Book in the U.S.: Practical Author Guide

Eleanor WhitmoreAugust 16, 2026

Here is the fact many first-time authors miss: your manuscript is already protected before you register it. U.S. copyright begins when original writing is fixed in a tangible form, such as a saved manuscript file or pages in a notebook. Learning how to copyright a book is therefore less about creating copyright and more about […]

What Is the Biggest Book in the World?

Eleanor WhitmoreAugust 10, 2026

One book weighs over 1,500 pounds. Another stands taller than a grown adult and requires a crane to turn its pages. The question of what is the biggest book in the world has more than one answer depending on whether you measure by physical dimensions, weight, or page count, and every contender is more jaw-dropping […]

How Long Does It Take to Get a Book Published? Reality vs. Expectation

Eleanor WhitmoreJuly 29, 2026

The average timeline for how long does it take to get a book published through a traditional house is 18 to 36 months, yet millions of writers step onto the path assuming a book launch takes a few casual weekends. The delay usually isn’t the writing itself. The time slips away in query queues, acquisition […]

Internal Conflict vs External Conflict Examples How Story Tension Really Works

Eleanor WhitmoreJuly 28, 2026

A story can contain a hurricane, a villain, and a deadline and still feel flat. The missing ingredient is often not more action but a second struggle happening inside the character. The most useful way to study internal conflict vs external conflict examples is to ask: What pushes against the character from outside, and what […]

The Honest Author’s Blueprint Self Publishing vs Traditional Publishing Pros Cons

Eleanor WhitmoreJuly 27, 2026

Over 90% of pitch letters sent to literary agents end in a rejection email. Yet, self-published authors uploaded over two million titles to Amazon KDP last year alone, bypass traditional gatekeepers entirely. The publishing industry is no longer a single, guarded fortress. It is a branching path where both routes offer massive rewards and serious […]

How to Make a Picture Book: Guide to Writing, Illustrating & Publishing

Eleanor WhitmoreJuly 26, 2026

Did you know that despite their light physical weight, almost all traditional picture books share an unyielding, industrial mathematical constraint? Standard picture books are precisely 32 pages long. This length isn’t an arbitrary creative choice; it stems from how commercial printing presses fold large paper sheets into 8-page or 16-page sections called “signatures”. When you […]

How to Set Up an Author Website That Actually Helps Sell Books

Eleanor WhitmoreJuly 23, 2026

An author website does not need dozens of pages or expensive animation. Its job is simpler: help a stranger understand who you are, what you write, and what they should do next. If you are learning how to set up an author website, start with ownership rather than appearance. Buy a domain you control, build […]

How to Study Author Writing Styles Deconstructing Literary Voice

Eleanor WhitmoreJuly 22, 2026

When Hunter S. Thompson was a young journalist, he typed out the entire text of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby on his manual typewriter. He wasn’t plagiary-minded; he simply wanted to feel what it physically felt like to write a masterwork. Learning how to study author writing styles isn’t about copying another creator’s voice—it’s […]

Master Art of Storytelling: How to Fix Pacing in Writing

Eleanor WhitmoreJuly 21, 2026

Readers do not abandon books because the plot is unoriginal; they put them down because the story’s internal clock feels wrong. A reader’s brain processes narrative time through cognitive beats, meaning their sense of momentum is dictated by structural rhythm rather than page count. If your story feels sluggish or chaotic, learning how to fix […]