as far as photos go - two things, you have an uneven light source which is creating shadows and secondly, your pic is out of focus, probably as a result of a very shallow depth of field.
Taken like it is, I would add some shiney white paper at the top and to the right to bounce the light from the left onto the right hand side of the pens.
I'd also get rid of the bits and pieces in the front below the pens as it distracts from the main object, the pens.
Try and keep the background plain so that all the attention is on the pens and not the grain of the wood etc.
Good luck with your next attempt!!