I’m an aspiring author. That means that every day I write, edit, query, and write some more. It means I attend conferences, network, and sit in crowded rooms “speed dating” with agents, hoping that one will choose to represent my work.

I’m also a Literary Agent Intern. That means that I watch as other people are chosen for representation while I keep querying each and every day. It means that I slog through hundreds of emails a month from the slush pile, hoping I can make another author’s dreams come true. It also means that I see the realities behind publication — that it takes work, grit, and a willingness to accept a few honest truths.

Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned while playing on both sides of the publishing fence:

Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of research on how one can make a living with their writing.

It’s my aim in 2019 to publish my first non-fiction book, Build Your Best Writing Life, which is the first step in transforming my creative business model from a focus on digital information products to one that’s built on publishing. Needless to say, I’ve been learning a lot as I’ve researched, and though I’m currently focused on non-fiction publishing, most of what I’ve learned applies to fiction writers as well.

If, like me, you’ve often wondered if you can truly make a living with your writing, then buckle in, my friend. Today, I’m breaking down a few common myths about what a writing career looks like, sharing whether (and how!) it’s possible to make a living publishing fiction, and doling out the questions you should ask to determine if pursuing a career in writing is right for you. Shall we dive in?

As with much of anything, there are both advantages and disadvantages to self-publishing your fiction.

A few weeks back, we covered the pros and cons of pursuing a traditional book deal as a means of publishing your fiction and building a career in writing. Today, we’re flipping the tables and discussing the very same for self-publishing!

Do you think self-publishing might be the right choice for your fiction?

If you haven’t already, I recommend first checking out the other self-publishing articles in our publishing series before getting started with today's breakdown. You can find these articles here and here.

All caught up? Fantastic. Let’s jump straight into the pros & cons of self-publishing today!

There are many ways to self-publish a book.

If you're simply looking to make your book available online for whomever would like to read it, it's entirely possible to self-publish without spending a dime. 

If, however, you're interested in self-publishing a book that can rival the quality of those produced by traditional publishing houses, a few expenses will indeed come into play.

Throughout our publishing series, we've taken a look at both traditional and self-publishing options as a means of launching our writing careers. With that in mind, let's break down the costs of self-publishing a professional quality novel today.

Both traditional and self-publishing routes give authors the opportunity to share their stories with the world while building their writing careers. But which publishing path you pursue shouldn’t be decided on a whim.

There are disadvantages to working within the publishing industry just as there are for indie authors publishing online. Knowing the pros and cons of both publishing routes is the key to making the best choice for your writing career. 

Last week, in the second installment of our publishing series, we broke down the path debut authors are likely to experience should they choose to pursue traditional publishing.

If you’re brand new to publishing and are unsure of how traditional book deals work, I encourage you to check out that article first. Then, come back to today's post for an in-depth look at the pros and cons of working within the traditional publishing industry.

Sound good? Let's dive in!

If you’re gearing up to publish your first book, then you might be wondering what the traditional publishing process looks like. What’s involved in finding and signing with a literary agent? How exactly do you land a book deal? And what happens after you ink your name on the dotted line? In today's article, Kristen breaks down an overview of the process that most debut authors follow as they build careers within the traditional publishing industry.

Choosing the perfect title for a story is tough. There's no real process to it, no formula. Or is there?

Despite being one of my most requested articles, I delayed writing this piece on titling because I never quite knew what tips to offer. The whole process seemed so subjective! But the other week I had a revelation; there's far more of a science to choosing the perfect book title than I'd suspected.

After studying book titles pretty intensively these past few weeks, I realized that whether a book is plot- or character-driven often has a big impact on how it's titled. Sounds strange, right? But the data doesn't lie, writer. So if you're struggling to choose the perfect title for your latest story, buckle in. You're going to love today's breakdown.

Hello, writers! Kristen here. Today, I'm excited to welcome my first guest writer of 2016 to the Well-Storied blog. Maria Ribas is a writer and literary agent and the blogger behind Cooks & Books, where she shares fantastic advice for fiction and non-fiction writers alike.

Today, Maria is here to talk to with us all about a few healthy habits highly successful authors practice that make literary agents want to jump for joy. If you're looking to build a successful career in publishing, these are the tips for you! Now without any further ado, I'll hand the reins over to Maria...