EVERYTHING You Need to Launch Your Writing Career
Or at least 14 things that are actually worth your time
Hey! I’m Shel.
I’m a co-founder of Chill Subs, Forever Workshop’s mom. Jo’s been hauling ass this month with these toolkits, and since I spend a fair amount of time in the ✨Business✨ side of the industry, figured I’d get this one.
To be honest, up until 4 years ago, I didn’t know anything about the literary space aside from that writers are smart and hot — which is lowkey how I got here, BUT THIS ISN’T ABOUT ME.
This is about you and your writing career. So here’s a few tools I’ve noticed writers who advance particularly quickly tend to leverage…
A Writing Career Toolkit
Creative Marketing (It’s not what you think)
Writers are notoriously reluctant to market themselves (hi introverts), but here are four ways that help make a creative person stand out:
Their literary bio reads differently than most (because of wording, not accolades):
They utilize social media in an interesting and effective way (while not letting their 'social media strategy’ rule their life):
They have a newsletter/email list, which is the 2025 version of owning land. Courtney Kocak takes you step-by-step through the process of creating a newsletter that slaps:
They recognize the It Factor. These folks are particularly good at identifying what works for others, understanding why, and then applying it to their own endeavors. Erin breaks down exactly how to do that here:
Reading (It’s exactly what you think)
You hear it all of the time because it’s true. The best way to be a better writer is to read more. Of course, nothing is simple, so it can be helpful to go in with a reading strategy and if you want one, we got you.
For our poets, here Shannan Mann teaches you how to develop a personal literary cannon to ensure your inspiration is well rounded:
For our fiction friends, Jo Gatford shows you how to implement literary techniques, phrases, themes and ideas inspired by others, while still maintaining your own authentic voice:
For our non-fiction folks, Andrea A. Firth confirms the best way to learn what makes a good personal essay is to read good personal essays:
High-Impact Areas of Craft
Back to the It Factor thing. These folks understand the what captivates readers and devote themselves to getting reeeallly good at these areas of the craft. Here’s a few I hear mentioned time and time again by editors, professors and agents alike.
Unexpected, well-executed humor is rare because it’s so tough to pull off. But if you can land it, editors will notice and readers will love you. Alex Baia shows us how:
Similarly, realistic dialogue is super hard to do, but when you nail it, your work will be dramatically more engaging. Lauren Veloski’s advice is a masterclass in how to do it:
Your best work reveals itself in the editing process. And learning how to self-edit is one of the most important skills you can develop as a writer. Some great advice (and real life examples) from steve chang right here:
When it comes to sentences, most of us are building off the basics we learned in 6th grade. But when a writer has an understanding of the sentence at a granular level, you can tell right away — and its damn impressive. Over to Nina Schuyler for everything you need to know about how a sentence actually works:
Being Good (Enough) at People
One of the biggest misconceptions about writing is that it’s a solitary endeavor. Turns out it’s not, which is annoying. Rubbing elbows and kissing babies isn’t for everyone, so here are a few alternative way to network that you can enjoy even if you’re not super outgoing.
A great way to land a fancy schmancy byline, make valuable connections, and learn a shit-ton in the process is to interview people you admire.
Probably one of the best tips that I’ve ever heard for this is to check when that person has a book coming out and pitch them then. And there are more great tips in this lesson from steve chang:
Also, don’t sleep on book reviews. You get to read and get paid while you network:
Volunteering as a reader or even starting your own lit mag is an excellent way to make connections in the industry. You’ll learn what editors look for, get all the hot goss, and (usually) don’t have to leave your house. As always, Benjamin Davis has all the info you need on the world of lit mags:
Alrighty. Well, again, I’m not a writer, so closing this out in a skilled way will take me three hours to manage, which I don’t have, so… Thank you for being here from the bottom of my heart. If you have any questions…
and if you didn’t hate this and aren’t subscribed yet….
Very best always,
<3 Shel
still working on step 1, writing a book that is worth reading. But my level of skill has been fast approaching my level of taste. Aiming for the end of the year. Starting a total rewrite this week.
This is so helpful, thanks!