To get an MFA or not to get an MFA is a question that many serious writers ponder at some point in their writing careers, and there is, of course, no “right” answer; it depends on each individual writer. However, in a time when it seems like an MFA is a necessary step in a writer's career, some voices are cropping up to point out that often the opposite can be true. Acclaimed author and MFA professor Randall Silvis lays out all the things writers need to consider before they choose to pursue an MFA, and his input could make all the difference.

With each new personality test comes a fresh perspective on developing and writing compelling characters for your stories, and the Myers-Briggs Index is no exception. With four axes of personality descriptions combined into 16 distinct personality types, the Myers-Briggs Index can also be used to write character development. A.W. Baldwin, multi-award-winning author, talks through how to shape and sharpen your characters using the Myers-Briggs Index.

Celebrities and social media influencers are the biggest phenomenon in influencing buying practices we've seen yet, and even just one influencer shouting out your book can completely change its sales trajectory for the better. Getting your book in front of celebrities and influencers is an interesting--not impossible--task. Emily Florence, a former entertainment publicist for shows like American Idol and Gilmore Girls as well as a writer for outlets like Forbes and The Huffington Post, is here to give her advice on how you can get your book into the hands of big names.

As an author of ten novels, AJ Eversley is no stranger to the manuscript drafting and editing process. She's seen her fair share of filler words, excessive info-dumping, and flat characters. But that also means she has developed techniques to spot these flaws in her first draft and correct them for an iron-strong final draft. She shares some of her tried-and-true strategies with us in this episode.

Publishing a book doesn't tend to pay the bills, so authors are turning more and more to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter to support themselves and their work. It's not as simple as throwing a campaign up on the site and letting it run itself, though. Luckily, award-winning author and accomplished Kickstarter runner David Hankins has loads of advice on how to maximize your own campaign, so you can jump into the process prepared.

Some writing tips are specific to genre, but there are at least a few critical tools that writers need to know no matter what kind of prose they're writing. Understanding perspective, utilizing storytelling, and crafting sentence structure and rhythm will all level up your writing. Developmental and copy editor Katie Chambers gives us how-to advice to help you address these elements of your manuscript and take your draft from an 8 to a 10.

Whether you pursue traditional or hybrid publishing is an important decision for authors to make, but on top of that it's also worth considering whether to work with a literary agent. Literary agents give authors crucial connections to publishers and are full of key guidance to help you realize your publishing dreams. Agent and editor Amy White explains the role of literary agents, as well as why and how authors should enter into this relationship to advance their goals.

The editing process is a crucial step toward publication for authors to take, but it can also be an overwhelming one. There's new jargon to learn, new relationships to build, and new expectations to set. Editor and writing consultant Mary Vensel White has tons of advice for writers to know before they enter into a contract with an editor, so tune in and take notes, because you'll want to have a solid understanding of the editing process to take your book to the next level.

No matter what genre you're writing in or what age group you're writing for, book series are quite the beast to tackle. E. L. Tenenbaum is a writer of multiple series, so she has the much-needed experience to lay out tips on how you can write your own series. From identifying the unique challenges of your project to keeping yourself organized to triple-checking your work, these tips will help you stay on track.

As the podcast market grows, every author is turning to podcasts to promote their books. But with a non-zero learning curve and a novel's worth of podcast types, niches, and angles, it's hard to know where to start. Y. M. Nelson comes at this topic from both sides of the mic as an author and podcaster. She gives us advice on how authors can find podcasts, put together a solid pitch, make your appearance, and market published episodes so that you can become a sought-after podcast guest in your own right.