Build a brand, cultivate your audience, always have the next book poised to release: that's all, rather broad advice for authors who want to learn how to write full-time. You hear these things all the time for a reason, though; it's just a matter of figuring out how to do it all. Author and book coach Lisa Daily has collected techniques from various 7-figure authors, and is here to lay out what you need to do to take your author career to the next level--or the next tax bracket.

Beta reader feedback can be such an important tool to writers as they polish their manuscripts, and it can also be an overwhelming challenge to incorporate. From soliciting readers to receiving feedback, from internalizing conflicting perspectives to inputting the changes you decide to keep, it's a lengthy but invaluable process. Historical fiction author Beth Ford knows her way around the beta reader block, and she's here to lay out tips on how to approach the process.

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.