Builder

Lit!Commons Builder Pathway

Participants in Lit!Commons get access to all 10 teaching artists. Rachel Werner leads the Builder pathway, which strives to help grow your understanding and approach to building a career as a writer.

Rachel creates weekly on-demand content that can fit into your busy schedule and follows up with live sessions as well as peer conversation in our shared community.

In this pathway, you'll find activities and lessons like: 

  • Interviews and insights from industry professionals
  • Tips and tricks to better market your work
  • Key approaches to establishing yourself as a working writer

Sign Up Annual Sign Up (save 20%)

Your Teaching Artist

Lit!Commons Subscribers Gain Access to All 10 Teaching Artists. The Builder path is led by Rachel Werner.

The Builder Rachel Werner

Rachel Werner is the author of the kidlit FLOODS (Capstone 2022), MOVING AND GROOVING TO FILLMORE'S BEAT (Capstone 2023), and THE GLAM WORLD TOUR (Capstone 2025) as well as several new titles in Capstone's Pebble Explore series such as ADA LOVELACE CREATES AN ALGORITHM and the forthcoming nonfiction YA title BEAUTY EMANCIPATION (Macmillian 2026). She is on faculty for Hugo House in Seattle, Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver, and the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, where she leads curricula to educate writers and content producers in marketing their work. A regular book reviewer for Shelf Awareness, she has contributed print, photography, and video content to We Are Teachers, Highlights Foundation, The Spruce Eats, TheKitchn, and MotherUntitled. Rachel is also humbled and honored to have recently been chosen by the national organization We Need Diverse Books to be a 2025 mentor for aspiring picture book authors.

The Builder Path

This curriculum will build over time. You get access to it all!

    1. Welcome from Rachel Werner

    2. What to Expect from The Builder

    3. Shared Values and Rules

    1. LitCommons Confessional w/Lit Mag Editor & Screenwriter Josh Roark

    1. How To Vet & Assess

    2. Investing In Author/Poet Readings & Book Tours

    1. LitCommons Confessional with literary agent Sara Megibow

    1. Paving the Road Toward Paid Subscribers

    1. LitCommons Confessional with editor Siân Gaetano

About this path

  • Weekly On-Demand Lessons
  • Live Follow-up Sessions
  • Shared Community