As an author, I've built an extensive portfolio of hundreds of newspaper columns and dozens of magazine features. My ambitions are grounded in works of that scope, as the creativity and dedication to pursue anything lengthier has eluded me. That may not always be the case: I am currently studying the works of literary journalists and can see how I may someday find a topic I wish to turn into a story. But though I enjoy reading fiction more than non-fiction, I lack the confidence (or perhaps the hubris) to think my talent lies in spinning yarns out of whole cloth.

Perhaps that limitation is founded not in pessimism, but realism. With the conclusion of NaNoWriMo only a day behind us, I can't help but wonder how many aspiring novels are having this conversation today:

(Hat tip to Dayton Ward)

Writing a novel is a lofty ambition that involves years of hard work. But that's just the beginning of the long process that gets your story into the hands of readers. Courtesy Macmillan Publishers comes the rest of the tale in this behind-the-scenes look at modern-day book editing and production: