Carriger's first novel, Soulless, was published in 2009 by Orbit Books and earned her a nomination for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

Carriger was the guest of honor at FenCon, a science fiction convention in Dallas, Texas, in September 2011.

In July 2012, final cover art and synopsis for Etiquette & Espionage were revealed along with the announcement of an additional series set in the Parasol Protectorate world, titled The Custard Protocol.

Carriger also has a science fiction universe, the Tinkered Stars, which began with YA space adventure story Crudrat.

[14] She also has a YA space opera trilogy in this universe, the Tinkered Starsong series, which launched with the book Divinity 36, first published in 2023.