Writers' Council
Writers’ Council membership is a special, permanent designation for WFNS members who have produced a professional body of work.
Writers’ Council members are eligible for numerous competitively compensated opportunities through WFNS programs.
If your General Membership expires, you will retain your Writers’ Council membership for life and will be eligible for all Writers’ Council benefits immediately upon renewing your General Membership.
- Instructing adults: lead creative writing & professional development workshops for members and the public ($125 per hour of instruction)
- Instructing youth: present readings, talks, and workshops at Nova Scotia schools through our Writers in the Schools (WITS) program ($175 per half-day visit)
- Jurying: join juries for our numerous peer-assessed programs, prizes, and competitions ($315 + $5 per item assessed)
- Instructing adults: lead creative writing & professional development workshops for members and the public ($125 per hour of instruction)
- Mentoring & advising: assist newer writers through our Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program ($3000), Manuscript Review Program ($100 and up per manuscript, dependent on length), and Coffee Chats program ($65 per 30-minute consultation)
- Speaking & reading: participate in public events and readings ($150 for a shared reading, panel participation, or event hosting; $300 for a solo or primary reading)
- Mentoring & advising: assist newer writers through our Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program ($3000), Manuscript Review Program ($100 and up per manuscript, dependent on length), and Coffee Chats program ($65 per 30-minute consultation)
Compensation rates are noted in parentheses.
To be considered for Writers’ Council designation, the applying writer must meet the following criteria.
- You must be a current General Member of WFNS. General Membership is open to anyone with an interest in creative writing. You may check the status of your General Membership at any time in the “Memberships” tab of your Account page.
- You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- You must be 19 years of age or older.
- You must be a full-time resident of Nova Scotia or have a significant connection to Nova Scotia (such as ongoing part-time residency or past full-time residency).
- You must have produced a professional body of work that matches at least one application stream below.
Stream 1
Writer with one or more book-length literary projects published through traditional publishing agreements
Supporting documentation: A link to your book’s listing on your publisher’s website
Under a traditional publishing agreement, a publisher covers all costs (and, therefore, risks) upfront, with money flowing from the publisher to the author and not the other way around. Specifically, the publisher engages in editorial selection (meaning any submitted manuscript may be declined) and in the development and production of a selected manuscript; enters into a contract with a selected manuscript’s author(s) and other copyright holders; and provides marketing, sales, and distribution of books published under the publisher’s imprint. Furthermore, under a traditional publishing agreement, the author is not an employee or owner of the publishing company.
Stream 2
Writer with numerous literary works published in periodicals run by third-party editorial boards or committees
Supporting documentation: A list of eligible periodical publications that total 30,000 words; for each work, note the word count and provide a link to the work as published (if online) or a scan of the work as published (if in-print only)
Contact our office if you are unsure whether a periodical you have been published in counts towards your total.
Stream 3
Writer (including those with partner-, hybrid-, and self-published book-length literary projects) with a full professional membership in another literary writers’ organization whose membership is granted only after an application process
Supporting documentation: Confirmation from the organization that you are a full professional member (not merely an associate- or friend-level member) and that your membership is current, such as a link to your profile on the association’s website or a confirmation email from the organization sent directly to director@writers.ns.ca
Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to, The Writers’ Union of Canada (which accepts writers who have self-published or published through a partner or hybrid press), the League of Canadian Poets (Full membership), the Professional Writers’ Association of Canada (Professional designation), Canadian Authors’ Association (Professional designation), and CANSCAIP (Member).
Contact director@writers.ns.ca if you are unsure whether your professional designation counts or if you are a playwright, a screenwriter, or another type of writer not covered under the above.
Stream 4
Spoken word artist or storyteller with a full body of work that demonstrates a professional commitment and proficiency in their field, as determined by the Membership Committee
Supporting documentation: An outline of your performance history and involvement with the spoken word or storytelling community and links to audio tracks or videos that the Membership Committee can listen to or view online
A full body of spoken word or storytelling work may include
- a recorded studio album;
- participation on a spoken word team, including touring and competing for at least two years;
- three featured performance sets of at least 15 minutes each;
- print materials, including chapbooks, anthology contributions, publications in literary magazines, etc.; and/or
- commitment to the community through teaching or creating performance spaces for other artists.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis (that is, at any time) through the form at the bottom of this page.
Received applications are reviewed by our Membership Committee, which recommends applicants who have met requirements for formal approval at a meeting of our Board of Directors. The review and approval process usually takes from one to six weeks; however, applications submitted in July or August are not considered until September.
Upon notification of your application’s approval, you will be eligible to create a publicly accessible Writers’ Council profile on the WFNS website. You may then complete or update your Writers’ Council profile at any time in the “Writers’ Council / WITS profiles” tab of your Account page
