Our regular Taking Care of Business series offers multiple professional development workshops for a single, low registration fee.
Register for the series at any time, attend whichever workshops you like, and gain access to all instructors’ slides and to any supplementary notes prepared by series host, WFNS Program Manager Andy Verboom. You’ll get tips for literary success from experienced authors and, whenever you attend, have the chance to ask your own questions during each workshop’s 30-minute Q&A.
Click the tabs below for workshop details.
Strategic Planning for Career-Focused Authors
Don’t let your career planning end up like your plans for the gym in January: great for a month or two but then taking a back seat as you get caught up in how crazy life is.
Enter the “Strategic Plan”! One document that does it all—from solidifying your brand, understanding the market and where you fit in it, to marketing strategies and, yes, writing and marketing timetables.
Using her own personal template, Donna will lead you through developing a customizable strategic plan unique to you—and come away with a career roadmap that frees up more time to do your number one job: write fantastic books.
In session 1 (Feb 6), you’ll carve out your writer identity, articulate what makes your writing unique, and set some short and long-term goals. In session 2 (Feb 13), you’ll start making solid plans to achieve those goals on a timeline that works for you.
About the instructor: Since 2006, New York Times bestseller Donna Jones Alward has enchanted readers with stories of happy endings and homecomings that have won several awards and been translated into over a dozen languages. She’s worked as an administrative assistant, as a teaching assistant, in retail, and as a stay-at-home-mom but always knew her degree in English Literature would pay off, as she is now happy to be a full-time writer. Her new historical fiction tales blend her love of history with characters who step beyond their biggest fears to claim the lives they desire. Her latest book about the Halifax Explosion, When the World Fell Silent, is a Toronto Star and Globe and Mail bestseller.

Pitch Your Nonfiction Book
Jon managed to publish seven books before he realized he was going about it all wrong. During his Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction (2020), he met with key editors and agents in Canada and the US and learned why his previous pitches had died in the email. These editors and agents helped him figure out the right way to pitch, and his next two book deals were worth 5x and 10x his previous advances.
Jon will share those lessons with you to maximize your chance of getting attention and moving into the national publishers and agencies. He’ll also explain the difference between the commercial and cultural presses and how to figure out which is your best home.
About the instructor: Jon Tattrie operates Write Now! with Jon Tattrie, a book-birthing business in Nova Scotia. He is the author of nine books, ranging from the founding of Halifax in the 1750s (Cornwallis: The Violent Birth of Halifax) to the founding of Peace By Chocolate in the 2010s (Peace by Chocolate). His other books include The Hermit of Africville and Redemption Songs. His next book is the forthcoming biography I Leave A Warrior Behind: The Life and Stories of Charles R. Saunders. He has interviewed thousands of people in his 20-year journalism career. He holds a Master’s of Fine Arts from the University of King’s College. He has taught writing for decades, including at Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College.

Hook, Line, & Publisher: Writing a Successful Fiction Query
Ready to take the first (or second) step toward finding an agent or publisher for your book-length fiction? A compelling query letter is essential. This workshop will cover the essential components of a fiction query letter and explain why they matter. Learn how to present your book and yourself in a way that grabs attention while staying professional. We’ll discuss when and how to break the “rules” with confidence and style, and we’ll explore how your query can showcase your voice and hint at what readers will love about your writing. It’s about what you say and how you say it.
About the instructor: donalee Moulton’s first mystery novel is Hung out to Die (2023). Her historical mystery, Conflagration! (2024), won the 2024 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense (Historical Fiction) from the Crime Writers of Canada. donalee is also an award-winning freelance journalist, having written articles for print and online publications across North America, including The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Lawyer’s Daily, National Post, and Canadian Business. As well, donalee is the author of The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say.

Promoting the Hell Out of It: Building a Book Promotion Plan & Relationships with Booksellers
Writing your book and getting it published is often just the beginning of the work. If you publish traditionally, your publisher will help, but the bulk of the real work is up to you: interviews, readings, signings, social media posts, and events. No one cares about and knows your book as well as you do, and no one can promote it as well either.
This workshop emphasizes the importance of a “long-game” book promotion mindset and includes a basic communications plan template and discussion of the benefits and influence of traditional and social media options. Wanda will share stories of what has worked for her, and she’ll talk about the importance of developing relationships with booksellers, both independent and corporate.
About the instructor: Wanda Baxter lives on an old farmstead in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, with her long-time partner, Randy, their gregarious cat George, and an ever-changing assortment of wildlife. She has masters degrees in English (with Creative Writing) and Environmental Design, and she works primarily for environmental non-profit organizations. Wanda’s much-loved book If I had an Old House on the East Coast (illustrated by Kat Frick Miller) is in its 4th printing. Her new book for young readers, She is Hope for Wildlife (illustrated by Leah Boudreau), is based on the life and work of Hope Swinimer, founder and director of the wildlife rescue Hope for Wildlife. She is currently promoting the hell out of it.

Magic for Writers: Giving (& Receiving) Powerful Feedback
Writing groups are magic for writers, allowing us to make leaps forward in our thinking and imagining. But how to conjure that magic?
This workshop is focused on the simple beauty of writers helping other writers revise and elevate their work. We’ll talk about how to go deep into understanding our colleagues’ poetry or prose and how to give effective feedback to them, both within groups and in written form (when we don’t have the chance to sit down in person). We’ll also discuss how to receive and use feedback in our own work. You’ll leave the workshop feeling inspired to form new writing groups, and with a handout outlining concrete strategies for this highly rewarding, collaborative revision work.
About the instructor: Tricia Snell recently published two chapbooks, Nellie (fiction, 2024) and Rooted (poetry, 2023) through the Little Books Collective. Tricia’s short story, “Out to the Horses,” was longlisted for the 2019 CBC Short Story Prize and appeared in Room magazine. Another story of hers, “A Glass of Vodka,” was included in the NPR Radio show, The Sound of Writing. Over the past thirty years, her writing has appeared in a variety of journals and newspapers, and she has taught writing & literature from her own studio, in community writing centres, and in universities. She lives in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

Recommended experience level: This edition of Taking Care of Business addresses topics most relevant to emerging, early-career, and established authors, but new writers and professional authors are also welcome to attend (About recommended experience levels)
Participant cap: none
Location: Zoom
Dates of 1- and 2-night workshops: Thursdays, Jan 30 + Feb 6 & 13 + Feb 20 + Feb 27 + Mar 6, 2025 (7:00pm to 8:30pm Atlantic)
Registration for 2025 General Members: $69
Registration for non-members: $134 (includes 2025 General Membership in WFNS)