For Nonfiction Authors

The Women in Publishing Summit offers sessions for authors of all levels. We’re bringing together beginner authors, writing experts, and publishing professionals to discuss a range of topics—from genre to crafting plot to working with publishing experts. If you are a nonfiction author, the following sessions are designed to support you and aspiring authors on your journeys. These sessions will provide valuable insights to enhance your writing life and refine your craft. 

While you can choose to attend any sessions for any level, these are the ones we’ve identified as most beneficial for the nonfiction author.

Don’t forget to grab your ticket today, so you can participate in these author workshops at the conference and revisit the recorded sessions throughout the year!

Day 1 – Writing/Mindset

Where to Begin: How to Start a Nonfiction Book Proposal
Sally Ekus

Senior literary agent Sally Ekus will walk first-time authors through the elements of a nonfiction book proposal. At the end of the presentation you will know: what goes into a comprehensive nonfiction book proposal that can be used to pitch agents, which section to start with, and what to do with your proposal when it is done. Sally Ekus is the President and Lead Agent at The Ekus Group, the culinary and lifestyle division of the Jean V. Nager Literary Agency. 

Hiding Real People in Real Stories
Roxanne McCarty-O’Kane

Find out what steps you can take to avoid identifying real people in your nonfiction book. Discover how to create pseudonyms, avoid compromising safety, and write about people who would rather fade into the background of your story. Since 2007, Roxanne’s unique and multi-award winning method of storytelling has changed the lives of thousands of budding authors, allowing them to bring their messages to life in nonfiction books with structure, connection to the reader and potential profit. She is a prolific ghostwriter, author, workshop facilitator, writing mentor and journalist.

How to Get Over Self-Sabotage and Back to Writing
Ania Ray

You’re busy but often, it’s mindset that challenges us more than anything else when moving forward with our books. In this session, Ania Ray will teach how to recognize and break through self-doubt and procrastination, how to build momentum and confidence in your writing process. By the time this session is over, your passion for writing with be reignited.

Writing and Editing With Your Audience in Mind
Kathy Meis

New writers often struggle with moving beyond writing the story THEY want to tell versus one readers will want to buy. In writing and editing mode, the end-goal of publishing a successful book can sometimes get lost. To publish a successful book, it’s important to consider how your book will be positioned and marketed WHILE you’re still writing and editing. Kathy Meis is the founder and CEO of Bublish, and she is a veteran ghostwriter and editor with more than 30 years of experience. 

The (Hidden) Costs & Challenges of Publishing
Karen Strauss

Learn all you need to know about getting your book published, whether working with a publisher or self-publishing on your own. Karen Strauss is the publisher of Hybrid Global Publishing. Designed to publish books by speakers and entrepreneurs and other indie authors, Hybrid Global is an independent publisher who offers author services such as editorial, custom cover and interior design, distribution and marketing. Karen has worked in publishing for more than 30 years with broad experience in all aspects of publishing, sales, marketing, strategic planning and distribution.

How to Quadruple Your Writing Productivity and Get Into Flow Faster
Stacy Ennis

Learn the neuroscience behind peak writing performance. Implement productivity hacks to write more in less time. Develop a sustainable writing practice. Stacy Ennis teaches authors productivity and time saving hacks.

Day 2 – Routes to Publication

Catching Legal Red Flags in a Memoir Before They Catch You
Tisha Morris

Learn to spot potential legal risks and what to do about them in order to minimize risks, while maintaining the literary quality of your memoir. Publishing Attorney Tisha Morris walks you through a legal checklist of defamation, invasion of privacy, copyright, and other legal red flags to help you minimize the risk of legal exposure, not to mention unnecessary legal fees. Tisha Morris is an author and the founder of Morris Entertainment Law where she practices entertainment law with a mission to help diverse voices tell their story for a better world.

Choosing the Right Fit: How to Research, Communicate with, and Hire the Right Editor for Your Work
Sara Letourneau

During this session, you’ll learn strategic, value-centered tips that will help you find not just any editor, but the right editor for you and your project. You’ll walk away with these and other takeaways: which steps to take before contacting prospective editors about your project, important questions to ask as you send out inquiries and talk to editors, and red flags to watch out for when interacting with editors. Sara Letourneau is the writing coach and editor at Heart of the Story Editorial & Coaching Services. She specializes in a wide range of fiction and nonfiction as well as poetry. Sara is also an award-winning poet.

Finding and Collaborating with Your Perfect Editor
Cristy Robinson & editor Kayleigh Merritt

Finding and working with a freelance editor can be like walking through a minefield for many new authors. Learn the do’s and don’ts of finding your editor and ensuring a healthy editorial collaboration in this presentation from indie author CC Robinson and developmental editor Kayleigh Merritt.

Cover Designers: Where to Look, How to Choose, and How to Communicate with a Pro
Zoe Norvell

Zoe Norvell will show you how to find a professional cover designer, what to look for in their portfolios, how to communicate with them, and how to arrive at an accurate budget. Zoe Norvell has been designing book covers professionally since 2011 for Big 5 Publishers, tiny poetry houses, self-publishing authors, and everything in between. In 2023, she launched INeedABookCover.com, which offers an ever-growing gallery for cover inspiration, a directory of the industry’s top talent, and a Jobs Board.

Audiobooks: From Microphone to Marketplace
Mary Catherine Jones

Mary Catherine will give an insider’s perspective on the burgeoning Audiobook industry and discuss multiple ways to create an audiobook—from bootstrapping to pro-production and everything in-between! Mary Catherine Jones is the Owner and Executive Producer of The Audiobook Experience at Voice Over Vermont. For over 15 years she has been helping authors find their voice by helping them create amazing, award winning audiobooks. 

Day 3 – Marketing & Book Launch

How to Write Six Months of Branded Content from Your Book for Increased Book Sales
Monica Miller

Monica Miller will guide published authors on leveraging their nonfiction books into a wealth of marketing content to expand their reach and boost sales. Marketing is often one of the most daunting challenges authors face after publishing, but this session will teach you how to repurpose your written content into a dynamic marketing plan that saves time, energy, and frustration. Discover how to elevate your marketing game by transforming your book into a continuous stream of engaging content that attracts new readers, clients, and opportunities.

Marketing Your Memoir So It Sells
Jennifer Wilkov

Memoir writers know that marketing their inspiring life stories in their books is 100% their responsibility but most don’t have the skillset or knowledge to create a winning marketing plan for it. It’s time to build a plan to successfully market your memoir so it sells. In this presentation, Jennifer S. Wilkov, the founder of Your Book Is Your Hook, LLC, will show you how to master the art of determining what belongs in your memoir marketing platform—and what doesn’t—before, during, and after it has been published.

Be Contagious Instead of Going Viral: The Power of Conversation In Book Marketing
Markeyla Henton

Learn how to leverage automation, messaging and tagging to make your content grow legs regardless of whether the algorithm picks it up. If you knew you had a magic touch that would make the world better, you would touch everything. Your book is your magic touch!

Book Launch Budgeting 101
Sayde Walker

In this presentation, Sayde Walker will provide a book launch budgeting primer: how much to budget for each stage of the campaign, where to cut corners (or not), and what kind of profits to expect. Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to book budgeting, so we’ll review “options” so each author can create their own plan. Sayde Walker is the managing director at Launch My Book and has a decade of experience as a journalist and marketing professional. She helps authors with book marketing and platform building.

Day 4 – Business Growth

Creating Workbooks and Programs to Expand the Reach of Your Book
Toby Dorr

Workbooks and programs give readers a personal connection to the work an author presents in their nonfiction books, allowing readers to put the lessons learned into action. This presentation will cover: tools to create workbooks and programs, important considerations for content, and what it takes to create a movement. Toby Dorr is a bestselling author and the founder of the Unleashed Series, a collection of workbooks, programs and retreats which inspire women to create fulfilling lives by focusing inward, reaching out, and lifting up. 

Beyond Courses: Crafting Immersive Learning Experiences with Digital Workbooks
Parchelle Tashi

Discover how to move beyond traditional online courses and create captivating, interactive learning experiences for your audience using innovative digital workbooks and other cutting-edge learning assets. Parchelle Tashi is an award-winning creative educator, modern day scribe and executive producer who partners with authors and thought leaders to help them repurpose and monetize their expertise as premium, profitable learning assets that create impact and additional income.

Executive Author Success: Decide the Right Nonfiction Book to Create for Your Business-, Brand- And Legacy-Building Goals
Carol Abrahamson

If you are an aspiring author seeking game-changing results from your eventual nonfiction book, this session will show you how to create a book that will lead to bigger and broader results than selling lots of books. Laced with real-world examples, this info-packed session is presented by longtime business-building publishing expert, multi-award-winning author of 42 nonfiction books and creator of The Right Book Course, Carol Abrahamson.

Building an Author Business Plan: Strategies for Success
Joyana Peters

Joyana Peters will teach you how to create a comprehensive business plan to professionalize your writing career, including branding, goal setting, marketing strategies, and exploring revenue streams. Joyana Peters is the indie author of the best-selling novels, The Girl in the Triangle and The Girl From Saint Petersburg. 

Mastering Collaborative Books for Business Success
Lanette Pottle

Contributing to or leading a collaborative book project can be a great additional source of revenue, and a wonderful way to collaborate to bring attention to you and your colleagues. Lanette Pottle will teach the key factors for a successful and profitable collaboration and how to expand your brand and credibility through multi-author books. Lanette has successfully published multiple collaborative books that have grown her community and increased her pool of clients.

What is the Women in Publishing Summit?

The Women in Publishing Summit is a four-day virtual event running from March 5 to 8. All sessions are recorded, and you can rewatch them as many times as you’d like through the end of the year. We also have networking, community-building events, and special bonus sessions. It’s a LOT of fun! The best part is that you get to be a part of the WIP community all year long with free bonus post-conference webinars, monthly networking sessions, and access to sponsor discounts.