Clarion West
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Clarion West firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clarion West
- Legal name
- Clarion West
- Website
- https://clarionwest.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clarion West industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Writing Education
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Genre Writing Workshops (Sci‑Fi, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Horror) (EDAMAMAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA), Writing, Journalism & Publishing Camps (EDAMALAM), Writing Skills & Composition Enrichment (EDAMAJAC)
Keywords
Where Clarion West is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Clarion West business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Workshop and Class Fees: Revenue from registration fees for Six-Week Workshop, Flash Fiction Groups, One-Day Workshops, Weekend Workshops, Novel Writing Workshop, and On-Demand classes. Sliding scale pricing with free access seats available.
- Donations and Fundraising: Major fundraising event (Write-a-thon) raising $20,000+ annually. Individual donations including $10,000 housing donation from David D. Levine. Named scholarship funds, memorial funds, and general donations.
- Government and Foundation Grants: Grants from National Endowment for the Arts ($10,000 multiple years), M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust (three-year Development Director grant), Amazon Literary Partnership, Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, King County 4Culture, ArtsWA.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One-time | Flash Fiction Groups - Free Access Seats |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | Flash Fiction Groups - Flat Fee |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | Flash Fiction Groups - Flat Fee + Donation |
| Hybrid | One-time | Flash Fiction Groups - Premium Tier |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | One-Day Workshops |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | Six-Week Summer Workshop |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Clarion West product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clarion West delivers intensive speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror) writing education, anchored by its flagship annual Six-Week Summer Workshop in Seattle limited to 18 students per cohort. The organization also runs a nine-month online Novel Writing Workshop, Flash Fiction Groups, a library of 30+ on-demand classes via Teachable, One-Day and Weekend Workshops, Teen Writing Camps, the Story Oracle interactive reading recommendation game, and a public Summer Reading Series. Programming is offered in-person, online, and hybrid formats, with scholarships, sliding-scale fees, and free access seats supporting underrepresented writers.
Product overview
Clarion West is a nonprofit literary organization that operates as a workshop-focused platform for emerging and underrepresented speculative fiction writers. The core offering is the acclaimed Six-Week Summer Workshop held annually in Seattle, supplemented by a nine-month Novel Writing Workshop, Flash Fiction Groups, and a library of On-Demand Classes available through Teachable. Additional programs include One-Day and Weekend Workshops, Teen Writing Camps, and the annual Write-a-thon fundraiser. The organization also manages the Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Series, an interactive Story Oracle game, and the Vonda N. McIntyre Literary Trust. The platform integrates with Stripe, PayPal, and Neon Pay for payment processing, uses NeonCRM and Salesforce for participant management, and delivers content via YouTube and Discord for community engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Six-Week Summer Workshop
- Novel Writing Workshop A nine-month online workshop where writers work to complete a first novel draft through weekly meetings and writing sessions under the guidance of an experienced novelist instructor. Delivered virtually.
- Flash Fiction Groups Four-week intensive online program where small writing groups of 6-8 writers write and submit weekly flash fiction stories, learn critique methods, and receive guidance from a Flash Fiction Mastermind. Offered on the Teachable platform with multiple pricing tiers including free access seats.
- On-Demand Classes Library of 30+ pre-recorded classes for speculative fiction writers available at any time via the Teachable platform, covering various craft topics and techniques.
- One-Day and Weekend Workshops Single-day or weekend intensive workshops focused on specific writing craft aspects, taught by world-class instructors in Seattle's University District. Priced at $130 per workshop.
- Teen Writing Camps Writing programs designed for teenage writers to develop their craft in speculative fiction genres.
- Story Oracle Interactive text-based narrative game that serves as a reading recommendation tool; players navigate a story labyrinth where their choices help divine their next book recommendations.
- Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Series Public reading series featuring workshop instructors and guest authors reading their work, hosted at venues like Seattle Public Library and Town Hall Seattle, with virtual livestream options.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40+ years of workshop operation producing influential published writers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Clarion West
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Clarion West technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature1 record
Clarion West partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Aqueduct PresscorePublisher of Vonda N. McIntyre's final novel 'The Curve of the World' as part of Clarion West's stewardship of the Literary Estate of Vonda N. McIntyre.
- Seattle Public LibrarycoreValuable venue host for Summer Reading Series in-person readings and livestreams. Partnership provides community programming bringing speculative fiction authors and readers together in public library setting.
- Town Hall SeattlecoreSite host for in-person readings and events, including collaboration on 'Speculative Seattle' storytelling project documenting genre ties to Seattle.
- University Book StoreminorBookseller partner for Summer Reading Series events.
- Tor.comminorSponsor of Flash Fiction Workshop during Write-a-thon.
- Horror Writers AssociationminorWeek 3 Write-a-thon partner providing content, interviews, and programming for the writing community.
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers AssociationminorWeek 4 Write-a-thon partner for community outreach.
- Sistah ScifiminorWeek 1 Write-a-thon partner, online boutique bookseller specializing in Afrofuturism by Black and Indigenous authors.
- Seattle Urban Book ExpominorWeek 2 Write-a-thon partner for community engagement.
- Take ThisminorWrite-a-thon weekly partner providing content and community engagement.
- Town Hall SeattlecoreWriter-in-Residence program hosting Sarah Salcedo for 'Speculative Seattle' documentary project.
- Two Hour TransportminorWeek 5 Write-a-thon partner offering writing workshop content.
- Seattle Public LibrarycorePartnership for 'Beyond Afrofuturism: Black Editors and Publishers in Speculative Fiction' series of conversations.
- Vonda N. McIntyre Literary TrustcoreLiterary estate entrusted to Clarion West in 2019 upon McIntyre's death. Clarion West coordinates publication of unpublished works and manages literary trust affairs.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clarion West competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
Regional players
- Hugo House: Seattle-based literary center offering writing classes, workshops, and readings across many genres. Overlaps geographically and on programming (readings, craft classes) but is not specialized in speculative fiction, making it more of a regional generalist peer.
Direct peers
- Clarion (UCSD): The original Clarion Workshop at UC San Diego is the most direct peer — also a multi-week intensive speculative fiction writing workshop with rotating professional instructors and competitive admission. The two Clarions share lineage and often share instructors; they are the most prestigious comparable programs in the niche.
- Lighthouse Writers Workshop: Denver-based nonprofit literary center offering multi-week workshops, classes, and a writing-focused community. Comparable nonprofit literary workshop model, though not genre-specialized like Clarion West.
- Viable Paradise Writers' Workshop: One-week residential speculative fiction workshop held annually on Martha's Vineyard, founded by Shariann Lewitt (a Clarion West graduate). Comparable format (residential, small cohort, genre-specific, rotating professional instructors) and overlapping instructor networks.
- Odyssey Writing Workshop: Six-week summer workshop specifically focused on speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror) with intensive critique methodology and small cohort size — directly comparable format and target market to Clarion West's flagship program.
- Milford Writers' Conference: Historic professional writers' conference focused on speculative fiction critique methodology, founded 1956. Small-group critique-based intensive workshop with overlapping instructor pool and target audience of professional genre writers.
- Tin House Workshops: Tin House offers multi-day craft-focused writing workshops (summer and winter) for working writers, including fiction. Comparable model of intensive, instructor-led workshops with small groups and a strong brand, though broader in genre focus than Clarion West.
Broad incumbents
- Catapult Writers House: Online and in-person writing classes across many genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry). Comparable distribution model (online cohort workshops with published-author instructors) and a broader audience base than Clarion West.
- Gotham Writers Workshop: Long-established commercial writing school offering online and in-person classes across fiction and nonfiction formats. Broader portfolio than Clarion West (no speculative-fiction specialization), but the most direct competitor in online fiction instruction.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clarion West social profiles
Digital presenceClarion West financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clarion West leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Clarion West funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clarion West M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clarion West
What does Clarion West do?
Clarion West delivers intensive speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror) writing education, anchored by its flagship annual Six-Week Summer Workshop in Seattle limited to 18 students per cohort. The organization also runs a nine-month online Novel Writing Workshop, Flash Fiction Groups, a library of 30+ on-demand classes via Teachable, One-Day and Weekend Workshops, Teen Writing Camps, the Story Oracle interactive reading recommendation game, and a public Summer Reading Series. Programming is offered in-person, online, and hybrid formats, with scholarships, sliding-scale fees, and free access seats supporting underrepresented writers.
Is Clarion West a public or private company?
Clarion West is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Clarion West founded?
Clarion West was founded in 1971. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Clarion West based?
Clarion West is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clarion West make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Workshop and Class Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and government and Foundation Grants.
Who are Clarion West's main competitors?
Cave Canem is listed as an others. Hugo House is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Clarion (UCSD), Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Viable Paradise Writers' Workshop, Odyssey Writing Workshop, Milford Writers' Conference and Tin House Workshops. Broad incumbents are Catapult Writers House and Gotham Writers Workshop.
Does Clarion West have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clarion West.
What industry is Clarion West in?
Clarion West's product category is Creative Writing Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAMAG, Genre Writing Workshops (Sci‑Fi, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Horror), with a secondary code of EDAMAMAA, Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.