The Dreamwork Collective
The Dreamwork Collective is a Dubai-headquartered hybrid publishing house founded in 2017 that charges authors $10,000–$30,000 per project for editorial, design, distribution, and marketing services, paying 50% royalties from first sale. It also runs the Wild About Words Academy writing school and publishes literary fiction, nonfiction, and children's books globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Dreamwork Collective does
The Dreamwork Collective (TDC) is a Dubai-headquartered hybrid publishing house founded in 2017 by Kira Jean, operating as a women-led LLC with a small distributed team spanning the UAE, USA, South Africa, and Bulgaria. The company combines elements of traditional, independent, digital, and self-publishing into a single model that charges authors a one-time fee of $10,000–$30,000 per project in exchange for comprehensive editorial, design, production, distribution, and marketing services, with authors retaining 50% of book royalties from the first sale rather than earning out an advance. TDC publishes literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and children's books, with one title exceeding 80,000 copies sold and rights sold for Arabic, German, Indonesian, and French editions, making it the first GCC publisher accredited by the Venice International Film Festival.
The company's commercial engine extends beyond publishing into education via the Wild About Words Academy, which offers writing courses (AED 2,200–4,500), mentorship programs (AED 5,500–15,000), and one-on-one coaching, functioning both as a revenue stream and as a top-of-funnel channel for identifying future publishing clients. Distribution operates through a mix of owned e-commerce (thedreamworkcollective.store), global physical and digital retail, and event-based sales at literary festivals, with the Reader Rewards loyalty program driving repeat direct purchases. Marketing relies heavily on organic social, a gated email newsletter, book fairs, and earned media coverage in outlets including the BBC, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, and Harper's Bazaar Arabia.
The business operates with no external disclosed funding, no parent company, and a fully distributed 1–10 person team. Strategic positioning targets emerging, mission-driven authors in the Middle East and beyond who are underserved by traditional publishing gatekeepers and willing to pay upfront for premium editorial partnership and global distribution. Revenue is generated from four streams: hybrid publishing fees, book royalties (50% retained), Academy courses and mentorship, and ancillary event/workshop opportunities, with no proprietary technology platform and no AI/ML capability disclosed.
The Dreamwork Collective firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Dreamwork Collective
- Legal name
- The Dreamwork Collective LLC
- Website
- https://thedreamworkcollective.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Dreamwork Collective is a Dubai-headquartered hybrid publishing house founded in 2017 that charges authors $10,000–$30,000 per project for editorial, design, distribution, and marketing services, paying 50% royalties from first sale. It also runs the Wild About Words Academy writing school and publishes literary fiction, nonfiction, and children's books globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Dreamwork Collective industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing Services
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO), Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA), Children’s & YA Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAF), Publishing & Submission Prep Workshops (Query Letters, Agents, Journals) (EDAMAMAI)
Keywords
Where The Dreamwork Collective is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubai
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Dreamwork Collective business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Hybrid Publishing Fees: Authors pay a one-time hybrid publishing fee at the beginning of a project, ranging from $10,000 to $30,000, with long-term payment plans available. The fee covers editorial, design, production, distribution, and marketing services. TDC reinvests earnings into expanding distribution, marketing, reprinting, and converting books into various formats.
- Book Royalties: Authors receive 50% royalties from book sales, earned immediately (unlike traditional publishing where authors must earn out an advance first). TDC retains the remaining 50% of sales revenue.
- Writing Academy Courses and Mentorships: Revenue from Wild About Words Academy, which offers writing courses (e.g., Fiction Book Writing Course at AED 2,200 or AED 4,500), mentorship programs (3-month at AED 5,500, 6-month at AED 15,000, per-session options), and 60-minute coaching sessions. Also includes writing mentorship and publishing business mentorship programs.
- Event and Ancillary Opportunities: Authors can earn money from event opportunities, online courses, workshops, talks, and coaching offered through TDC's digital experiences, in addition to book royalties. This represents supplementary revenue from the broader author platform built around each published book.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Entry-level hybrid publishing package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Premium hybrid publishing package with PR and coaching |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fiction Book Writing Course — 6-week online course |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Writing Mentorship — 3-month program |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Writing Mentorship — 6-month program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Writing Mentorship — per session |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Dreamwork Collective product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Dreamwork Collective is a hybrid book publisher that produces literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and children's books for emerging authors from the Middle East and beyond, charging a one-time project fee and sharing 50% royalties with authors from the first sale. It complements publishing with the Wild About Words Academy, a writing school offering courses, manuscript assessments, and mentorship, plus an online bookstore and Reader Rewards loyalty program that drive book sales and consumer engagement.
Product overview
The Dreamwork Collective is a hybrid publishing company based in Dubai operating as an ecosystem for writers and readers. The core offering combines book publishing services (literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, children's books) with the Wild About Words Academy, a writing education platform. These are supported by a bookstore for direct sales, a Reader Rewards loyalty program, and the Young Writer Publishing Award for emerging young authors. The publishing arm handles the full production pipeline from developmental editing through distribution, while the Academy provides writing courses, coaching sessions, mentorship programs, and business mentorship. The company also runs a reviewer program connecting book influencers with new releases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wild About Words Academy: The company's writing school offering writing courses, manuscript assessments, and mentoring programs across fiction, non-fiction, children's books, and memoir.
Products and services
- Hybrid Book Publishing Services Full-service hybrid book publishing for literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and children's books. Includes developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, cover design, global distribution to physical and digital retailers, and marketing support. Offered to emerging authors from the Middle East and beyond at a one-time project fee of $10,000-$30,000 with 50% royalties paid to authors from the first sale.
- Wild About Words Academy The Dreamwork Collective's writing school, offering writing courses, manuscript assessments, and mentorship programs across fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and memoir. Functions as both a standalone revenue stream and a pipeline to identify and nurture future publishing clients.
- Fiction Book Writing Course Six-week online course teaching the fundamentals of writing a novel, including character development, plot structure, and narrative techniques. Available in two tiers: AED 2,200 with monthly Writer's Circle access, or AED 4,500 with a 1:1 editorial critique by the Editorial Director. Targeted at aspiring novelists.
- Writing Mentorship Program One-on-one mentorship with the Editorial Director providing manuscript revision support, writing technique coaching, character development feedback, and plot structure guidance. Available as a 3-month program at AED 5,500, a 6-month program at AED 15,000, or session bundles of 5, 10, or 20 sessions.
- 60-Minute Writing Coaching A one-on-one 60-minute coaching session with an editor to help flesh out book ideas and provide direction for writers still determining their topic. Designed as an entry point into the Dreamwork Collective's writing services for prospective authors exploring a book concept.
- Publishing Business Mentorship A six-month mentorship program with founder Kira Jean for individuals who want to launch and grow their own publishing business. Limited to two publishers per year, providing guidance on launching and operating a hybrid or independent publishing house.
- The Dreamwork Collective Bookstore Direct-to-consumer online storefront selling physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks published by The Dreamwork Collective. Supports global reader purchases of titles across literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and children's book categories.
- Reader Rewards Program A points-based loyalty program where readers register for the monthly newsletter, earn points by purchasing qualifying books and uploading proof of purchase, and redeem points for free books from The Dreamwork Collective. Drives repeat purchases and subscriber engagement.
- Young Writer Publishing Award An award program run by The Dreamwork Collective for young authors, with winners receiving support to publish their works through the publisher. Notable winners include Maddi J Ten Boemer and Yousuf Alfahim (2023 recipient for Arctic Quest of the Dragon Cats).
- TDC Reviewer Program A program that provides bloggers, bookstagrammers, and online reviewers with review copies of new TDC titles, enabling them to generate publicity and reviews for upcoming books in exchange for collaboration with the publisher.
Quantifiable outcome
- One best-selling book sold over 80,000 copies
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Dreamwork Collective
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Dreamwork Collective technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Dreamwork Collective partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Dreamwork Collective competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Wattpad: Wattpad is an online community for writers to publish and develop stories before book adaptation — overlapping with TDC's community-led go-to-market and its emerging positioning as a film-adaptable content pipeline.
Others
- IngramSpark: IngramSpark is a print-on-demand and distribution platform used by hybrid publishers including TDC itself — comparable as an enabling infrastructure peer that powers much of the global physical distribution for independent houses.
- Substack: Substack is a creator-publishing platform that monetises writers via subscriptions and ancillary products — thematically comparable as a digitally-native, author-controlled publishing model, though not a direct book-publishing competitor.
Direct peers
- BookBaby: BookBaby is a hybrid/self-publishing services company offering editorial, design, and distribution packages for a fee — the same fee-for-services-plus-royalty model that The Dreamwork Collective operates under, making it a direct hybrid publishing peer.
- Reedsy: Reedsy operates a marketplace of publishing professionals (editors, designers, marketers) and a learning platform with writing courses — directly mirroring TDC's combined Wild About Words Academy plus author-services offering.
- SparkPress: SparkPress is a hybrid trade publisher producing mainstream titles for an upfront services fee plus royalties, with strong distribution — the same hybrid model that The Dreamwork Collective runs, with overlapping author profile and genre mix.
- Wise Ink: Wise Ink is a women-led hybrid publishing house based in Minneapolis offering editorial, design, and marketing packages — comparable to TDC on size, mission-driven women-led positioning, and hybrid fee-for-services structure.
- She Writes Press: She Writes Press is a women-focused hybrid imprint (sister to SparkPress under SparkPoint Studio) that publishes authors for an upfront fee with author-friendly royalty terms — directly comparable to TDC's positioning around women-led and emerging-voice publishing.
Broad incumbents
- Hay House: Hay House is a large established publisher built on author-as-platform model combining book publishing with courses, events, and coaching — the same multi-channel revenue logic as TDC's fee-plus-ancillary model, but at meaningfully larger scale and broader category reach.
- Berrett-Koehler Publishers: Berrett-Koehler is an independent business and thought-leadership publisher that wraps books in courses, events, and ancillary content revenue — the same impact-driven, author-as-platform publishing approach that TDC uses for their nonfiction roster.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Dreamwork Collective social profiles
Digital presenceThe Dreamwork Collective compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Dreamwork Collective financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Dreamwork Collective leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Dreamwork Collective funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Dreamwork Collective 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 The Dreamwork Collective
What does The Dreamwork Collective do?
The Dreamwork Collective is a hybrid book publisher that produces literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and children's books for emerging authors from the Middle East and beyond, charging a one-time project fee and sharing 50% royalties with authors from the first sale. It complements publishing with the Wild About Words Academy, a writing school offering courses, manuscript assessments, and mentorship, plus an online bookstore and Reader Rewards loyalty program that drive book sales and consumer engagement.
Is The Dreamwork Collective a public or private company?
The Dreamwork Collective is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Dreamwork Collective founded?
The Dreamwork Collective was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Dreamwork Collective based?
The Dreamwork Collective is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does The Dreamwork Collective make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hybrid Publishing Fees are the primary driver. The others are book Royalties, writing Academy Courses and Mentorships and event and Ancillary Opportunities.
Who are The Dreamwork Collective's main competitors?
Wattpad is listed as an emerging player. Others are IngramSpark and Substack. Direct peers are BookBaby, Reedsy, SparkPress, Wise Ink and She Writes Press. Broad incumbents are Hay House and Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Does The Dreamwork Collective have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Dreamwork Collective.
What industry is The Dreamwork Collective in?
The Dreamwork Collective's product category is Book Publishing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAJAE, Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales), with a secondary code of MPAJAFAO, Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.