Sarah Selecky Writing School

What Sarah Selecky Writing School does

Sarah Selecky Writing School is a privately-held, founder-operated online creative writing education platform headquartered in Picton, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2011 by author Sarah Selecky (MFA, University of British Columbia; Giller Prize-shortlisted for This Cake Is for the Party), the school serves aspiring and established fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction writers globally, positioning itself as a compassionate, non-competitive alternative to traditional MFA programs. The core curriculum blends literary craft instruction with contemplative and nervous-system-regulation practices, anchored by the flagship self-paced Story Course ($475), a six-week Essential Principles primer ($30), and a 21-day habit-building challenge ($5). The platform is delivered through Simplero, a third-party course and membership SaaS, and the school adds a cohort-based Story Course Intensive (~65 students/year), Centered monthly subscription community ($38/month), Novel Alchemy and book/revision coaching with collaborators Heidi Reimer and Sonal Champsee, and the in-person Shimmering Week retreat.

The business model is direct-to-consumer and bootstrapped, with no external funding, parent company, or institutional ownership. Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time course purchases ($5-$475), a recurring Centered subscription ($38/month), and higher-touch coaching and intensive services. Marketing is conducted almost entirely through organic channels: an email newsletter reaching tens of thousands across a dozen countries, blog content, alumni word-of-mouth, and the founder's literary reputation, including a prominent endorsement from Margaret Atwood. The teaching bench comprises 30+ alumni-turned-teachers plus guest mentors of international literary standing. Scale metrics disclosed include 2,000+ cumulative Story Course enrollments across more than 20 countries since 2011, 100+ Centered members, and 60+ named published authors among alumni. Core operations are run by a small team (Sarah Selecky as Founder, Ryan Henderson as Program Director, Laura Gendall as Community Manager) supplemented by 2 teaching assistants and the broader teacher network.

Name

Sarah Selecky Writing School

Legal name

Sarah Selecky Writing School

Website

https://sarahseleckywritingschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sarah Selecky Writing School is a privately-held, founder-operated online creative writing education platform serving aspiring and established writers globally with self-paced courses, cohort intensives, and a subscription community, positioned as a compassionate alternative to MFA programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Writing Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Writing Craft & Technique Workshops (Voice, Structure, Character, Style) (EDAMAMAH), Writing Retreats & Intensive Bootcamps (EDAMAMAK)

Keywords

• Creative writing courses
• Online writing programs
• Writing coaching services
• Fiction writing education
• Writing community membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Picton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Self-Paced Course Sales: One-time purchase of self-paced courses including The Story Course ($475), Essential Principles ($30), and 21 Days of Writing ($5).
2. Centered Membership Subscription: Monthly subscription membership providing access to daily prompts, workshops, guest mentors, book club, discussion spheres, and community resources.
3. Coaching and Mentorship Services: Individual coaching services including State of Mind Coaching, Mentorship, and First Draft Novel Coaching with select instructors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sarah Selecky Writing School delivers online creative writing education through self-paced courses (e.g., The Story Course, Essential Principles, 21 Days of Writing), cohort-based intensives (Story Course Intensive, Novel Alchemy), individual coaching and mentorship (State of Mind Coaching, First Draft Novel Coaching, Book Coaching), an in-person writing retreat (The Shimmering Week), and the Centered subscription writing community. Programs blend literary craft instruction with contemplative practices for fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction writers.

Product overview

Sarah Selecky Writing School is an online creative writing education platform offering a portfolio of programs spanning self-paced courses, cohort-based intensives, coaching services, and a subscription-based community. The core programs include The Story Course (self-paced foundational course) and The Story Course Intensive (cohort-based with personal feedback), supplemented by specialized offerings like Novel Alchemy and Book Coaching with Heidi Reimer, and the Revision Course with Sonal Champsee. The school also operates Centered, a monthly subscription community providing ongoing support, daily prompts, guest mentor workshops, and writing sessions. Additional products include the 21 Days of Writing habit-building challenge and Essential Principles contemplative writing video series. The school serves writers of all genres who want to develop craft and creative practice, positioning itself as an alternative to MFA programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centered: A membership-based practice community for fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction writers offering daily writing prompts, monthly live calls, workshops with guest mentors, a craft book club, submission Sundays, freewrites, open mic readings, and a private gathering and writing space called The Field.
• The Story Course
• Story Is a State of Mind: Essential Principles
• Story Course Intensive
• The Shimmering Week
• 21 Days of Writing
• Novel Alchemy
• Little Bird Writing Contest

Products and services

• The Story Course The foundational self-paced creative writing program teaching craft, style, and technique through fiction and short story writing; helps writers access creative flow states and develop a healthy writing practice. Priced at $475.
• The Story Course Intensive A cohort-based version of The Story Course with small groups, personal attention and feedback, and master classes from guest contributors such as Margaret Atwood, George Saunders, and Gail Carriger.
• Essential Principles (Story Is a State of Mind: Essential Principles) A six-week introductory video series on contemplative writing practice teaching six strategies that blend craft and consciousness for writing with creative curiosity. Priced at $30.
• 21 Days of Writing A 21-day writing challenge with daily prompts delivered via email, designed to help writers build a daily writing habit, with a printable progress tracker. Priced at $5.
• Centered A monthly subscription community for fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction writers offering daily writing prompts, monthly sessions with Sarah Selecky, guest mentor workshops, a craft book club, submission Sundays, freewrites, open mic readings, and private discussion spheres. Priced at $38/month.
• Novel Alchemy A program offered in collaboration with Heidi Reimer covering novel writing, including companion First Draft Novel Coaching, Manuscript Evaluation & Revision Coaching, and Book Coaching services.
• First Draft Novel Coaching 1:1 coaching service for writers working on their first novel draft, delivered with Heidi Reimer.
• Manuscript Evaluation & Revision Coaching Coaching service for evaluating and revising completed manuscripts, delivered with Heidi Reimer.
• Book Coaching with Heidi Reimer Comprehensive book coaching services for writers working with Heidi Reimer.
• Revision Course A revision course taught by Sonal Champsee focused on editing and refining manuscripts.
• State of Mind Coaching with Sarah Selecky 1:1 coaching with Sarah Selecky applying her contemplative writing practice method to individual writers.
• Mentorship with Sarah Selecky Mentorship program with Sarah Selecky for ongoing writer development and project guidance.
• The Shimmering Week An in-person writing retreat hosted by Sarah Selecky.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 named published authors among alumni
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Margaret AtwoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationally acclaimed author Margaret Atwood served as a Guest Contributor for the Story Course Intensive MindShare Session in 2013. Her endorsement ('For those asking about writing, motivation, blocks: check out the Story Course. Smart, encouraging, practical.') is prominently featured in school marketing materials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Writers Studio: Founded by Susan Burdorf, The Writers Studio teaches a methodology-based approach to writing fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction through online and in-person classes. Its explicit method-led pedagogy and small-cohort format make it a strong comparable to Sarah Selecky Writing School's intensive model.
• Writing Workshops: A direct-to-consumer online creative writing school offering classes, workshops, and intensives across multiple genres. Its online, cohort-based, and instructor-led structure closely mirrors the Story Course Intensive model.
• Faber Academy: The writing school affiliated with publisher Faber & Faber, offering online short courses, workshops, and literary retreats in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Its online course offerings and literary-editor credibility position it as a comparable brand-led creative writing education provider.
• Gotham Writers Workshop: Founded in 1993, Gotham is one of the largest private creative writing schools in North America, offering online and in-person classes across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. It is the closest direct peer to Sarah Selecky Writing School in terms of direct-to-consumer online creative writing education for adults.

Broad incumbents

• MasterClass: A premium streaming education platform featuring celebrity-tutor video courses across many disciplines, including writing classes from authors like Margaret Atwood and Joyce Carol Oates. It is a broad incumbent offering creative writing content at scale, with a much higher volume but lower personal-attention model.
• Catapult: A broader literary arts organization combining book publishing, magazines, and a workshop program offering online and in-person writing classes. Less focused than Sarah Selecky Writing School but operates in the same online creative writing education category.

Emerging players

• LitReactor: An online community and workshop platform specializing in creative writing classes, with a craft-focused, peer-driven model. Its online workshop format and community monetization model parallel aspects of the Sarah Selecky Writing School.
• Creative Writing Ink: A growing online school offering short, method-driven creative writing courses in fiction and nonfiction. It is a comparable emerging direct-to-consumer creative writing education provider targeting aspiring writers.

Regional players

• The Loft: A Minnesota-based nonprofit literary center offering online and in-person classes, workshops, and manuscript critique services. Comparable as a community-supported creative writing education provider, though primarily U.S.-focused.
• StoryStudio: A Canadian creative writing school based in Ontario that offers online courses, certificates, and workshops across fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. It is a direct regional competitor in the Canadian creative writing education market where Sarah Selecky Writing School operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SarahSeleckyWS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sarah Selecky Writing School