Cosmic Writers

What Cosmic Writers does

Cosmic Writers is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 at the University of Pennsylvania that provides free and low-cost creative writing education programs to K-12 students across the United States. The organization runs three core program lines: Levin Word Camp, a free virtual summer camp for rising 3rd-8th graders; Cosmic Coaching, a free virtual one-on-one writing mentorship and drop-in coaching program; and Curriculum and Workshop Programs, modular K-12 creative writing curriculum (organized by grade band K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and across 40+ genre-specific workshop topics) licensed to educators and delivered in-person in the NYC and Philadelphia regions.

The organization's commercial product surface centers on The Monster-Building Handbook, a guided creative writing activity book published in June 2024 in paperback ($9.95), ebook ($5.95), and Spanish editions, accompanied by a $1.95 Educator's Guide with national standards alignment. A 2025 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist nomination validates the product. Programs are delivered over Zoom using downloadable resources and activity books; the platform relies on a volunteer network of 40+ student teaching artists sourced from UPenn, NYU, Barnard and other universities, supplemented by author ambassadors including Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan.

The business model is hybrid nonprofit: core programs are funded by charitable donations and grants (EIN 87-2494214, listed on GuideStar), with supplemental revenue from activity book sales across the organization's own storefront, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, plus branded merchandise. Channel-partner distribution is core to scaling—partnerships span NYPL, Free Library of Philadelphia, UPenn Kelly Writers House and GSE, Philadelphia School District, NYC Department of Education, National Writing Project, and the New Jersey State Library. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (Co-Chairs Joan Lipitz and Adam Steinhaus) and an Advisory Board, with no outside venture or equity investment.

Name

Cosmic Writers

Legal name

Cosmic Writers

Website

https://cosmicwriters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cosmic Writers is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free virtual creative writing education programs—summer camps, one-on-one mentoring, and K-12 curriculum—to students nationwide, supplemented by activity book and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Creative Writing Education

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & YA Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA), Writing Craft & Technique Workshops (Voice, Structure, Character, Style) (EDAMAMAH), Writing Skills & Composition Enrichment (EDAMAJAC), Writing, Journalism & Publishing Camps (EDAMALAM)

Keywords

• Creative writing education
• Youth writing programs
• Virtual writing workshops
• Educator curriculum resources
• Children's activity books

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Cosmic Writers relies on charitable donations from individuals and grants from foundations and corporate sponsors to fund free programs.
2. Activity Book Sales: Sale of The Monster-Building Handbook and related educational materials through the organization's store, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts (youth and adult sizes) through the online store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cosmic Writers provides free creative writing education programs for K-12 students, including virtual summer camps (Levin Word Camp), one-on-one writing mentorship (Cosmic Coaching), and modular curriculum resources for educators. The organization also sells The Monster-Building Handbook activity book and branded merchandise through its online store and major retailers to supplement program funding.

Product overview

Cosmic Writers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering multiple interconnected creative writing education programs and products. Core offerings include: Levin Word Camp (free virtual summer camp), Cosmic Coaching (free virtual one-on-one mentorship and drop-in Friday Night Writes sessions), and Curriculum/Workshop Programs (educator-facing modular curriculum licensed by grade band K-12). The flagship product is The Monster-Building Handbook, an activity book available in paperback, ebook, and Spanish edition, supplemented by an Educator's Guide. Additional offerings include the Writing Democracy contest, branded merchandise (t-shirts), and community engagement programs. The organization focuses on K-12 students with programming delivered via partnerships with libraries, schools, universities, and community organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Monster-Building Handbook: Award-winning creative writing activity book where writers build an original monster character to face off against monster-hunter Mortimer Fearborne. Published June 2024, priced at $9.95, with Spanish edition available.
• Levin Word Camp
• Cosmic Coaching
• Writing Democracy

Products and services

• The Monster-Building Handbook (Paperback) Activity book for young writers ages 8-12 (grades 3-8) who create an original monster character, build its lair, take it on a training quest, and write a story of confrontation with monster-hunter Mortimer Fearborne. Features 34 pages of guided writing exercises. Priced at $9.95.
• The Monster-Building Handbook (Ebook) Digital version of The Monster-Building Handbook for reading on computer, phone, or tablet. Finalist in the 2025 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (children's/YA category). Priced at $5.95 with digital ISBN 979-8-9905866-1-1.
• The Educator's Guide to The Monster-Building Handbook Digital curriculum guide for educators featuring national standards alignment, supplemental projects, and complete class curriculum for guiding students through The Monster-Building Handbook activity book. Priced at $1.95.
• El Manual de Construcción de Monstruos (Spanish Paperback) Spanish language physical edition of The Monster-Building Handbook activity book for Spanish-speaking young writers. Priced at $9.95 per copy.
• El Manual de Construcción de Monstruos (Spanish Ebook) Spanish language digital edition of The Monster-Building Handbook activity book for Spanish-speaking young writers. Priced at $5.95 per digital copy.
• Cosmic Coaching Free virtual one-on-one writing mentorship program for young writers of all ages. Includes Standing Coaching (8-week cohort with weekly sessions matched to genre expert coaches) and Friday Night Writes drop-in coaching (weekly virtual and in-person sessions in partnership with UPenn GSE and Philadelphia Writing Project).
• Levin Word Camp Free virtual creative writing summer camp for rising 3rd-8th grade writers held during two weeks in July. Features multiple genre-specific workshops taught by undergraduate students, optional one-on-one office hours, and digital anthology output. Maximum 20 campers per workshop.
• Curriculum and Workshop Programs Modular creative writing curriculum for educators with workshops organized by grade level (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12). Topics include poetry, fiction, worldbuilding, graphic novels, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian/utopian fiction, podcasting, theater, and entrepreneurship. Available for 1-session or 5-session formats; instructors can be hired to teach in-person in NYC and Philadelphia areas.
• Writing Democracy Contest Annual dystopian and utopian fiction contest in collaboration with vote.org, inviting young writers in grades 3-12 to express beliefs about democracy through speculative fiction. Includes free educator curriculum resources by grade band.
• Unisex Cosmic Writers T-shirt (Adult) Adult-sized branded t-shirt representing the organization. Available in sizes S-5XL, starting at $25.00. 100% cotton, 5.0-5.3 oz/yd² fabric weight.
• Unisex Cosmic Writers T-shirt (Youth) Youth-sized branded t-shirt representing the organization. 100% cotton, 5.0-5.3 oz/yd² fabric weight, open-end yarn, tubular fabric. Price: $22.00.

Quantifiable outcome

• Literacy skills skyrocket for program participants, with creative writing proving effective at teaching narrative structure, transitions, and writing length comparable to traditional essay instruction.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New York Public Library (NYPL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYPL is listed as a current and past program partner where Cosmic Writers provides creative writing programming and curriculum resources.
• Kelly Writers House (University of Pennsylvania)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrigin point for Cosmic Writers; founded out of Kelly Writers House. Ongoing partnership for instructor recruitment and program support. Home of Friday Night Writes partner program.
• Free Library of PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a current and past program partner where Cosmic Writers provides creative writing workshops and resources.
• National Writing Project (NWP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a program partner supporting creative writing education initiatives.
• Philadelphia School DistrictcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistrict-level partnership for bringing creative writing curriculum and programming into public schools.
• NYC Department of EducationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCity-level partnership for providing creative writing curriculum and workshops to NYC public schools.
• IATE OnlineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a program partner supporting online creative writing education.
• New Jersey State LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a program partner providing creative writing resources through library systems.
• University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-partner with Philadelphia Writing Project in the Friday Night Writes program, providing drop-in writing coaching and in-person sessions at Gutmann College House.
• Philadelphia Writing ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-partner with UPenn GSE in Friday Night Writes program, providing drop-in writing coaching for young writers.
• vote.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with vote.org for the Writing Democracy contest, inviting young writers to use dystopian and utopian fiction to express beliefs about democracy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Time4Writing: Time4Writing offers online writing courses and tutoring for elementary through high school students with instructor-led lessons; comparable in product (online K-12 writing instruction, virtual delivery) and target customer, though operates as a paid subscription service.
• Brave Writer: Brave Writer provides online writing curricula, classes, and coaching for homeschool and parent-led learners; comparable in product (writing instruction programs, parent/educator as buyer), age range, and at-home delivery model, though more focused on the homeschool segment.

Regional players

• New York City Writing Project: NYCWP is an NYC-based regional site of the National Writing Project offering professional development and writing programs for teachers and students; comparable in mission (writing education access), educator partnerships, and nonprofit structure, but regionally focused on NYC.

Direct peers

• National Writing Project: National Writing Project is a national nonprofit focused on improving writing instruction through teacher professional development and classroom resources; directly comparable in mission (expanding access to writing education), educator-facing curriculum model, and university-network-driven structure.
• Writopia Lab: Writopia Lab operates creative writing workshops and one-on-one coaching for kids and teens, both virtually and in-person; highly comparable in product (workshops, mentorship), customer base (K-12 writers), and premium/freemium pricing model, though more commercially priced.
• 826 National: 826 National is a nonprofit network of youth writing and tutoring centers offering free creative writing programs for K-12 students; comparable in mission, target audience (school-age writers), volunteer-driven delivery model, and nonprofit funding structure.

Broad incumbents

• Scholastic: Scholastic is a large, established children's publisher and literacy education provider with books, classroom magazines, and educator resources; comparable in product category (children's writing/literacy content) and K-12 educator channel, but operates at vastly greater scale across a broader portfolio.
• HippoCampus (NROC / Khan Academy-aligned writing tools): Khan Academy offers free online educational content including writing instruction for K-12 learners; comparable in free-to-student delivery, virtual format, and K-12 audience, but operates as a broad free education platform rather than a writing-specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cosmic-writers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Cosmic Writers