What Schrijversacademie does

Schrijversacademie was a privately held Dutch creative writing school headquartered in Leiden, Netherlands, operating from 2013 until ceasing new enrollments on July 1, 2025. The company served aspiring and professional writers through a structured curriculum: a foundational "Basisopleiding Schrijven" (Base Writing Education) followed by specialization modules spanning creative writing genres (novels, short stories, children's books, poetry, fantasy, thriller, screenwriting, autobiography, family stories, columns/blogs) and professional writing disciplines (journalism, editing, business editing, storytelling). Instruction was delivered by a network of 26 practicing authors and editors at five physical locations across the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Breda, Leiden, Utrecht, Zwolle), supplemented by a Digital Learning Environment (DLO) for online collaboration, assignment submission, and peer feedback.

The company's revenue model was anchored on course tuition, charged per specialization module with annual payment discounts available, supplemented by event ticket revenue from the annual Schrijversdag (Writers' Day) at €175 per attendee, and ancillary fees such as €50 for missed-lesson replacements and €69 administration fees for postponed courses. The go-to-market was sales-led with strong community elements: study advisors guided prospective students, an annual Schrijversdag event served as both product and marketing channel, and a "Wall of Fame" of published alumni functioned as social proof. Marketing channels included content marketing, email, social media, and paid digital advertising via Google and Meta.

Schrijversacademie operated as part of NTI within the Salta Group, a Dutch education conglomerate, and held ISO certification along with NRTO and CRKBO registrations, enabling VAT-exempt education services. The school maintained a 9.4/10 Trustpilot rating and had produced numerous published alumni through major Dutch publishers. In May 2025, the company launched an English-language Creative Writing Course in Amsterdam targeting non-Dutch speakers, shortly before announcing the cessation of new student intake.

Name

Schrijversacademie

Legal name

Schrijversacademie

Website

https://schrijversacademie.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Closed

Short description

Schrijversacademie was a Dutch creative writing school in Leiden, Netherlands, offering foundation and specialization courses in fiction, poetry, journalism, and business writing, delivered in-person across five Dutch cities and via a digital learning platform. It served aspiring and professional writers under parent group Salta.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Writing Education

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Writing Retreats & Intensive Bootcamps (EDAMAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genre Writing Workshops (Sci‑Fi, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Horror) (EDAMAMAG), Playwriting & Scriptwriting Workshops (Stage) (EDAMAMAD), Writing Skills & Composition Enrichment (EDAMAJAC)

Keywords

• Creative writing courses
• Writing school
• Professional writing training
• Writing specializations
• Creative writing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Leiden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition: The primary revenue stream comes from enrollment fees for writing courses and specializations. Students pay for full programs or individual specialization modules. The organization offers flexible payment options including annual payment with discounts.
2. Event Tickets: Revenue generated from the annual Schrijversdag (Writers' Day) event at €175 per participant. Students attend the first Schrijversdag for free as part of their enrollment.
3. Replacement Lesson Fees: A €50 fee is charged when students need to replace a missed lesson with an assignment during basic modules.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Schrijversacademie is a Dutch writing school that delivers structured writing education programs through in-person classes at five Dutch locations and a Digital Learning Environment (DLO). Its offering comprises a foundational Base Writing Education plus specialization modules covering creative writing (novels/short stories, children's books, poetry, fantasy/sci-fi, thriller, screenwriting, autobiography, family stories, columns/blogs) and business writing (journalism, editing, business editing, storytelling), supplemented by an English-language Creative Writing Course and an annual Schrijversdag event.

Product overview

Schrijversacademie is a Dutch creative writing school offering a comprehensive portfolio of writing education programs. The core offering consists of a Basisopleiding Schrijven (Base Writing Education) that serves as the foundation, followed by multiple specialization modules covering creative writing genres (novels/short stories, children's books, poetry, fantasy, thriller, scenario, autobiography, family stories, columns/blogs) and business writing disciplines (journalism, editing, business editing, storytelling). The program is delivered through in-person courses at locations across the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Breda, Leiden, Utrecht, Zwolle) and a Digital Learning Environment (DLO) for online collaboration. An English-language variant, the Creative Writing Course, was introduced in 2025. The institution also organizes the annual Schrijversdag event. As of July 1, 2025, the school has ceased accepting new students but continues supporting existing students through program completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basisopleiding Schrijven (Base Writing Education) Foundation writing program covering fundamental writing techniques and skills, serving as the prerequisite for all specializations. Delivered to aspiring writers seeking a structured start to creative or professional writing training.
• Romans en Korte Verhalen Schrijven (Novels and Short Stories Writing) Specialization module for writing novels, novellas and short fiction across various genres and styles, for aspiring fiction authors.
• Kinderboeken Schrijven (Children's Books Writing) Specialization focused on writing picture books, early readers and children's literature for various age groups, aimed at aspiring children's book authors.
• Autobiografisch Schrijven (Autobiographical Writing) Specialization in writing memoirs, autobiographies and personal narratives, for writers documenting their own or family life stories.
• Columns en Blogs Schrijven (Columns and Blogs Writing) Specialization in writing opinion columns, journalistic blogs and persuasive commentary, for writers seeking to publish shorter-form work.
• Familieverhalen en Biografieën Schrijven (Family Stories and Biographies Writing) Specialization in writing family histories, genealogical narratives and biographical works, for writers reconstructing family or ancestral stories.
• Fantasy en Sciencefiction Schrijven (Fantasy and Science Fiction Writing) Specialization in writing speculative fiction, fantasy novels and science fiction, for aspiring genre fiction authors.
• Poëzie Schrijven (Poetry Writing) Specialization in writing poetry across various forms and styles, for aspiring poets.
• Scenario Schrijven (Screenwriting) Specialization in writing film, television and theater scripts, for aspiring screenwriters and dramatists.
• Thriller Schrijven (Thriller Writing) Specialization in writing suspense, thriller and crime fiction, for aspiring genre fiction authors in the thriller space.
• Journalistiek Schrijven (Journalistic Writing) Specialization in professional journalism, news writing and feature articles, for aspiring or working journalists.
• Redacteur (Editor) Specialization in editing, manuscript development and editorial services, for aspiring professional editors.
• Zakelijk Redigeren (Business Editing) Specialization in professional business editing and content refinement, for professionals seeking corporate editing skills.
• Storytelling Specialization in narrative techniques for business, marketing and communication contexts, for professionals applying storytelling in corporate settings.
• Creative Writing Course (English) English-language version of the creative writing program covering four modules with essential writing techniques, narrative perspectives, plot structures, dialogue development, and character creation, serving non-Dutch-speaking aspiring writers.
• Schrijversdag (Writers' Day) Annual inspiring day for aspiring writers featuring masterclasses, interviews with published authors and networking opportunities in Utrecht; €175 for non-students, first attendance free for students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average customer rating of 9.4 out of 10
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, parent organization and minor.

• NRTO (Nederlandse Raad voor Training en Opleiding)coreOthersThe Schrijversacademie is a registered member of NRTO, the umbrella trade association for private training and education institutions in the Netherlands. NRTO serves as a dialogue partner for political bodies, ministries, educational organizations, and media. Members commit to the NRTO Code of Conduct.
• CRKBO (Centraal Register Kort Beroepsonderwijs)coreOthersThe Schrijversacademie is affiliated with CRKBO, the Central Register for Short Vocational Education, which enables them to offer VAT-exempt education services.
• NTI / Salta Groupparent organizationOthersThe Schrijversacademie is part of NTI and the Salta Group, headquartered in Hilversum (Postbus 447, 1200 AK Hilversum, KvK 32062944). This parent organization provides operational infrastructure and support.
• Accreditation OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Schrijversacademie shares student personal data with accreditation organizations as needed for certification and quality assurance purposes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Faber Academy: UK-based creative writing school affiliated with Faber & Faber, offering structured creative writing courses with published-author instructors. Directly comparable in business model (multi-genre creative writing courses, published-author faculty, in-person + online delivery) and target customer (aspiring authors).
• Curtis Brown Creative: UK writing school run by literary agency Curtis Brown, offering novel-writing courses taught by working authors and agents. Same target customer (aspiring novelists seeking publication) and same outcome-driven value proposition as Schrijversacademie.
• Gotham Writers Workshop: US-based creative writing school offering multi-genre online and in-person classes with professional-writer instructors. Closely aligned course catalog (novels, screenwriting, journalism, business writing) and direct-to-consumer pricing model.
• Jericho Writers: UK-based online writing school and editorial service for aspiring novelists, with structured courses, editing, and community features. Direct peer in the aspirational-writer segment with comparable course offerings and alumni publication outcomes.
• Centrum voor Creatief Schrijven: Dutch creative writing education provider offering courses, workshops, and writing retreats to Dutch-speaking aspiring writers. Same geographic market (Netherlands), same customer segment, and overlapping curriculum focus.
• Schrijversvakschool: Netherlands-based writing school offering creative and professional writing courses. Operates in the same Dutch market with overlapping customer base and curriculum (fiction, non-fiction, business writing).
• Writer's Digest University: Online education arm of Writer's Digest offering self-paced and instructor-led writing courses across genres. Comparable curriculum breadth (novel, short story, memoir, screenwriting) and aspirational-writer audience.

Broad incumbents

• MasterClass: Global online learning platform offering pre-recorded creative writing courses taught by celebrity authors. Overlaps on creative-writing instruction but operates at vastly larger scale, with subscription pricing rather than cohort-based programs.
• Skillshare: Online learning marketplace with a large catalog of creative writing classes, including short-form video courses on novel writing, screenwriting, and storytelling. Adjacent product but much lower price point and self-service model.

Others

• NTI: Sister brand within the Salta Group, offering broader distance-learning and vocational programs including communications and media training. Related as parent-group peer; operational overlap via shared study advisor staff (e.g., Maaike Verspaandonk transferred from NTI).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Schrijversacademie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/schrijversacademie/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/schrijversacademie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Schrijversacademie