LICARES

What LICARES does

LICARES (legal entity LKRS, SARL) is a French-language online training institute founded in 2019 by Lucie Castel and Johanna Vogel, operating from Brignais, France. The company delivers structured cohort-based courses teaching aspiring novelists how to write and publish a professional novel through either the traditional publishing path (10-week 'Devenir écrivain : Projet best-seller') or the self-publishing path (7-week 'Devenir écrivain : autoédité'). Course content is hosted on the Learnybox learning management system, with live evening sessions delivered over Zoom and asynchronous lifetime access to replays and materials. A distinctive feature is personalized editorial feedback — an editor reviews each student's first 7,000 words and conducts a 30-minute one-on-one call, a service calibrated to French publisher expectations and powered by a faculty drawn from across the publishing chain (editors from Hachette, Eyrolles, Nox/Albin Michel, literary agents, and best-selling authors).

The business model is direct-to-consumer: prospective students join waitlists on licares.fr and receive pricing by email, paying one-time course fees via Stripe. The funnel is fueled by a 10,000+ subscriber weekly newsletter ('La lettre des écrivains'), the #1-ranked 'Devenir écrivain' podcast (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, RSS), and free lead magnets (character sheets, self-publishing checklists, pen name workshops). LICARES also generates revenue from its annual 'Conférence des auteurs indépendants' in Paris (138€ two-day tickets, 230 attendees in 2025) sponsored by Amazon KDP, Kobo Writing Life, BOD, Bookellis, and Antidote. Email automation runs on ActiveCampaign. No external funding is disclosed; the company is bootstrapped and founder-controlled. Qualiopi certification (2023) makes courses eligible for French professional training funding. The company reports 1,800+ authors trained, 100+ published alumni (with several French literary prize wins), and 90%+ satisfaction since 2020.

Name

LICARES

Legal name

LKRS

Website

https://licares.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LICARES is a French-language online training institute founded in 2019, offering structured cohort courses that teach aspiring novelists how to write and publish a novel via traditional or self-publishing paths, supported by a 10,000+ subscriber newsletter and the #1-ranked 'Devenir écrivain' podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Writing Training

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAMAI

Publishing & Submission Prep Workshops (Query Letters, Agents, Journals)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Creative Writing Workshops

SECONDARYMPACALAL

Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Online Learning Content Platforms (Creator-Led Courses)

SECONDARYMPAJAJAB

Author Service Marketplaces & Aggregators (Vetting, Bundled Services)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Self-Publishing Platforms & Author Services

Keywords

• Creative writing training
• Novel writing courses
• Self-publishing education
• Author coaching services
• Professional writing school

Headquarters

HQ city

Brignais

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional writing training courses: LICARES generates revenue primarily through paid enrollment in its structured training programs. Two main programs are offered: 'Devenir écrivain : Projet best-seller' (10-week traditional publishing path) and 'Devenir écrivain : autoédité' (7-week self-publishing path). Both are priced as one-time course fees (not subscription), with lifetime access to course materials. Exact pricing is not publicly disclosed on the site but is communicated to waitlist subscribers.
2. Conference and event tickets: Annual two-day 'Conférence des auteurs indépendants' in Paris generates revenue through ticket sales (138€ for 2-day pass including conference replays and Saturday evening social). Additional sponsorship revenue likely contributes.
3. Newsletter and email marketing: Weekly newsletter ('La lettre des écrivains') with 10,000+ subscribers serves as the primary nurture channel. Free lead magnets (character sheet PDF, worldbuilding guide, self-editing checklist) are used to grow the email list, which drives course enrollments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LICARES sells structured, cohort-based online training programs for French-speaking aspiring novelists, delivered via the Learnybox learning platform. The two flagship paid offerings are the 10-week 'Devenir écrivain : Projet best-seller' program for the traditional publishing path and the 7-week 'Devenir écrivain : autoédité' program for the self-publishing path, both taught by a multi-professional faculty drawn from across the publishing chain and including personalized editorial feedback on student manuscripts. The institute also runs an annual two-day 'Conférence des auteurs indépendants' in Paris and a free #1-ranked 'Devenir écrivain' weekly podcast that drives top-of-funnel demand.

Product overview

LICARES is an online French-language training institute for aspiring novelists offering a platform-plus-program architecture. The core offerings consist of two structured training programs: 'Devenir écrivain : Projet best-seller' (10-week traditional publishing track) and 'Devenir écrivain : autoédité' (7-week self-publishing track). These are supplemented by free content products including the weekly 'Devenir écrivain' podcast, a Friday newsletter, and downloadable resources (character sheets, self-publishing checklists, pen name workshops). The organization also hosts an annual conference for independent authors. All programs leverage Learnybox for course delivery and include lifetime access to materials, live Zoom sessions, and community features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,800 authors trained since 2019
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Amazon KDP is a primary sponsor of the annual 'Conférence des auteurs indépendants' organized by LICARES. KDP is the dominant self-publishing platform for French-language indie authors and represents a core part of the self-publishing curriculum.
• Kobo Writing LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Kobo Writing Life is a sponsor of the 'Conférence des auteurs indépendants'. Kobo is a significant e-book distribution platform in the French market and is covered in LICARES' self-publishing curriculum.
• Book on Demand (BOD)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Book on Demand (BOD) is a sponsor of the annual conference. BOD provides print-on-demand services for indie authors, which is part of the self-publishing training curriculum.
• BookellissupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Bookellis is a sponsor of the annual conference. It is a French-language book distribution and fulfillment service for indie authors and small publishers.
• Antidote ( Druide Informatique)supportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Antidote is a sponsor of the annual conference. Antidote is a renowned French-language writing assistance software (spellchecker, grammar, style) used by professional authors and editors.
• Jupiter PhaetoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Jupiter Phaeton, a prolific indie author with over 60 self-published books, founded and organized the 'Conférence des auteurs indépendants' since 2023. In 2025, she entrusted LICARES (Lucie Castel and Johanna Vogel) to continue this event, marking a significant transfer of community leadership to the institute.
• Éditions de l'Homme Sans Nom (HSN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Dimitri Pawlowski, creator of Éditions HSN (specializing in discovering young French-language talents in speculative fiction), is a permanent instructor at LICARES. HSN provides editorial reviews of student manuscripts and serves as a publishing pathway for promising alumni.
• Eyrolles EditionssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Élisabeth Ségard, editor at Eyrolles Editions, is a permanent instructor at LICARES. Eyrolles is a major French professional and literary publisher.
• Nox Editions (Albin Michel group)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Georgia Caldera, author and freelance editor at Nox (a house within the Albin Michel group), is a permanent instructor at LICARES. Nox publishes contemporary and genre fiction.
• Hachette RomanssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Caroline Minic, editorial coordinator at Hachette Romans, is a permanent instructor at LICARES, providing students with insider knowledge of the Hachette manuscript selection process.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Reedsy: Marketplace and education hub for self-publishing authors, offering courses, blog content, and vetted professionals. Comparable to LICARES in serving indie authors seeking self-publishing pathways, and a likely future French-market competitor.
• The Novelry: English-language online novel-writing school offering cohort-based courses with editor feedback and writing-coach mentorship. Closest direct functional peer to LICARES' traditional publishing track, though operating in English and at smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• CreativeLive: Online learning platform focused on creative arts, including writing and book marketing. Overlaps with LICARES on creative-writing instruction but operates at much larger scale and lower price point.
• MasterClass: Subscription-based online learning platform offering celebrity-taught creative writing courses. While not French-language and broader in scope, MasterClass is the global benchmark for premium online creative instruction and LICARES' main competitive reference point for premium positioning.
• Skillshare: Subscription-based learning platform with extensive creative writing course catalog. Represents the lower-priced, high-volume end of the online writing-education market and a structural pricing constraint for premium programs like LICARES'.
• Udemy: Global marketplace for low-cost online courses including French-language creative writing and self-publishing courses. A long-tail pricing competitor that compresses the affordable end of the market LICARES serves.
• Coursera (Creative Writing Specializations): University-partnered MOOC platform offering accredited creative writing programs. Represents the formal-education alternative that LICARES' Qualiopi-certified offerings can be benchmarked against, particularly for CPF-funded buyers.

Emerging players

• Jane Friedman: Publishing-industry educator offering courses, workshops, and email courses on writing craft and book marketing. Comparable to LICARES in providing expert-led publishing education, but operating primarily in English via self-paced delivery.
• Writing Mastery (coach Tom Corson-Knowles): English-language online writing school offering courses on novel writing, publishing, and Kindle self-publishing. Direct functional overlap with LICARES' dual-track offering (traditional + self-publishing) in a different language market.

Others

• Antidote (Druide Informatique): Leading French-language writing-assistance software (spellcheck, grammar, style) that is a sponsor of LICARES' annual conference. Adjacent rather than competitive — Antidote is a tool LICARES recommends, and both serve the same French-language author base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/licares
• Facebookfacebook.com/licaresFR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lkrs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 LICARES