The Novelry Reviews 

Somerset Maugham once quipped, “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”

So, in an often confusing process of moving from initial idea through to a submission-ready manuscript, The Novelry has proved a godsend. Not only have I completed my first draft, but my editor provided insight, wisdom, and encouragement above all (Thanks, Francine!).

If you are someone who is contemplating this journey, but is intimidated by the process -- or doesn't know exactly where to begin -- you won't be in any better hands than this course.

You start slowly, mastering the rudiments of fiction, and then pick up the pace as you become more confident in what you're doing. Well-taught units on structure, character development, and more help you answer the zillion questions that afflict the would-be author.

One thing it's not? Formulaic. Instead, The Novelry provides the framework and best practices to help you write the book you want.

It's a decision I'm very glad to have made. I look forward to completing the journey.

Great experience! Brought great clarity!

The quality and breadth of lessons, the range of workshop topics, the availability of staff and the helpfulness of the coaching at The Novelry all exceeded my expectations and made for a valuable writing experience. The team has put together an outstanding learning experience for writers at all levels. The platform, staff and coaches are welcoming and provide a comfortable and supportive environment.

Easy to follow. Really get to use my brain.

I am giving an honest review but I will not leave my real name because of the immense amount of pressure they put on people not to leave honest reviews. There is also an entire lesson advising against leaving negative reviews.

The content is buffet-style and completely overwhelming. They use phrases like “take what you need and ignore the rest” instead of acknowledging that one could do the same on the entire internet. However, this is a paid course, so a degree of structure and organization is expected.

Also, the community is chaotic and impossible to get any value from. The sheer amount of tabs in the community site would make anyone's head spin. Further. the extra webinars are all standalone, so nothing builds on anything else. It's pure disorder.

Speaking of disorder, you go through tons of lessons and modules and try to apply things to your story, meanwhile when you get on a session with a coach, they basically say they disagree with all the modules and lessons and you should do it a different way.

As a writer who values feedback you try to do it the way they want to, but you can't always get an appointment with the same coach so you end up getting even more conflicting advice. I got to a point where they were pushing my book to become so cheesy and formulaic that I had to cut my losses at some point and pitch editors independently from their organization.

And I was successful!

Overall, the novelry is way too disorganized and fragmented for me to recommend to anyone.

I’ve just finished The Big Idea portion and have really enjoyed it. The lessons are interesting and build upon each other. The structure of this section has been nicely set up as well. I really look forward with continuing in The Big Write.

The Novelry is THE PLACE for writers. I couldn't imagine a sharper, more supportive place to hone my craft as a writer and accomplish the outcomes I am looking for. The entire staff is unbelievable as coaches, editors, and educators. I have taken years worth of starts and stops and turned it into a draft for a novel that I am so excited to begin editing!

So far: I have taken the Big Idea, which included a 45-50 minute session with an editor/coach. I should note that I have been in journalism for many years and I've written a previous novel that could not find a publisher. I've certainly read a lot of books about writing. However, I have not had any similar past course-like experiences, so I have no point of comparison for what Novelry offers.

That said, I found many of the thirty 'chapters' of the course to be very, very helpful. They are clear and to the point and intelligent, but not too cerebral to be practical.

The session with the coach/editor was good. She did not suggest answers to all the big questions I had (perhaps too much of an ask), but she offered me some ideas and an overall sense of what I need to do to improve my story.

At the same time, I do wish I'd left the conversation with the feeling that I truly knew what I needed to do to make this story a great candidate for representation and publication.

I am forever grateful for this course, and all of the writers and authors here! The Novelry exceeded my expectations for everything from coursework to individual coaching and community. I have learned so much and started going back through the courses for a second time after finishing to keep reworking my story and learning. All of the writing coaches are absolutely phenomenal and have been instrumental in my writing process. There are not enough stars or words to do The Novelry justice.

Pirs gave me such valuable suggestions. He could see areas where I might have gotten stuck and helped me brainstorm ways through them. His encouragement and enthusiasm are so much appreciated.

I’m currently starting the Big Idea at the Novelry! Each module step by step brings alive the story you are trying to get onto the page
It is the best writing course out there.

I left a review in November stating that The Novelry is overpriced. While I can’t take back that review, I would like to clarify that I did receive an immediate refund from them. I truly appreciate The Novelry’s prompt support and their commitment to transparency and fairness.

The Novelry has given me the recipe for writing a novel. It’s connected me with industry professionals and a community of aspiring authors like myself. Along with my course work, I have access to live workshops, pre-recorded workshops, peer groups, Q&As with industry experts, and much much more. I’m so happy with my decision to enroll in this membership. I’m learning a great amount.

Novlr has to be, the greatest writing website there is, it is super easy to use, perfect for beginners, very versatile, and gives plenty of resources at your disposal. Although, I will not say it’s perfect. It does have it’s flaws, the biggest one for me though, was definitely that there is no way to change your font, which was pretty sad, but otherwise, this website is great.

5 Stars. 10/10. Nice job Novlr!

Just do it. Join. If you're waiting for a sign, let this be it.
Invest in yourself. Write your book. The world needs your story.
The course is not a pedantic slog of rules and structure. It is the readers writers course. You are totally supported. You build a community, there are an abundance of live workshops, long form videos on every topic related to writing/publishing, and one on one coaching.
Just do it.

I'm having a great experience. The coaching session was great.

I purchased the Novel Development Course on a pay monthly plan, and emailed a few months ago to pay off the remainder of my fee in one go.

Two days ago, I left a review on Trustpilot expressing my disappointment that we were only given a few hours to renew our membership before it expired, and I had 4 calls left unused.

Louise emailed me to explain an error on their system following the change (at my request) in payment plan. I was supposed to get an email 30 days before but because of the error following the changed payment, the email didn't go out.

If you saw the previous review, I want to stress that my experience turned out to be a system error and was not the fault of Louise nor The Novelry.

Thank you to Louise and The Novelry for offering me the renewal on the house, and for their speedy response to my concerns.

I can't express how much this means to me as. Like I said in the old review, the writing coaches are amazing, and the 1:1 calls are very helpful. So is the library of live call replays with the writing coaches and other authors, and my WIP novel would not be the same without either of those aspects of the Novel Development Course.

Thank you so much again!

I personally think The Novelry overcharged you with the promise to make you a writer or even a published author. I signed up for the 90 Day Novel and I wish I didn’t, but once you start paying, they have no policy refund. I would like to warn aspiring writers that you don’t need these courses. Go write your book; if the story’s good, then you will find a way to bring your story to life. No need to spend so much money on The Novelry.

I couldn't recommend The Novelry enough. It has accelerated my learning and growth as a writer, which would have taken me years of trial and tribulation to figure out on my own. I have completed a draft manuscript in six months using their tried-and-true method. I've pored over their catch-up TV, which offers a wealth of writerly advice, and the community support and mentorship along the way is invaluable.

The depth of resources is endless. Incredible value for the cost.