If you've stumbled across Hope Writers (also known as Hope*Writers), you might be curious about the writing community…
Community is important for writers, despite what many might think.
Do you ever feel alone as a writer?
The solo nature of writing as an art form can be both a blessing and a curse. You might find that you need space away from other people to listen to your inner voice and express it through words. At the same time, it's easy to fall into the trap of feeling isolated and shut off from the connection and support we all need.
Many writers find solace and support through communities like Hope Writers.
An online writing community allows us to connect with like-minded creatives across the world. Our current time of crisis and uncertainty makes this more important than ever before.
In this Hope Writers review, we’ll explore what this community has to offer, how much it costs, and if it’s the right option for you.
Here’s what we’ll cover in our review of Hope Writers:
- What is Hope*Writers?
- Packages and Pricing
- Should I Use Hope Writers?
- Hope Writers Review: Pros and Cons
- Other Hope Writers Reviews
- Alternatives to Hope Writers
- Final Rating
What is Hope*Writers?
Hope Writers is an online writing community based around the values of positivity and support.
As well as offering a premium membership option that grants access to information and events, the company also offers one-off courses that are available to non-members as well.
The core philosophy underpinning Hope Writers is that everyone is at one stage or another of a 6-step writer’s path. Whether or not you feel at home in this community is likely to depend on the extent to which you agree with their outlook.
So, before we go any further, let’s look at the six-step path that Hope Writers is based on.
- Writer. The first stage in the Hope*Writers process involves accepting your identity as a writer. Many of us, when we first start writing, might feel a sense of conflict about calling ourselves writers. If you are at the earliest point in your writing career and want to become a proficient and regular writer, it will give you a helping hand.
- Hostess. After becoming confident with calling yourself a writer during the first stage of the process, the next step involves looking outwards and finding an ideal type of reader to serve. After all, most writing doesn't exist in isolation. It exists to entertain or inform an audience. The second part of the path will help you do this in a way that isn't egotistical or self-centered.
- Entrepreneur. While many writers dream of making money through their craft, most will never do so. Step 3 aims to help writers move beyond aspiring to become a professional, paid writer, and take the action needed to make it happen.
- Author. This company takes an old-school approach to releasing a book by advocating the route of seeking out an agent and getting a traditional publishing deal. While this might be the right path for some people, it's worth considering if self-publishing might be a better fit. After all, there's no point in joining a community that advocates a path to publication that isn't right for you.
- Marketer. The vast majority of authors find marketing to be a major pain point in their writing life. The fifth step of the Hope*Writers process teaches writers to become marketers authentically and effectively.
- Essentialist. After writers reach a certain level of success and status, they often find they don’t have as much time to dedicate to the craft of writing as they would like. The final stage of the journey involves teaching the art of delegation and managing multiple income streams to leave plenty of time to write.
Of course, the path described by Hope Writers is far from dogmatic. They even refer to the journey as fluid.
But is this six-step path the right one for you to take?
If you feel lost about how to progress as a writer and feel that the route outlined by Hope Writers is one that could work for you, it's worth considering. However, take the time to consider all your options. Think about alternative routes such as self-publishing, and explore other writing communities to ascertain if they might be a better fit.
Packages and Pricing
Now that you know the core philosophy behind Hope Writers, let’s take a closer look at the membership community on offer, as well as the one-off courses, what they contain, and how much they cost.
Hope Writers Community Membership
At this time, the Hope*Writers community is described as having a waitlist before new members can join. As such, there's no confirmed information on current pricing. However, after a little searching, we were able to find references to price points that are unlikely to differ too much from the current cost of the membership.
From what we can determine, Hope Writers is available to join on either a monthly or annual basis.
Here are the Hope Writers membership options:
- Monthly. Access to the community is available for $47 per month, working out at $564 per year.
- Annual. An entire year of access to Hope Writers is available for $479, giving you a saving of $85 compared to paying monthly.
Now that you know how much this community costs, let’s take a look at what you get as a community member.
There are four main benefits for Hope Writers members:
- Progress along the writing path. As described above, the core component of the company's approach is their 6-step writing path. When you join, you receive guidance on the steps needed to move forward.
- Contemporary training. There is a weekly live training offered to the Hope Writers community, lasting an hour. Members have access to an archive of every session.
- Wider community access. When you join the group, you gain access to the entire community. This allows you to support other members and seek their feedback.
- A small supportive group. As well as becoming a member of the larger community, you will also be placed in a hope circle. This consists of a smaller number of writers with a similar level of experience to you, allowing for meaningful relationships, deeper connections, and mutual assistance.
Hope Writers Courses
As well as the main community membership of Hope Writers, it’s also possible to get involved by taking one of several standalone courses on offer.
The courses at Hope Writers seem to be based around video content. Each course covers a specific aspect of the writing process or journey and is broken down into different modules.
Related: Self-Publishing Courses
At this time, Hope*Writers offers the following three courses:
- 90-Day Direction – $197
Writing, like any creative pursuit, can sometimes feel complex and overwhelming. If you’ve ever felt a strong desire to write, but haven’t been able to see a way forward, you’ll know how demoralizing it can be.
The 90-Day direction course from Hope Writers covers a mixture of practical and mindset advice to help you find a clear way forward. Topics include defining your vision as a writer and learning to overcome discouragement and imposter syndrome.
- Email Growth Course – $197
For many authors, establishing an online platform and monetizing it through an email list is one of the best ways to generate revenue.
Hope Writers’ email growth course explains the process of attracting traffic to an author website, getting email subscribers, and guiding these subscribers along the path to becoming customers.
- Perfect Writing Day – $197
The third and final course currently offered by Hope Writers is Perfect Writing Day. This covers how to create a writing routine and how to get the maximum amount of productivity and output from your writing time.
There's no doubt that each of the three courses is an important aspect of establishing yourself as a successful writer. They may also be a good way to get a feel for the style of the company before becoming a full member.
However, before you invest in any of these courses, it’s worth exploring if you could learn their information for free elsewhere, or whether a more all-encompassing course might be a better choice.
Should I Use Hope Writers?
Now that you know what a Hope Writers membership includes, and what their courses cover, let’s consider if this is the right community for you.
The first thing to keep in mind is the overall ethos behind Hope Writers. They clearly state that they are a community for any writer who wants to offer hope to the world. If you are interested in considering working with the company further, make sure that your personality and the theme of your work is suitable for this outlook.
It’s also worth being aware that the vast majority of Hope Writers members are women. Although there are, in the company’s own words, “a few men”, you should be comfortable with this before moving forward.
Finally, it’s worth being aware that although adherence to a particular spiritual faith isn’t necessary to join Hope Writers, the community attracts predominately Christian writers. Make sure that’s suitable for you prior to joining.
As well as the personal traits mentioned above, it’s a good idea to think about what you would want to get by joining Hope Writers.
You might want to consider Hope Writers if:
- You like the positive, mutually supportive ethos behind the community
- You feel that the 6-step path described by Hope Writers is a model of the writer’s journey you agree with and feel comfortable progressing along
- You believe that the cost of membership is the most suitable and affordable way to progress your journey as a writer
Hope Writers might not be the best fit for you if:
- You have a style of writing that doesn’t fit in with the hopeful, positive spirit mandated by Hope Writers
- You feel that another community might be a better fit for you demographically or spiritually
- You want a more direct form of coaching and guidance than just peer to peer support from the community
- You don't see the 6-step writer's path as being an accurate depiction of your journey or feel you would benefit from adhering to that model
Hope Writers Review: Pros and Cons
Nothing is better than carefully exploring the company for yourself, comparing it to alternative options out there, and deciding if it’s a good fit and good value for your unique set of needs as a writer.
However, to give you some initial food for thought, here are some quick pros and cons.
Pros
- Positive community. Some writing communities can become somewhat bitter places. If you’re looking for a more hopeful, positive group, it’s worth exploring.
- Mutual support. The combination of access to the entire Hope Writers community, as well as a smaller supportive hope circle, means you won’t need to feel alone when you write.
- Regular content. The weekly training you receive as a member means you don’t have to worry about outdated information.
- Money-back guarantee. Hope Writers states that you can get a full refund up to 60 days after joining if it isn’t right for you.
Cons
- No direct coaching. While there is peer to peer support from the community, you won’t benefit from one to one or group coaching, which might give you more direct or authoritative guidance.
- Mainly for nonfiction. Hope Writers states that they do have some fiction content and that they welcome fiction writers, but it seems to be a community focusing largely on nonfiction.
- Expensive over time. Community is something so precious that it can be difficult to leave behind. Make sure you're comfortable with either the ongoing annual membership cost or the prospect of leaving the company.
- Not for everyone. While it’s commendable that the community doesn’t try and be all things to all people, you need to make sure you have the right personality and style of writing for this community. Many writers won’t.
- Not for self-publishers. While there’s no doubt that self-published writers would probably find some value in Hope Writers, their 6-step path makes it clear that it is more aligned with the traditional publishing route.
Related: Self-Publishing VS Traditional Publishing
Other Hope Writers Reviews
When you’re thinking of investing in something as meaningful as a writing community, it’s worth getting as many perspectives as possible.
Let’s check out some other writers’ views on their experience with Hope Writers.
Author Valerie Murray emphasizes the value she found in her Hope Circle and mentions how different circles are available for different stages of the writing process.
Erika Shirk’s review mentions the excellence of both the knowledge taught and the support offered by the company.
The author of food blog Oh That’s Tasty mentions how she found more value in Hope Writers than in another Christian writing group, even though it costs more.
Alternatives to Hope Writers
When it comes to experiencing growth as a writer, there’s no single path that everyone should follow.
Before you become a member of Hope Writers, take a moment to consider these alternative routes to being a better writer.
- Free communities. Perhaps you like the sound of the supportive community aspect of Hope Writers, but aren’t a good fit for the type of writing they advocate, or simply can’t afford the cost of membership. Consider pursuing a free writing community instead.
- Blogs and podcasts. While the weekly training offered by Hope Writers is widely praised, be aware that you can get high-quality information on writing and your journey as an author for free. Between blog posts, podcasts, and video training, there is something to suit every style of learning.
- Self-publishing courses. Instead of limiting yourself to the traditional publishing paradigm that seems to be favored by Hope Writers, why not learn to self-publish? Once you have the skillset to self-publish books, you have full creative control over your destiny as an author.
If you’ve decided that self-publishing might be the best way to get your book out into the world, we urge you to check out the programs on offer at Self Publishing School.
Self-Publishing School offers many of the same benefits as Hope Writers, but also some extra value.
For example, while Hope*Writers shows you how to progress as a writer, it doesn’t promise any particular results. Depending on the Self Publishing School program you choose, you can expect outcomes like becoming a bestseller on Amazon or even creating a course from your book, with a guaranteed number of course sales.
Final Rating
If you feel comfortable with the type of writing promoted, and the demographics of their community, it might be worth checking out in more detail.
However, if you fall outside this company's target audience, or feel that self-publishing is the right route for your author ambitions, you should check out alternative options.
If you have any direct experience with Hope Writers or would like to suggest other writing communities, we'd love to hear from you in the comments!
