DSA
Finally leaving an honest review
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.
Response from The NovelryApr 11, 2026
Thank you for your review. I'm sorry The Novelry wasn't the right fit, and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts honestly. We take feedback like this seriously, particularly where it highlights friction in the experience — because honest criticism, even when it's hard to read (!), helps us improve what we offer. We love what we do, and we love working with writers. I'm so sorry the experience felt overwhelming. Our library is vast, you're right — because The Novelry serves writers across every genre and stage of the journey. Navigating the resources does take a little effort, and we're always here to guide you. We answer every member question within 24 hours through our live community and by email. If you're still a member, please do reach out — for anything at all. On coaching: yes, this is a fair point. We don't browbeat our coaches to follow a rote method — that would be wrong for everyone concerned. Our coaches are working, bestselling authors across a range of genres, and they naturally bring different approaches, which helps writers find what works for them. The structured lesson pathway — provided by me as founder — is the singular learning track that holds it all together. We've spent nine years making sure that flexibility serves writers: a solid, paced writing pathway, plus the ability to get bespoke one-to-one guidance that works for them and their book. Most importantly — congratulations on pitching independently and succeeding. That took real courage, and it's exactly the kind of writer confidence we hope to build. I'm genuinely happy for you, and so glad you got that result. Well done on the willpower and determination it took to get there. If you'd like to be in touch, please reach out at [email protected]. I'm always here for each and every writer — as is the entire team. We'd welcome the chance to make things right. Warmly, Louise