Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About the Makers Membership
Yes! You can, at any time, make changes to your membership. Please note* when you switch memberships, you are subject to the price of the membership at that time. Any price discounts or bonuses are not valid once you have discontinued your existing membership.
These changes to your membership can be made via our membership change form.
Yes! You can upgrade your membership from monthly to annual (which comes with a discounted rate) or you can upgrade from our Makers Self-Study program to Makers Pro.
These changes to your membership can be made via our membership change form.
Each of our signature courses is designed to be 9 weeks long. As a Makers Pro member, you will take these courses alongside live workshops across three terms per year.
During term, you watch the instructor's pre-recorded modules, complete and submit your assignment, and prepare for your live workshop where instructors will select student submissions to review. Every third week, we have “implementation weeks” where you continue to edit your work based on what you've learned and meet with your peer critique group.
We pride ourselves in being a place where storytellers at all levels can find a home. Our courses cover the most basic story concepts all the way up to marketing your published books.
Twice per month we host Create Dates & Open Critiques.
For the first hour of these events we gather together in a supportive zoom environment and work on our own individual projects. We will offer prompts for those who are looking for inspiration but it is really a time to set aside to get work done.
The second hour we host our Open Critiques. We break up into small groups of 4-6 people and have a critique session on your project of choice. It is a great opportunity to get fresh eyes on your work in a supportive, knowledgeable environment.
All Makers Pro members are invited to attend these events and can choose to come and join for parts of the session or the whole thing!
A full list of our course and mini-class library is available HERE.
Self-study means you don't have the live guidance or feedback from the instructor (or community) during workshops. You are watching the lessons and doing the assignments at your own pace, on your own time. It is all the same content!
There are approximately 5-6 weeks in between terms. During this time we host:
– 1 Ask-Me-Anything sessions with agents/editors.
– 1 Live Agent Series Workshop
– Monthly mini-class live reviews
– Live Create Dates and Open Critique sessions
We also advise you use this time to catch up on anything you missed the previous term, plan you course selection for next term, take any mini-classes you have been eyeing, and write/illustrate (of course)!
All of our workshops are recorded and posted for Makers Pro members to watch (or re-watch). These recordings have no expiration date.
As a Makers Pro Member, you have access to our entire library of courses, live workshops and events. You can go through every class as many times as you like for the duration of your membership. Additionally, if interested, we will place you in a peer critique group.
As a Makers Self-Study Member, you have access to the same library of courses but they are all self-study. That means, you don't have access to live workshops, live classes, or peer critique group placement.
Makers Plus is a retired membership that is not enrolling new members. We have a number of existing members though!
If you are an existing Makers Plus member, your membership includes access to the same library of courses but they are all self-study. That means, you don't have access to live workshops, live classes, or peer critique group placement. But you do have access to our monthly mini-class reviews, are invited to attend our live Ask-Me-Anything sessions, and to attend our twice monthly Create Dates and Open Critique Sessions.
Our signature courses dive deep into the craft of writing and illustrating. Each course contains pre-recorded lessons, handouts, and action items designed to improve your craft one module at a time. All of our signature courses are available for self-study year-round for members.
Our mini-classes are bite-sized skill-based courses designed to focus on a specific element of writing, illustrating, or business. Ranging from 20 minutes to 120 minutes, depending on the topic, mini-classes are pre-recorded and available on-demand for all members.
LIVE Workshops are only available with a Makers Pro membership. Each term we select several of our signature courses and invite students to receive real-time feedback and Q&A time with the instructors. Additionally, we have one live workshop at the end of each new mini-class.
You can book a 30 minute live zoom with our team here: https://calendly.com/support_storytelleracademy/30min or you can send our support team an email at support@storytelleracademy.com.
Questions About Critiques & Critique Groups
At the beginning of each term, we reach out to all members with an invitation to be placed in a peer critique group. You will fill out a short survey and then pick a time slot that works!
Mentored Critique Group slots are available for purchase a couple of weeks before each term begins. You will receive an email invitation to purchase those as well.
You can purchase a one-on-one critique from your choice of instructors, editors, or agents. These are not included with your membership.
You will submit your manuscript in advance, then meet on zoom for 30 minutes to receive feedback.
A peer critique group is a small group of fellow students (authors, illustrators, or a combination) that meet to critique each others' work and support each other on their creative journey. Assignment to a peer critique group (optional) is included with a Makers Pro Membership.
A mentored critique group is a small group of fellow creatives who meet under the guidance of one of instructor mentors. These groups have limited capacity, are offered first to our Makers Pro members, and are an additional cost.
You can book a 30 minute live zoom with our team here: https://calendly.com/support_storytelleracademy/30min or you can send our support team an email at support@storytelleracademy.com.
Questions About Network Navigation & Access
No worries! Follow the instructions in the video below to find your workshop.
You can book a 30 minute live zoom with our team here: https://calendly.com/support_storytelleracademy/30min or you can send our support team an email at support@storytelleracademy.com.
Questions About Payments & Cancellation
Yes! Current members can pause their membership once per year for a maximum of three months. At the end of these three months your membership payments will automatically resume.
To do this, please submit your request via our membership change form.
Yes! This is an automatically recurring membership that remains active until you cancel. Your membership benefits continue in between terms with access to all of course content and a number of live events.
You can make changes to your membership at any time HERE. Please note:
– Your monthly/annual price remains the same for the duration of your active membership.
– You can downgrade from Makers Pro to Makers Self-Study at any time, but your monthly or annual rate will change depending on what the current pricing is.
– You can cancel at anytime with a 30 day money back guarantee.
– You can pause your membership for up to three months at a time.
Full details on refunds and cancellation policies can be found within our terms and conditions.
Please refer to the CANCELLATION portion of our Terms and Conditions > > Here.
You can book a 30 minute live zoom with our team here: https://calendly.com/support_storytelleracademy/30min or you can send our support team an email at support@storytelleracademy.com.
Questions About The Children's Book Basics
We hold four free events each year including three Children's Book Challenge Weeks and one Black Friday event.
These are free events containing small segments of our larger courses to give you a taste of whether or not you'd like to pursue writing or illustrating.
You can register for our next free event HERE.
The fastest way to learn how is through collaborative courses and workshops. By studying with a published professional, you’ll learn the exact creative processes they use to make award winning books.
To get an overview, you can read our article How to Write A Children's Book in Seven Steps.
There are two options. You can self publish or publish traditionally with a publishing company. Most people don’t realize that self-publishing is starting a business, so we don't recommend it unless you are familiar with the industry and business-minded. Whether you decide to self publish or go the traditional route, a great story is the beginning of your publishing journey.
To get an overview, you can read our article How to Publish A Children's Book.
We have a submission checklist that you can run your story through. The checklist was made by Melissa Manlove and Ariel Richardson, two editors at Chronicle Books. It is a component of their course, Submission Ready, which is available with all memberships.
We pride ourselves in being a place where storytellers at all levels can find a home. Our courses cover the most basic story concepts all the way up to marketing your published books.
The ability to tell a story is the most important skill to have as an author or illustrator. You will need to be able to develop unique concepts for stories and tell the story simply. If you are illustrating the book, you will need a strong art style and a good sense of design, in addition to storytelling.
You can book a 30 minute live zoom with our team here: https://calendly.com/support_storytelleracademy/30min or you can send our support team an email at support@storytelleracademy.com.
