How much does Sarah Turner's WYWTF cost in 2023, and why is the price of WYWTF that high?
I hear ya — you’re looking for a career pivot and you don’t want to waste any time or money in the process. You want something that will pay well and give you more control over your time — pronto!
In your late night Google searching you’ve likely discovered copywriting. Then Google led you to Sarah Turner’s Write Your Way to Freedom copywriting course.
The promise of copywriting sounds pretty good, right?
Writing for companies that you like and feel confident promoting, running your own business, and scheduling vacations whenever you want instead of when your boss approves your time-off requests.
So, naturally, one of the first questions in your mind is…
How Much Does Write Your Way to Freedom Cost?
(because money doesn’t grow on trees — especially right now)
Currently, WYWTF is $5800. Yes, there are payment plans available, including 3rd party funding as of December 2023. (The funding company does a soft pull that doesn't affect your credit score and offers payment plan options. A bit like if you were purchasing a car or enrolling in college courses.)
But do you know why Write Your Way to Freedom costs this much, and why it isn't posted on Sarah Turner's sales page?
The "why" is important - and it's missing from many reviews or affiliate websites that are ranting or raving about WYWTF. (Looking at you, Reddit.)
The Write Your Way to Freedom copywriting course has undergone massive changes in the past few years since I joined. I'll spill the tea so you know exactly why the price increased and what you get as a new student.
This overview of the cost of Write Your Way to Freedom will cover...
One of the beautiful things about owning your own business is that you can change your business structure and offers as you learn and grow. You can run your business a certain way for years… then pivot at any point!
That's exactly what’s happened with Sarah Turner. What started as a small-ish online course and community has turned into a robust, ever-improving course with a team to support the WYWTF copywriting students.
So as Sarah's course and vision changed… so have the marketing methods, the team, and the price tag.
Let’s start with the marketing methods...
🤷🏻♀️ Why isn’t the Write Your Way to Freedom cost posted?
Maybe you’re like me, and don’t like being surprised by prices. I don’t want to be blindsided by a price that’s far beyond my expectation (or ability to afford).
Unknown prices make me feel like I’m trapped in a time-share sales pitch or a used car salesman’s “let me check with my manager” stall technique.
Maybe this discomfort with not-knowing is why you’re here, reading this article to find out the cost of Write Your Way to Freedom before you get your hopes up about creating a copywriting career that will get you out of the crappy job you’re currently in.
I feel this to my core — please know you’re not alone in this.
When I joined WYWTF, I could see the price, which was around 2K. This gave me the reassurance I needed to sign up for the free masterclass. I knew the "pitch" was coming and I knew what the price tag was.
But posting the WYWTF cost on the sales page isn’t the procedure anymore — and the change is not all about the price increase.
Creating sales pages without the cost disclosed is a proven marketing strategy.
Not disclosing the price is intentional. It may feel annoying now, but once you start digging into the world of copywriting and online marketing, you’ll understand why the price isn’t posted at the top of the page for any program… and is missing completely for many.
High-ticket course creators often want to vet students and explain the value of their program before showing the price tag. This helps them convert more leads to customers because people aren’t scared away by the price before understanding what the course includes.
(I know... it makes me groan too. It's not my favorite marketing technique, but I do understand the concept behind it.)
Typically this type of marketing requires that you enter your email address to get the free thing and then find out the price of the program.
Below is a 10-second crash-course on marketing funnels.
Entering your email address brings you into the “marketing funnel” where the course creator can explain the value over time, reduce your fear, overcome your objections, and help you make the right decision. (Which they hope is to purchase... but you can also self-select out if it's not a good fit.)
It’s an effective technique, which is why it’s so common for higher-priced programs.
While this is part of the reason the price isn’t posted on the sales page… I don’t think it’s the whole reason.
The WYWTF Price & Sales Strategy Changed for Another Reason:
When I purchased WYWTF, anyone could click “purchase” and join the program. There was no interview, sales call, or personal contact.
Sarah Turner has intentionally changed the process to join WYWTF — and it benefits you and the entire copywriting community.
You see, Sarah realized that most WYWTF students had exceptional potential and were successful… but some people that were joining just weren’t the right fit.
Maybe they didn’t have enough foundational language skills, maybe they weren’t willing to put in the work, or maybe they were too desperate and they needed to focus on keeping a roof over their heads rather than creating a new business. (Think of Maslow's hierarchy of needs -- it's going to be hard to learn a new skill when your basic needs aren't being met, right?)
I don’t claim to know Sarah’s exact thought process or what prompted the change -- that's not my business. But she HAS shared her big vision for WYWTF, and it includes vetting students to ensure they have the ability to become exceptional copywriters.
Also... there was a noticeable shift in the WYWTF students just before the made this change. It was as all the pandemic restrictions (and extra stimulus money) were ending and people were faced with returning to work. My hunch is that many people hadn't worked in a few years and were now grasping for straws to have "passive income" without doing any work. Copywriting is not passive income, especially not at the beginning of your journey. It's hard work.
Sarah's goal is to have WYWTF trained copywriters be some of the best on the internet -- and known for being ethical as well as exceptional. (And you can't do that when anyone and everyone can join the program.)
You know what… I’m all for this.
I WANT this community to have the most ethical, authentic, well-trained writers.
You're not going to be quizzed or tested when you book a call to join WYWTF -- I think they're just looking for a basic sense that you're capable, ethical, and understand what the program is and isn't.
This brings us to the next question…
💰 Why Does Write Your Way to Freedom Cost So Much?
You may be thinking, “WYWTF was only 2K when you joined?!? Why the heck is it 5.8K now?”
I don’t blame you a bit, I’d ask the same question — with lots of layers of frustration that I hadn’t joined years before when it was a brand new, budding program… I digress.
The short answer is a lot has changed in WYWTF since I joined in early 2021.
Here’s a quick list of improvements and changes:
WYWTF lessons/modules have been updated & new lessons have been added. Sarah either teaches these herself, or brings in an expert in that area to teach the module.
More student support… a LOT more.
The intake team — when you decide you want to join the program, you’ll complete a call with someone to ensure it’s a good fit for you (and the community)
Continued updates, expansion, and student support.
Certification - You have the opportunity to become a WYWTF Certified Copywriter
Now let’s dig deeper into each one of these improvements so you can understand exactly what it means for you when you join the WYWTF community.
1. Write Your Way to Freedom Course Lessons Have Been Updated and Expanded for 2023
I have lost count of how many lessons have been revised or added since I joined WYWTF. It seems that every month or two there’s an announcement that the course has been improved and updated!
I could probably comb through the course and peek at all 55 lessons to try to figure out which ones are updated… but they could release a new update tomorrow and then I’d be behind again.
The important part is the course content is always being evaluated, Sarah takes student feedback into consideration, and there’s an ongoing plan for revising, improving, and expanding the course.
Online marketing is an ever-evolving field, so it makes sense that courses about marketing would change and grow.
This is a choice for Sarah -- she WANTS to provide more value. There’s nothing that says Sarah Turner HAS to update her course. You won’t find the “online course regulating body” or the “marketing oversight agency” — it’s up to you and I to decide what is legit vs bogus.
WYWTF is a living copywriting course, so you won’t get outdated information on copywriting or marketing when you join.
I've heard that a new module about leveraging AI and ChatGPT may be coming soon... we shall see!
2. The Cost of WYWTF Increased After the Copywriting Coaching Was Added
This change is huge, and likely the most significant factor that prompted the price of Write Your Way to Freedom to increase.
Sarah added a team of copywriting mentors and coaches to WYWTF.
These coaches have successful copywriting businesses and were hand-selected by Sarah. They bring unique and diverse skill sets to help students become the best copywriters possible — faster.
When I joined WYWTF, the only call was the weekly, live Q&A that Sarah hosted. This call still exists, and it continues to provide loads of value for students.
But now…
Each week there are 2 MORE copywriting coaching calls that are held on Zoom -- and you get access to these for an entire year before you have to pay anything for this added support. These calls always have a planned topic and are often responsive to the frequent questions/concerns/struggles that students in the group are having.
The extra coaching calls in Write Your Way to Freedom provide much deeper support and guidance compared to the Q & A. The Q & A is valuable… but the questions are often repetitive because each new wave of students ask all the same questions. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Curious about what some of the coaching call topics are?
Here are a few copy coaching examples:
What to do when things aren’t working out
How to nail your client’s tone
How to make $1500/article with long-form copy
Top 3 must-know funnels for online business
Overcoming buyer objections and customer hesitations
Retainers vs one-off projects
Your guide to market research
Breaking down the sales funnel
The list goes on… and on… and on… it’s superb. You can watch them when you’re ready. Don’t overload yourself with everything at once. :)
You can even submit projects on some of the calls and the coaches will give you feedback and tips — those are my favorite!
Naturally, these extra coaches need to be paid, which is part of the reason the price increased to join WYWTF.
Join WYWTF Today
3. The Write Your Way to Freedom Price Increased Because Sarah Turner added a Sales/Intake Team
This may be one of those unfortunate truths that you don’t really want to hear… the price increase likely was also related to the need to hire people to be part of the intake team for Write Your Way to Freedom.
In a way, having someone vet the other copywriters who will be joining you in Write Your Way to Freedom is beneficial to you, even if you’d really rather not pay for it. (I totally get that feeling, it’s kind of like paying extra for uninsured motorist insurance… an annoying expense.)
Hear me out — whoever joins the WYWTF program and community around the same time as you will be active in the group, giving feedback, and submitting questions to the Q & A’s with you.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everyone in the program is competition — the other students may become your biggest supporters, accountability, people you can bounce ideas off of, and even referral sources in the future.
So you WANT the other students to be hella-good copywriters and humans. (Or working their way to becoming that way.)
So yep — the intake team is a necessary component that maintains the integrity of the WYWTF copywriting program and increases your success… as well as adding to the cost of the copywriting course.
4. The Cost of Write Your Way to Freedom Increased Because It’s Constantly Improving
Expensive is a relative term when it comes to online courses and programs. There are loads of 3-6 month programs that cost 10K and above… so when you put it into that perspective, $5-6K for lifetime access to lessons and coaching/answers isn’t too high.
But from your shoes — it may feel like a million dollars because you’re not sure it will all work out in the end. I don’t want to downplay what you’re feeling, because I was there too. It’s not an easy decision.
You may not have been burned with online courses, (and I hope you never are) but there are online courses and communities that have been somewhat abandoned by their creators. These “passive income” streams were created primarily for the purpose of generating cash rather than to be a fulfilling career for the course creator.
Sarah Turner hasn’t created Write Your Way to Freedom with a “set it and forget it” mentality. She’s incredibly active in the community and almost never misses a Live Q & A session. (I can remember two… once was her wedding and the other time they did rolling power outages where she was and cut everything during the Q & A time. Those seem like fairly legit reasons.🤣)
Just recently, she took a maternity leave and had Jacob McMillen, another well-known copywriter host the Q&A calls... because she's human and should take some time off. (Jacob also has a copywriting course, which is significantly less expensive if you're not able to join WYWTF. Learn more about his copywriting course by clicking here.)
As I said above, Sarah Turner’s plan is to continue to expand the course and community and continue to be responsive to the needs of the students and the demands of the market.
Once you’re in, you get access to all the new updates and additions moving forward.
5. You Can Earn a Certification and Become a Certified WYWTF Copywriter
This is also a 2023 development. Check out the list of copywriters HERE.
Once you work through the Write Your Way to Freedom course and establish yourself as a copywriter, you can apply for certification.
There is a set of standards that must be met prior to getting certified, which is why there's an application. Sarah and her team vet each copywriter's skills, business, and even ethics prior to placing their stamp of approval on a business.
Even though these online certifications can be created by anyone at anytime, they do still hold some weight in the online space.
When you're marketing your business and can advertise that you're a certified copywriter, it does set you apart from people who have built their businesses using by piecing together online freebies and hoping they've learned how to actually be a copywriter.
I'm not sure that this certification played into the increase in cost for WYWTF, but it is one more valuable thing you get when you choose this program over others. (Plus, it costs money to manage the certification process and put newly certified copywriters on Sarah's website.)
What is Sarah Turner's Refund Policy for Write Your Way to Freedom?
If we're talking about money, we may as well dive into the refund policy as well, right?
WYWTF offers an "action-based, 14-day money back guarantee". If you decide this isn't the copywriting course for you, you'll fill out a short application requesting a refund.
This has changed only slightly in 2023 compared the the guarantee Sarah Turner has always offered, which was a 14-day money back guarantee. The only difference now is filling out an application to request a refund instead of just asking for one.
This is extremely common in the online course world, and the goal is almost always to reduce the number of people who buy the course... do absolutely nothing with it... and then ask for a refund. (There are also people who join just so they can say that they went through the process and trash-talk the program. I'm not sure what to say about those people. They seem to congregate on Reddit... so be careful what you believe from that site!)
Joining a copywriting course or program like WYWTF is an investment, and part of that is committing to yourself that you'll take action and work toward the change in your life that you want. This slight adjustment to the money-back guarantee provides an extra nudge and layer of support to help you step away from your fear and imposter syndrome and toward a new career.
TL;DR Why Does Write Your Way to Freedom Cost so Much?
As you’ve read, there are many reasons WYWTF’s price has increased.
Here’s a quick summary in case you’re the type to scroll to the bottom without reading:
(I see you skimmer)
The course has been updated — and continues to be updated to keep up with the latest changes and best practices in copywriting.
You get more support now than ever before — there are now 5 calls per week to help you start and grow your copywriting business.
WYWTF is vetting people before letting them join the course — this means more successful copywriters and peers for your network.
The value of Sarah Turner's copywriting course - Write Your Way to Freedom is on par with the cost -- are you ready to become a copywriter?
Do you still have questions about the cost of WYWTF? Shoot me a message via email or on IG @kristafrahmagency — I’m happy to answer.