Reviews

I've always been interested in copy writing so subscribed to AWAIs newsletter on 8/3/24 and became a newsletter customer. After about a month I received 30 emails from them urgently promoting their products. I found that many emails annoying so wrote them and told them to cut it out. Then I had my email program send their emails to a separate file which I thought I would read later. I've been busy writing local political news along with my regular job of part-time magazine editing, so I just had a writing break and thought I'd check that file. They have sent me 108 emails in less than 3 months by their organization and five different people. Never got a response to my "don't send me so much email" letter. I guess their whole organization runs on automatic with no one actually there. I did unsubscribe today. Now that Ive read these reviews, Im glad I didnt buy anything from them.

Hi *******,

Im sorry you had a frustrating experience with AWAI.

Im not sure what happened, but we dont have a record of any email from you.  If we had received it, I promise you we would have responded in a timely manner and given you options to lessen or stop emails from us.

But even beyond that, its not our intention to overwhelm you with emails.  Thats why we encourage people to manage their subscriptions so theyre hearing from us as often as theyd like.

Im guessing youre busy with your political writing right now, but if there are any of our programs youd like more information about, please let me know directly. (You won't be added back to the email list :)

And, finally I just want to say that AWAI is made up of a caring team doing our best to help our members.  Were all here (were real!) and available via email and the phone.  I think our ****** reviews give a much ****** picture of who we are and who are members are.  I encourage you to visit those as well.

Wishing you much success,
***** ******
Executive Director, AWAI

I joined AWAI a few years ago and have attended two Boot Camps, purchased some training courses, and participated in many of the free webinars they provide. This organization cares about writers and tries to do everything possible to help us become successful. I give them 5 stars because I feel they are honest and very helpful.

Thank you, *******  Your words mean a lot to us.  ********** very much about your success as well as the success of all our members.  

Very outdated information. Not real "courses" - unless you pay for a "live" course, the cheapest of which is over $2K Their best "newcomer " "course" isn't that at all - you submit assignments and get no real feedback or help. Is a giant 'shiny object" scam.Literally USELESS.They will give you your money back, but only if you are quick enough to realize it's a joke.

This couldnt be farther from the truth.  This person bought a $49 subscription to a club that includes a monthly 40-page magazine, 13 bonus reports and an active ******** community.  She may have participated in some free trainings, but she has not purchased or experienced any of our more in-depth trainings.
You can see from our catalog that we have dozens of information-packed writing courses, with the majority being in the $200 - $500 range.
*****************************************************
Most include assignments with feedback from professional copywriters.  And, all have a no-questions-asked,money-back guarantee that spans from 30 days to one full year, depending on the program.
Were always updating our trainings and introducing new courses based on industry demand.  Thats why weve been the industry leader for 26 years.
And, finally ... we have many, many free resources on our website, which can be found here: ************************************************* so people can learn more about the opportunities before investing their time and money.
And to *****, Im sorry you were disappointed with your experience, but your statement does not reflect an accurate picture of what our company represents.  I encourage you to speak to someone from our Member Success team to learn more about specific programs that can help you reach your writing goals.

Sounds mildly like internet fraud. So, I intend to delete all of the emails I have received from AWAI and UNSUBSCRIBE, immediately. Thanks for the forewarning everyone!

Hi *******,
*********************** here, CEO and Co-Founder of AWAI.
Id like to address your accusation that were internet fraud.
Thats just not true and shouldnt be said recklessly.
Weve been helping people build fulfilling and profitable writing businesses for over 26 years by introducing them to the world of copywriting. (It was once a very hidden skill, and weve made it mainstream.)
We have successfully transitioned from only print,home-study programs to online trainings that combine the best of print, video and interaction with experts and fellow writers.  Most of our programs include feedback, and the writers end up with samples they can use to impress clients.  All of our programs teach writers an in-demand skill PLUS, we show them how to leverage that skill to earn money.
A big point of pride for all of us, along with our years-long A+ BBB rating, is our customer satisfaction score, which is consistently over 90% week over week.
More numbers
184,000 current active members
100+ industry experts whove contributed to our trainings
$1.5 million awarded by AWAI in $10k Challenge contracts
$1.3 million paid by AWAI to writers annually in writing fees and royalties
24 freelance writers we work with currently
73 Success Stories highlighted on our Case Study page and always adding more:  ****************************************************
1,577 (and growing) glowing testimonials. (We started by hanging the letters we received on a wall in the office.  The amount grew to the point we needed a database to archive them.)
9 employees in our 10-year club, meaning theyve been with AWAI for more than 10 years. (One hit 20 years in October.)
7 employees who have been with us between 5 and 10 years.
I could go on.
My point, *******, is AWAI is a long-standing, full-service training company dedicated to helping writers succeed.  Its something we take very seriously.
If we arent for you, thats fine.  Unsubscribe and you wont hear from us again.
Just dont call us a scam out of frustration. 
Our Member Success team is the best in the business and will gladly help you if you need any further information.
***********************
CEO, AWAI

They get you by offering a membership for $1, but then you can't cancel on your own. They offer over priced materials that already exist for free on the internet. You can't get ahold of anybody over the phone, the chat option is never available, and it takes an entire week to hear back via email. WHY CAN'T I CANCEL MY MEMBERSHIP ON MY OWN!? WHAT KIND OF COMPANY WOULD DO THIS IF IT WEREN'T A SCAM!?

Hi ******,
Im sorry for your frustration.  Your trial membership will be cancelled immediately.
And, if theres been a delay in our response time, I apologize for that, too.  We pride ourselves on quick responses, but sometimes coming off the holidays it does take a bit longer. Again ... my apologies.
As far as free materials on the internet, on our website we actually have an extensive library of free resources for writers, which I highly recommend.  Our Inside AWAI webinars, which you can find at www.awai.com/inside-awai/, are a collection of over 50 deep-dive discussions/trainings on topics of interest for writers looking to get started, grow their businesses, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends and opportunities in our industry.  Plus,theres our article archive ... again all free ... which you can find at *********************************************** ... its a treasure trove of useful information and how-to advice.
The difference between our free resources (or the free resources offered by others) and our trainings that we charge money for ... as you would expect ... is the interaction and depth of training you receive.
Sorry were not a fit for you.  Wishing you all the best in your writing pursuits.

STAY AWAY!Watch out for bait and switch. They lure you in and then ******* you with the next thing for sale, then the next thing. Long, long emails of what is clearly pre-generated marketing slop. They haven't even sent me the material I was supposed to get for the $49 I paid to become a member. I expected this to be an organization that helps support people become writers, but it's all a sales ****. Multiple marketing emails a day pressuring you to buy this material and that material. I've received nothing but garbage. They aren't interested in helping aspiring writers, all they want to do is sell their complicated and mediocre content. So disappointed.

Dear ****,
Wow weve gotten off on the wrong foot!
Ill address your accusation in a minute. But first, I want to make sure you have the information you need to access the program you purchased from us for $49.
You purchased a one-year membership in Barefoot Writer,which also includes Smart Start for a Writing Career and The Definitive Blueprint, plus 6 additional Writing Opportunity Reports.
Perhaps you missed the email that was sent to you with instructions for getting started, so here is that information again:
To access your programs, log in to your myAWAI Member Area.(You can click on whats in bold.)
Your username is the email address you gave us when you joined.
If this is your first time logging in to the AWAI website,youll need to create a password
Put in your email address, select I am new to myAWAI and click the sign in button. Well email you a link, so you can set your password.
(Make sure to check your spam/junk folders just in case the email with the link in it ends up there.)
Once logged in, under Online Programs, click on Barefoot Writer.
************************* from our team called you twice yesterday and left messages to assist you with this.  And, our Member Success team is always available to help, as well.
That should solve the problem of your thinking you havent received what you purchased.
As far as the number of emails we send about the various training programs we offer
Im sorry youre feeling overwhelmed (and disappointed).  Ill offer a solution for that below, but first Id like to take a minute to explain the rationale behind this. 
As you know, were a training company on the cutting-edge of a very dynamic and growing industry.  While theres a portion of our writers who are happy and successful with our core foundational trainings, there are many who want to expand their skill sets and keep learning based on what the industry is asking for. 
Also and this is something else to consider the promotional emails we send are typically good examples to study and learn from.  Many writers keep them in a separate file to refer back to for structure and tone.
But I get that it may be too much, so we can unsubscribe you from all our emails and e-letters.
Or, we can unsubscribe you from all but our once-a-week, Week In Review, which pulls together what we think is most important and timely for you to know.  This will allow you to stay up-to-date with AWAI without receiving numerous daily emails.
Let us know your preference, and well get it taken care of right away.
And, finally to address your accusation that were a scam
Well thats just not true and shouldnt be said recklessly.
Weve been helping people build fulfilling and profitable writing businesses for over 25 years by introducing them to the world of copywriting. (It was once a very hidden skill, and weve made it mainstream.)
We have successfully transitioned from only print,home-study programs to online trainings that combine the best of print, video and interaction with experts and fellow writers.  Most of our programs include feedback, and the writers end up with samples they can use to impress clients.  All of our programs teach writers an in-demand skill PLUS, we show them how to leverage that skill to earn money.
A big point of pride for all of us, along with our years-long A+ BBB rating, is our customer satisfaction score, which is consistently over 90% week over week.
More numbers
184,000 current active members
100+ industry experts whove contributed to our trainings
$1.5 million awarded by AWAI in $10k Challenge contracts
$1.3 million paid by AWAI to writers annually in writing fees and royalties
24 freelance writers we work with currently
73 Success Stories highlighted on our Case Study page and were always adding more:  ****************************************************
1,577 (and growing) glowing testimonials. (We started by hanging the letters we received on a wall in the office.  The amount grew to the point we needed a database to archive them.)
9 employees in our 10-year club, meaning theyve been with AWAI for more than 10 years. (One hit 20 years in October.)
7 employees who have been with us between 5 and 10 years.
I could go on.
My point, ****, is AWAI is a long-standing, full-service training company dedicated to helping writers succeed.  Its something we take very seriously.
If we arent for you, thats fine.  Well gladly honor our 365-day refund policy thats part of your ******************** membership.
Just dont call us a scam out of frustration.
Our Member Success team is the best in the business and will gladly help you determine if what we offer is what youre looking for.
***********************
CEO, AWAI

SAME PITCH-DIFFERENT DAY!With great expectations and a modest fee paid, I joined the American Writers & Artists Institute. Shortly after joining, I received a brief but welcome call from a representative and I began to think that surely I've made a wise investment. As of this moment and over 500 emails later, I've yet to read one email that isn't an infomercial for one of your various programs. Don't get me wrong. Your enticing daily marketing emails are on point albeit I may have missed the point. By joining AWAI, I expected to be immersed in a world of resources, templates, websites, etc. (i.e. Freelance Writer Fest) What I didn't expect was the "ask" contained in all of the emails. Regrettably, I simply can't afford any of the programs! ($29 month to $2,700...) If you had mentioned all of these programs are at a cost at the beginning, I would've requested a prompt refund. BTW I've yet to receive an answer to the personal email I wrote, so perhaps you'll answer here on a public forum.

First of all, I apologize for the delay in this response. It was a glitch on our side. Our policy is to respond to our members within 24 hours, so I was dismayed to see that wasnt the case for you. (Ive sent this to you by email, as well, to be sure you receive it.) Secondly, Im sorry youre feeling overwhelmed (and disappointed) by the number of emails we send about the various training programs we offer. Ill offer a solution for that below,but first Id like to take a minute to explain the rationale behind this. As you know, were a training company on the cutting-edge of a very dynamic and growing industry. While theres a portion of our writers who are happy and successful with our core foundational trainings, there are many who want to expand their skill sets and keep learning based on what the industry is asking for. Also and this is something else to consider the promotional emails we send are typically good examples to study and learn from. Many writers keep them in a separate file to refer back to for structure and tone. But I get that it may be too much, so we can unsubscribe you from all our emails and e-letters. Or, we can unsubscribe you from all but our once-a-week, Week In Review, which pulls together what we think is most important and timely for you to know. This will allow you to stay up-to-date with AWAI without receiving numerous daily emails. Let us know your preference, and well get it taken care of right away. As far as free resources go we have LOTS available for you! I highly encourage you to explore them here:  ************************************************* especially the archived issues of Writers Life. There are also our free Inside AWAI webinars, which you can find here: ********************************************************************* . Theyre a treasure trove of insights and strategies for the questions we get asked the most from our members. If you have any more questions or concerns, please dont hesitate to ask. Im glad to call you to offer some guidance, or you can feel free to call me directly at ************. Thank you for reaching out. Your feedback is important. And, we dont want anything to stand in your way of creating the writers life you want.

I signed up with AWAI on 1/31/22, paying $49. Then, I took all of my savings $2,000, had 2 sessions of SEO Copywriting, & knew it was too complicated for me. Today, 2/24/22, I called for a refund, knowing I was within the time frame, 2 sessions, & was REFUSED!!! I'm on a fixed income, a widow twice, a senior, struggling through this Pandemic to keep my home, & the $2,000 I had saved took me years to accomplish!!! I feel that AWAI is taking advantage of me, certainly being unfair, & not true to their own refund policy!!! I'm just flabbergasted by their attitude & lies!! Please help me...To contact me, please write. My emails are down... ***** ********* *******, *** ***** **** *******, FL *****. Thank you for any assistance!!

I am in receipt of the complaint registered by ***********************************. Regarding Ms. ******** request for a refund, she was outside of the refund period for her order. As is our policy in situations like this, she was given a credit for the full amount she paid, which was $2,000.****************** then used that credit to purchase another similar product, which has a refund policy clearly stating she could cancel before the 2nd class. The second class took place on February 14, and her refund request came in on February 24 two weeks after the end of the refund period. However, given Ms.******** circumstances, we adjusted our refund policy for her and issued her a full refund for the purchase. The refund was processed April 4, 2022, and she should receive the funds at her bank within 5-7 business days. Im sorry ***************** was displeased with her experience. As weve proven during our 25 years in business, we value greatly our relationship with our membership. If you have any questions about this, you can reach out to us directly at ************.