The Creative Penn

The Creative Penn is Joanna Penn's long-running author education brand, now in its 17th year. Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who left a consulting career to write full-time in 2011 and has built her business almost entirely on sharing that transition transparently. The free weekly podcast and 1,000+ article blog remain among the most comprehensive free resources in indie publishing.

Important note: The self-paced video courses that were previously available through The Creative Penn's Teachable platform were retired in late 2024. Penn announced the pivot in December 2023, citing a crowded online course market and a preference for more personal, current formats. The Teachable platform now shows "no longer active." Education continues through books, live webinars, and Patreon community.

What You Get#

• Free weekly podcast: The Creative Penn Podcast — 840+ episodes (10.6M+ downloads across 229 countries as of April 2026) covering writing craft, publishing strategy, AI tools, and author business topics. As of 2026 Penn runs interviews roughly every two weeks with solo episodes in between.
• Free blog: 1,000+ articles on self-publishing, book marketing, emerging tools, AI in writing, and creative entrepreneur topics. Fully accessible without registration.
• Books (~$8–$18 ebook, $16–$25 print): Penn's nonfiction catalog includes How to Write a Novel, How to Market a Book, Business for Authors, Successful Self-Publishing, and How to Write Non-Fiction — all updated to reflect current publishing practices.
• Live webinars (varies by event): Periodic paid webinars on specific topics, including Business for Authors and AI-Assisted Artisan Author. Priced individually via Eventbrite; replay access available after the live session.
• Patreon community ($2–$20+/month): ~1,400 paid patrons get access to patron-only video and audio content, Q&A sessions, and archived material covering Penn's full author business curriculum.

Who It's For#

• Authors building a long-term writing career: Penn's content skews toward authors who want sustainable full-time income, not just a one-time book launch.
• AI-curious authors: Penn has produced extensive AI tool coverage since 2023 and offers among the most balanced perspectives on AI in the indie publishing space.
• Budget-conscious learners: The podcast back-catalog and blog alone cover virtually the entire indie publishing spectrum at zero cost.

Pricing: Podcast and blog are free. Books range from ~$8 (ebook) to ~$25 (print). Live webinars vary by event. Patreon tiers: Silver (~$2/month), Gold (~$10/month), Platinum (~$20+/month). No self-paced video courses are currently available for purchase.

Strengths#

• Depth of free content: 840+ podcast episodes and 1,000+ articles form a searchable archive that covers virtually every indie publishing question. Comparable depth to paid programs.
• AI coverage: Penn publishes consistent, nuanced content on AI writing tools, making it a reliable reference as tools and industry norms evolve rapidly.
• Books as structured learning: Penn's nonfiction books provide curriculum-style depth for authors who prefer text over video. Regularly revised and individually priced.

Limitations#

• No self-paced courses: The structured video courses are gone. Live webinars are periodic and may not cover the specific topic an author needs at a given time.
• Breadth over depth: Free content covers everything but rarely goes as deep as a dedicated course on a single high-investment topic like Facebook ads or book formatting.
• No community forum: The paid Patreon community has ~1,400 members — active, but smaller and less structured than the communities around larger platforms like SPF or 20Books.

Alternatives#

For structured video courses on advertising, Self Publishing Formula's Ads for Authors ($849) is the dominant option. Kindlepreneur offers structured video courses ($49.99–$179) with no enrollment windows for authors who want video-based instruction on Amazon strategy.