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Updated: February 15, 2024

Reviews

Write Your Way to Your First $1k Review

12 things to know about Elna Cain's freelance writer training

Write Your Way to Your First $1k
4.4/5 4.41
David BakkeMallory StockGizette Edis7 Reviews | Rate This Course

This is the ultimate Write Your Way to Your First $1k review.

Write Your Way to Your First $1k is a freelance writing course created by Elna Cain. You might also hear it referred to as simply Write To $1k.

My team and I signed up for the training and researched it thoroughly.

(Have you taken this course? Add your rating!)

If you want to know…

  • How it compares to other freelance writing courses
  • How to get a 10% discount
  • The pros and cons of Write Your Way to Your First $1k
  • If Elna Cain is legit
  • If real students are actually getting results

Then you’ve come to the right place.

Write Your Way to Your First $1k – Key Points
  About

Elna Cain’s freelance writing training for beginners.

💰  Price

$195 or three payments of $75 (use code EBIZ10 for 10% discount, more info)

😍  Pros

Comprehensive training, good refund policy, reasonable price, many student testimonials and success stories.

😩  Cons

Mostly for beginners, not so many recent testimonials, so much content it can be overwhelming.

  Verdict

One of the best freelance writing courses, especially for beginners.

Overall Rating
4.4/5 4.42

Jump to…

About the Author

Niall Doherty

Hey, I’m Niall Doherty.

I quit my last 9-to-5 job back in 2010.

Since then, I’ve earned my living online in various ways. Over the last 4 years (through 2023) I’ve earned $842,000 from my laptop.

I’m on a mission to accurately rate and review all the best online business courses. My team and I are spending many hours investigating these courses and getting feedback from real students.

All that to say: we know a thing or two about such courses and making money online.

The Best Freelance Writing Course?

We’re on a mission to properly rate and review all the top freelance writing courses, based on our own in-depth research plus feedback from verified students.

Write Your Way to Your $1k is one of the better courses we’ve seen…

🏆 Best Freelance Writing Courses 🏆

How does Write Your Way to Your First $1k help you make money?

Write To $1k aims to help you earn a living as a new freelance writer.

The official word…

Write Your Way to Your First $1k is a step-by-step plan on becoming a profitable writer. You’ll get a framework to attract and find long-term clients.

A freelance writer usually gets paid to write articles or blog posts for the web. Freelance writing can also entail writing for print magazines, books, email newsletters, etc.

As a freelancer you would be running your own business. Clients would hire you to work on various writing projects.

Who is Write Your Way to Your First $1k for?

As the name suggests, the course sells itself as being mainly for beginners.

As stated on the sales page…

A proven method to help new writers fast-track their way to success with freelance writing – no experience needed.

Having seen inside the course, I found this description accurate: nearly all of the content provided indeed seems to be intended for people new to earning a living from their writing.

Does Elna Cain have a good reputation?

Yes.

During my research I found far more praise than criticism for this training and its creator. 

It seems Elna created the course years ago, as I’ve seen some pretty old testimonials. She has also built up a decent following and seems to have a significant number of successful students.

You can see many legit success stories from Elna’s students on the course sales page.

Are Write Your Way to Your First $1k students getting results?

I found a fair amount of Write Your Way to Your First $1k students reporting impressive results.

For example…

write your way to your first 1k review student results
write your way to your first 1k review student testimonials
write your way to your first 1k review student reviews

Write Your Way to Your First $1k has many more testimonials like the above. Better yet, most of them mention specifics such as the amount of money earned from following the training.

I’m pretty sure some of those testimonials are a few years old, but I know others are quite recent.

Regardless, having seen inside the training, I’m happy that the material remains solid and effective. If you put in the work and follow what Elna teaches, you can expect to see positive results.

How much does Write Your Way to Your First $1k cost?

For access to the Write Your Way to Your First $1k training, there are two payment options:

  • $195 one-time
  • 3 payments of $75

The latter adds up to a total price of $225.

You get lifetime access with either option.

Keep in mind that you may want to put extra money aside for hosting and a domain name for your website. (Within the training, Elna recommends setting up your own writer website.)

Write To $1k Discount?

Elna has kindly provided readers of this review with a 10% discount 🥳

To get the discount, enter EBIZ10 at checkout after clicking the link for Add Coupon Code

write your way to your first 1k review course discount

The code works for both payment options (ie. one-time vs three installments).

Refund Policy

The sales page for Write Your Way to Your First $1k specifies a 30-day money-back guarantee…

I can’t guarantee you success or income; I can just teach you what I’ve learned along the way. But I stand behind this course with a full 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee.

I haven’t seen anyone reporting issues getting a refund on their purchase, so you can rest easy with this guarantee.

How is Write Your Way to Your First $1k structured?

Here’s what the training looks like once you’re logged in…

write your way to your first 1k review training page

The core training is broken up into 13 modules and almost 100 lessons! Nearly all of the lessons are in text format, but there’s an occasional video lesson thrown in.

I found Write Your Way to $1k incredibly comprehensive for beginner training. It doesn’t seem to rush anything, taking the time to teach you the basics first, and then move on to things like clients and pitching. 

There are also plenty of bonuses. Some lessons have downloadable checklists and templates included, and there are also extra materials such as:

  • The Pitching Bundle
  • Level Up Your Freelance Writing Biz eBook
  • Get on the Right Track Bundle
  • Profitable Niche Workbook
  • Book Clients in 30 Days Challenge
  • Personalized Pitch Review

In addition to these, you get access to a private Facebook group. It’s not the most active community I’ve seen, but all questions seem to get answered quickly, either from Elna herself or other students.

write your way to your first 1k review facebook community activity

Overall, I find the community to be a nice value-add to the course.

Green Lights 🟢 

Here are a few things to like about Write Your Way to Your First $1k…

  • Lots of student testimonials and success stories.
  • Reasonable price.
  • Minimal expense beyond the price of the training.
  • 30-day “no questions asked” 100% money-back guarantee.
  • Comprehensive core training.
  • Elna Cain walks her talk.
  • No overhyped promises or shady marketing.
  • Tons of bonus content provided.

Red Flags 🚩 

A few things about Write Your Way to Your First $1k that might give you pause…

  • Primarily intended for beginners.
  • Hard to find more recent testimonials and success stories.
  • So much content it can be overwhelming, and not always easy to find your way around.

Other things you should know

  • Elna Cain’s training offers a full account of everything she’s done to build her own very successful business. Purchasing the course gives you access to these materials.
  • You’ll access helpful downloads as you progress in the training, including items like checklists.
  • Best I can tell, Elna makes significant updates to the training every year or so.

Should you join Write Your Way to Your First $1k?

Write Your Way to Your First $1k is one of the better beginner freelance writing courses I’ve seen, and with the 30-day refund policy you can’t really go wrong with it. 

Elna teaches a sound business model and teaches it well.

I’d especially recommend her training for anyone new to freelance writing. (If you’re already earning $1000/month consistently as a freelance writer, you may find the material too basic.)

If you’re still not sure about Elna’s premium training, sign up for her free email course here. That way, you’ll learn some helpful freelance writing tips and get a better feel for her teaching style.

Write Your Way to Your First $1k – Key Points
  About

Elna Cain’s freelance writing training for beginners.

💰  Price

$195 or three payments of $75 (use code EBIZ10 for 10% discount, more info)

😍  Pros

Comprehensive training, good refund policy, reasonable price, many student testimonials and success stories.

😩  Cons

Mostly for beginners, not so many recent testimonials, so much content it can be overwhelming.

  Verdict

One of the best freelance writing courses, especially for beginners.

Overall Rating
4.4/5 4.43

Write Your Way to Your First $1k Alternatives

Here are the top freelance writing programs we’ve reviewed…

1.Comprehensive Copywriting Academy (review)
4.4/5
2.Write Your Way to Your First $1k (review)
4.4/5
3.Copy Sharks (review)
4.2/5
4.Freelance Writers Den (review)
4.0/5
5.Location Rebel Academy (review)
3.9/5
6.Freelance Writing Essentials (review)
3.5/5
7.Peak Freelance Membership (review)
2.8/5
8.Writers Work (review)
1.0/5
See all reviews of freelance writing courses »

Your Thoughts on Write Your Way to Your First $1k

  • Have you taken this course yourself?
    Add your rating so others can see if it’s worthwhile.
  • Do you have a question about this course?
    Let us know below and we’ll try find the answer.

Student Reviews of Write Your Way to Your First $1k

Rate This Course
David Bakke
  • Validated Reviewer 1
  • Review Info 2
5.0/5
October 2, 2023
Earnings 3
more than expected
Following Training 4
for 1 to 6 months

Affordable, Helpful Modules, Easy To Follow

I purchased the Write Your Way To Your First $1k freelance writing course about six months ago. The first thing I noticed was that it was affordable compared to the competition. You can pay a one-time fee of $120 (if my memory serves me correctly) or choose the provided payment plan.

There’s also a money-back guarantee, although I never used it. I think this is helpful because some freelance writing courses out there simply aren’t worth it.

Another thing I liked about the course is that it was set up in modules. It’s really an ABC progression as to how to go from pitch to success, so to speak.

Some other courses I looked to were rather disjointed, as they didn’t cover the whole process from beginning to end. Write Your Way To Your First $1k did that.

Overall, I would grade it at a B+. Everything was mostly good, but there were a few things in the course that I already knew about (and were rather obvious). However, if you are a beginning freelance writer who wants to learn, this would be the place to go.

Pros and Cons

  • Ease of use.
  • Helpful.
  • Money-back guarantee.
  • Some stuff I already knew, but I'm an expert.
more ratings
Implementation 5
easier than expected
Presentation 6
5.0/5
Usefulness 7
5.0/5
Community 8
5.0/5
Support 9
5.0/5
Value For Money 10

too early to tell

Mallory Stock
  • Validated Reviewer 11
  • Review Info 12
5.0/5
May 6, 2023
Earnings 13
about what I expected
Following Training 14
for 1 to 6 months

Valuable and Informative Freelance Writing Course

I tried to build a profitable freelance writing business a little over a year ago and purchased ‘Write Your Way to Your First $1k’ by Elna Cain. This course was worth the money – you get so much valuable information for the price! I went into it without knowing much about freelancing, and it provided so many great tools to start making money from writing.

The support this course provides is amazing. You get access to a private Facebook group with others who have completed the course. It’s a great place to connect with and support fellow freelance writers. When I posted a question in the group, I quickly got a response from Elna and other writers. There is no feeling of competition there – everyone is just eager to help each other out!

I also loved the ‘Book clients in 30 days’ challenge provided in the course. Elna breaks down all the information into simple tasks to complete each day. The simple action points and overall structure remove the overwhelm, so you can start booking clients fast. I couldn’t recommend this course enough!

Pros and Cons

  • Learning a ton of useful tools for freelancers
  • The worksheets and challenges provide structure
  • The value for the price!
  • A lot of information, so it was a little overwhelming at first
more ratings
Implementation 15
about what I expected
Presentation 16
5.0/5
Usefulness 17
5.0/5
Community 18
4.0/5
Support 19
5.0/5
Value For Money 20
5.0/5
Gizette Edis
  • Validated Reviewer 21
  • Verified Student 22
  • Review Info 23
5.0/5
December 21, 2022
Earnings 24
about what I expected
Following Training 25
for 1 to 6 months

The Best Course for Beginners

The amount of information in this course can feel overwhelming at first, but it’s very well-written and well-planned. It’s so well done that it’s really easy to blow through the entire course in a few hours.

The knowledge Elna shared in the course was invaluable to me as a beginner and I refer back to the course often. Write Your Way to Your First $1k course gave me the confidence and know-how to pursue something I never thought I could do.

Pros and Cons

  • Comes with exclusive access to other students and Elna herself via private Facebook group.
  • It's updated regularly.
  • Clearly outlined actionable steps at the end of each lesson.
  • I wish it presented more avenues to land gigs (Ex: via Reddit, social media, etc.)
  • I found the information about the importance of guest posting to be irrelevant for my niche.
  • I want more information about writing other types of content (white papers, case studies, etc.)
more ratings
Implementation 26
about what I expected
Presentation 27
5.0/5
Usefulness 28
5.0/5
Community 29
5.0/5
Support 30
4.0/5
Value For Money 31
5.0/5
Aaron Nolan
  • Validated Reviewer 32
  • Verified Student 33
  • Review Info 34
5.0/5
December 20, 2022

This reviewer has a business relationship with the course creator or a competitor. Not included in overall ratings. Learn more.

The Write Way to Parent

Life can be scary for a parent. Especially a single parent. We want our children to grow up and follow their dreams but our kids learn from watching US. How can we expect them to fully commit to their success while we live a life full of struggle and contentment?

At the start of 2022, I began waking up a couple of hours early every morning to focus on my dream of being a writer. I bought the online course Write Your Way To Your First $1k by Elna Cain and focused on building my portfolio and pitching to my favorite companies.

By July 13 of 2022, my 40th birthday, I was able to leave my lifetime career as a master electrician.

Pros and Cons

  • The layout is perfect for a beginner looking for a step-by-step process.
  • Elna Cain has an amazing Facebook group with tons of support.
  • Any questions I had were answered right away. Elna truly cares about our success.
  • n/a
Alexander Laybourne
  • Validated Reviewer 35
  • Verified Student 36
  • Review Info 37
5.0/5
December 20, 2022
Earnings 38
way more than expected
Following Training 39
for 1 to 2 years

A Life-Changing Freelance Course

I always wanted to be a full-time writer. I was fortunate enough to see the end of my office career coming a fair way ahead of time. I knew my role was being phased out and made up my mind that this was the sign I needed to go out and chase my dream.

I found the Write Your Way to Your First $1k course and, after reading through the promo materials, knew I had to give it a try. I made my purchase and dove straight into the lessons.

Each lesson in the course is well presented. The video tutorials are professional and informative yet easy to follow. There is a plethora of resources available to students and a fantastic and highly supportive Facebook group. It was the most welcoming community, and I made several friends as a result.

I started having positive results almost immediately after taking the course. I found two clients within the first few days. They were not high-paying, but it was a start. I was writing and being paid for it. I completed the course and then went back and reviewed the new content that was added after I started.

Fast forward eighteen months, and I have just finished my first full year as a full-time freelance writer, and I have exceeded my wildest dreams. I’m closing in on a six-figure income, and even as I’m writing this, I have received an email asking me if I have space for some work.

None of this would have been possible without taking Elna’s course.

Pros and Cons

  • The course was easy to follow and easy to implement.
  • The supportive and nurturing atmosphere of the group.
  • Everything that the course teaches can be implemented in real time, and results can be seen from day one.
  • There was nothing not to like about the course.
more ratings
Implementation 40
easier than expected
Presentation 41
5.0/5
Usefulness 42
5.0/5
Community 43
5.0/5
Support 44
5.0/5
Value For Money 45
5.0/5
Rachael Westgate
  • Validated Reviewer 46
  • Verified Student 47
  • Review Info 48
4.0/5
December 2, 2022
Earnings 49
more than expected
Following Training 50
for 1 to 6 months

A very worthwhile endeavour

Elna’s course provided many practical, technical, and thematic tips for starting a freelance writing business. She shared so many different avenues to be able to find business, tips about creating your professional website, and even templates for pitches.

Most valuable for me were the step-by-step videos for best practices when including photos, and how to format articles to make it easy for your clients to upload.

But honestly, it was all great! No matter what point you’re at in your freelancing career, I feel like you will find value in the course.

Pros and Cons

  • Technical guides for photos and formatting.
  • Resources for where to find gigs (outside of content mills).
  • Details about setting (and raising) your rates over time.
  • I would have loved a high-level overview of tone changes necessary between blogging, journalism, and short-form.
  • I am Canadian and a lot of the resources were geared towards Americans.
more ratings
Implementation 51
easier than expected
Presentation 52
4.0/5
Usefulness 53
4.0/5
Community 54
5.0/5
Support 55

haven't experienced it yet

Value For Money 56
4.0/5
Validated Reviewer
  • Validated Reviewer 57
  • Review Info 58
4.0/5
November 22, 2022
Earnings 59
about what I expected
Following Training 60
for 1 to 2 years

Extremely detailed course with a supportive group

I bought this course several years ago to earn an income through freelance writing (in addition to another, established freelance business I have). I went through all of the lessons but implemented only some as my other freelance business unexpectedly took off.

The course is well-presented, with both video and text transcriptions. The instructions and information are extremely thorough and updated as new modules are added frequently.

The course comes with an active and helpful Facebook group, where the creator is active and passes on both information and job opportunities. Other members also post sometimes about gigs wanting freelance writers.

The only downside to this course is too much information. It almost seemed overwhelming. Still, I have used a lot of the information provided to improve my writing and gain more traction in my other freelance business.

I would heartily recommend this course.

Pros and Cons

  • Videos and transcripts
  • Regularly updated
  • The Facebook community
  • Almost too much information
  • Felt a bit 'heavy' at times
more ratings
Implementation 61
about what I expected
Presentation 62
4.0/5
Usefulness 63
4.0/5
Community 64
4.0/5
Support 65

haven't experienced it yet

Value For Money 66
5.0/5
Rate This Course

2 Questions & Answers

  1. Hello all,
    Is this course heavily geared towards Americans or is it suitable for others as well? I’m British and wondering if I should search for a UK-based course.
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Hi Jake. The course is suitable for non-Americans as well. Building a successful writing business is pretty much the same in the UK as it is in the US, though you can target British-based clients if you’re from the UK, will probably find it easier to connect with them.

      Reply

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