About

The Detroit Writing Room opened in June 2019 as an inspirational space in the heart of Detroit for writers to connect, create and hone their craft.  

Over the years, we have hosted hundreds of writing workshops, book talks, coaching sessions and writing group meetings. Through these experiences, The Detroit Writing Room has helped thousands of aspiring and veteran writers publish novels, memoirs, picture books, articles and more.

We no longer have our original downtown Detroit space due to the pandemic. However, we now bring The Detroit Writing Room out into the community. You can find us hosting writing workshops and literary events at local venues, including bookstores, coffee shops, libraries, co-working spaces and unique Detroit gems.  

And thanks to Zoom, our professional writing coaches have helped people across the country and world tell their stories and get published. 

Writing Room members and guests can access our nearly 50 professional coaches based in Detroit and New York who offer feedback on literary works — such as fiction, non-fiction, essays and poetry — or business communications ranging from newsletters to press releases. Writers can also hire our coaches for editing and manuscript reviews. 

The coaches include award-winning journalists, New York Times bestselling authors, a former poet laureate and PR professionals. We have a literary agent to help with query letters and navigating the publishing industry. If you’ve always wanted to write a picture book, our children’s book coach will get you started. And our career coach will polish your resume and cover letter so you can land your dream job. Check out our Detroit coaches at detroitwritingroom.com/coaches.

Our offerings aren’t only for adults. Over the summer, our coaches mentor Detroit youth. During our Journalism Camp in partnership with our nonprofit arm Coaching Detroit Forward, we teach writing, storytelling, reporting, researching and more to Detroit high school students. Since 2020, nearly 50 of our students have won Society of Professional Journalist Detroit Awards for their stories and photos published in the annual Perspectives Magazine.

The Detroit Writing Room began with a simple vision to help people tell their stories. It’s now grown to a beautiful community of people of all ages who cheer each other on during every step of the writing and publishing process. 

If you’re looking to join a supportive and creative community, we’d love to have you become a member. Writing Room members enjoy discounts on coaching, workshops and events as well as other fun perks like purple pens and a copy of Perspectives Magazine. Plus, members can attend our monthly members-only Writing Group and quarterly AMAs with coaches! But as any member will tell you, the best part is connecting with like-minded people who cherish the craft of writing.

Our Origin

Founder Stephanie Steinberg dreamed of opening The Detroit Writing Room when she moved back to Detroit in 2016. A Metro Detroit native, Stephanie spent a few years reporting and editing for publications in Washington D.C. She’d often read about new businesses and events popping up around the city of Detroit. As a journalist, she wanted to be the one to tell those stories, so she returned home to be a features reporter at The Detroit News.

Stephanie covered story after story about fearless entrepreneurs who started their own businesses in the city. Many had an idea and just followed their passions. Only a few years later, those same entrepreneurs are selling their products and opening businesses across the country. While Stephanie loved telling their stories, she also caught the bug to be a part of Detroit’s comeback. And she developed an idea that would let other creatives and entrepreneurs benefit from her editing talents and network of the finest writers in the U.S.

So, she took a cue from her sources and followed her passion. 

Her dream writing room for fellow writers turned into a “virtual” room during the pandemic. And she saw that writers nationwide enjoyed tapping into Detroit’s grit and creativity. But she also discovered that the writing room concept didn’t need a physical space. So we opened The New York Writing Room in 2020 with a team of coaches based in New York City.

Whether you’re coming for a coaching session, or to attend a book talk or writing workshop, we hope The Detroit Writing Room inspires you to go after your dreams and pursue your passion.

And if you need help telling that story, you’ve come to the write place.

Why is The Detroit Writing Room brand purple?

When our founder was in high school, she was named an opinion and copy editor of her high school newspaper, The Northern Star. During the induction ceremony, the newspaper advisor Nikki Schueller gave each student a purple pen. She told each editor to always remember the power of the pen and that their words matter. With something as simple as a pen, you can make positive changes in the world — whether it’s advocating for a cause, bringing truth to light or telling someone’s story.  

That stuck with Stephanie. Since that day, she’s always edited with a purple pen. Her purple ink covered stories when she was editor in chief at the University of Michigan’s student newspaper The Michigan Daily. As a features reporter for The Detroit News, she always hit the streets with a notebook and purple pen. And her desk at U.S. News & World Report in Washington D.C. proudly sported a maize and blue mug filled with purple pens. 

So when it came time to choose a brand color for The Detroit Writing Room — a community to inspire and encourage writers of all genres — Stephanie didn’t need to think twice about the color.