As of July 15, 2012, I’m letting go of my writing mentoring and Write Uncaged.

Why?

I’ve been divided for several years now between two different tribes—readers/listeners to my message and potential writers. I made the decision to mentor writers based on a frustrating conversation I had with a writer in the mid 1990s. I determined I’d be helpful. With my all or nothing personality, I didn’t stop to think that this might simply mean me being helpful if someone asked me questions. Instead, I started actively mentoring writers the moment I learned a new thing. And for a while, that worked. Much of it was done for free, and I found ways to squeeze my mentoring into the corners of my life.

Eventually demand grew, and I started charging for my work. But that got to be too much work, so I hired editors to help.

For the last year, I’ve had this dull ache inside when I thought about mentoring. If you stopped me and asked me point blank why I had it, I wouldn’t have been able to articulate why. But now I know.

The truth is, I’m passionate about sharing my story, about helping people find freedom so they can live uncaged lives. But my passion for mentoring writers has waned. I no longer have the energy and drive I used to have in this aspect of my life.

Prior to this decision, I met with a brand manager of a bestselling author. She didn’t know my struggle, nor did I really. But she said something that brought this to the forefront. She said that the author had been successful because he stayed on message. He focused. If publishers asked him to write a parenting book, he’d say no because it wasn’t his core message.

I realized I’d been dividing my heart and time in two directions. And it was time to let go of one.

It became time to go “all in” on my writing and speaking career, to really listen to what my publisher has said about how they see me (writing spiritual growth books), and to focus my efforts on that. You don’t see Beth Moore teaching other people how to write Bible studies. You don’t see John Grisham teaching writers how to write legal thrillers. They concentrate on doing what they do best, and now I feel it’s time I let go of the good for the sake of the great.

This doesn’t mean I’ll never help writers, it just means I’m letting go of that part of my business. From this point forward, I’ll be focusing solely on my message “living uncaged.”

Important Note: I’m letting go of my products, including my popular proposal tutorials. I’ll be taking them down by July 15th. If you’d like them, you can order them now.

• Nonfiction Proposal Tutorial.
• Fiction Proposal Tutorial.
• Memoir Writing audio.
• The 11 Secrets of Getting Published PDF format (It will still be available at Amazon and B & N).

I do have some strong recommendations for mentoring:

1. The Bestseller Society.  http://bestsellersociety.com/ There, you can watch me on video teaching everything I know about writing (over ten hours of instruction.)
2. Writing coach Alice Crider: http://www.alicecrider.com/ I can personally attest to her amazing coaching. She’s been instrumental in shaping me as a writer and a person.
3. Jeff Goins is an amazing writer with a heart to help new writers. Do subscribe to his blog.
4. Believer’s Press has been a sponsor to Write Uncaged. They’ve done all my ebook formatting and POD formatting. If you need an affordable, amazing service as you self publish, consider Believers Press.

Be assured I’ve prayed through this decision, sought counsel, and have felt deeply compelled to go forward. It’s time to commit fully to writing and speaking, and let go of my writing tribe. God is pushing me out of the nest into the next.

Joyfully,

Mary DeMuth