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In Part 2 of my conversation with author and literary agent Mary DeMuth, we move from the business of publishing to the heart of it. Mary shares how every one of her books has been part of her own healing, how her journal quietly shapes each new project, and why her memoir Thin Places is the book that means the most to her, including the editor’s suggestion that changed everything about how she told her story.
Then we get practical. Mary walks us through how she manages writing, agenting, podcasting, speaking, and art by giving the best part of her day to creative work. She shares what she’s seeing in industry trends and why so many pitches sound the same, and we talk about why quiet, unplugged time may be the secret to fresh ideas. Mary closes with her advice for new writers: find your people, learn the craft until you can break the rules on purpose, and give Substack a try as a place to find your readers.
In This Episode
- How writing has been part of Mary’s own healing
- The role Mary’s journal plays in every book she writes
- Why Thin Places is Mary’s most meaningful book, and the editor who asked her to rewrite it in present tense
- How Mary juggles books, agenting, podcasting, speaking, and art
- Giving your best energy to your most creative work
- Industry trends, and why chasing them rarely works
- Why unique ideas stand out in a stack of pitches that sound the same
- Quiet time, walks, and shower ideas: making room to think
- Mary’s advice for writers just starting out
- Learning the rules of grammar so you can break them on purpose
- Substack as a place to find your audience
📒 Key Takeaways 📒
- Your writing can heal you, too. Mary has found that processing her story for the sake of a reader has been part of her own healing, book after book.
- Protect your best hours. Mary gives her sharpest morning hours to writing and developing messages and saves marketing and admin for later in the day.
- Don’t chase trends. By the time a trend is visible, it’s usually over. What stands out is a fresh take that only you can bring.
- Make room for quiet. Fewer inputs leave space for original ideas. Take a walk, turn off the phone, or let the shower do its work.
- You need writing friends. Community, mentors, and a writers group made Mary’s career possible. And once you learn something, teach it.
- Know the craft. You can’t break the rules well until you know them. Write fragments on purpose, not by accident, and aim for every book to be better than the last.
📒 Resources Mentioned 📒
- Thin Places: A Memoir by Mary DeMuth
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White
- On Writing Well by William Zinsser
- AquaNotes waterproof notepad
- Substack
- Mary’s daily podcast, Pray Every Day
🌐 Connect and Query Mary as a literary agent: www.marydemuth.com
🟧 Go Deeper 🟧
Work with me one-on-one: If you want personal support in becoming the author who writes and lives from a place of clarity, peace, and confidence, inquire about coaching at alicecrider.com.
Resources: Energy Journal to help you discover when you have the best energy to do your best writing.
📒 Free ebook: Book Publishing Essentials A foundational ebook to help you navigate the publishing journey with clarity and confidence. https://www.alicecrider.com/book-publishing-essentials
📒 Free Guide: Creating an Ideal Reader Avatar Reconnect with who you're actually writing for — a beautiful reset when you've gotten tangled up in what everyone wants instead of who really needs your words. https://www.alicecrider.com/reader-avatar
📒 Free Download: Your First 100 Readers Roadmap A step-by-step path to your first 100 true fans. No ads, no big platform, no guessing. https://www.alicecrider.com/100-readers-032026
