Hello, friend.
I’m breaking from my usual essay format this week to make a major announcement. As of January 31, 2024, I have shuttered my hybrid publishing operation at Wonderwell. All of Wonderwell’s authors with projects in progress and about twenty percent of our authors with books in distribution were offered contracts with Greenleaf Book Group, largely mirroring their terms at Wonderwell. Together we will form a partnership imprint called Wonderwell Press.
I founded my company ten years ago, originally called LifeTree Media. Over the past decade, we have published dozens of life-changing books, won peer-reviewed awards, ranked on national bestseller lists, and touched the hearts and minds of countless readers. 2023 was our biggest year to date, with more new authors signed, our largest-ever team, and more books in the pipeline than in any year past. Nothing like going out with a bang, right?
This was far from an easy decision to make, but it’s been brewing in my heart for some time. Over the past year and a bit, while recovering from breast cancer and studying Wayfinder coaching with Martha Beck, it gradually became clear to me that operating a growing company is no longer the right path for me to walk. And just in case I was in danger of ignoring the call of my heart, events conspired in recent months to force my hand. Over the holidays, I made the difficult — and liberating — decision to close the business and hand the Wonderwell brand over to Greenleaf.
I am so proud of the talented Wonderwell team and grateful to them for the contributions they made to our success over the years. Saying goodbye to them was very hard.
I’m also immensely proud of the company that we built together. Our tiny boutique press earned a reputation as one of the best-regarded hybrid publishers in North America, known for the excellence of our books, our editorial rigor, and our high-touch client relationships. I believe that the success we earned was a natural outgrowth of our brand values: wholehearted, curious, meticulous, intelligent, articulate, and purposeful. These values are not hollow words but a way of living, working, and relating to others. Organizations are not human beings but they are carriers of the essence of the human beings behind the scenes. When we know who we are and are in integrity with our core identity, our best possible life has the opportunity to come forth. I believe that this is what we achieved at Wonderwell.
To be clear, this is not the end of Wonderwell’s story but a new chapter and phase in its evolution. My single-pointed vision for Wonderwell has remained consistent since its inception in 2013: To help, heal, and inspire humanity through shared wisdom and inspiring stories. I am overjoyed that this vision will live on, thanks to this partnership imprint.
Greenleaf Book Group is the largest and longest-standing hybrid publisher/book distributor in the US. Its brilliant CEO Tanya Hall shares my commitment to best-in-class hybrid publishing, and now that the Wonderwell brand will be running on Greenleaf’s far more robust operation, I am confident that it will flourish and expand its mission to make life more rewarding for readers and authors.
I will take the role of Publisher of the new imprint, but rather than managing the day-to-day work, I will be focused on making connections with visionary writers, creators, healers, and thought leaders, and building our publishing list through thoughtful acquisitions. I’ll also be putting my thumbprint on the books themselves by contributing creatively to the positioning (which means topic focus and differentiation) of each key title on the Wonderwell Press imprint. Tanya and I both intend for the imprint to lean even more heavily into the body, mind, spirit space, with a clear focus on books by healers, coaches, therapists, and spiritual luminaries.
On a personal note, my life is about to become a lot simpler and more aligned with the path I mean to walk in this next phase of my human journey. I’ll still be hosting retreats such as the Big Leap, and making more public appearances at writers’ conferences and workshops. I’ll also continue to produce my podcast The Selfish Gift, a passion project that I am far from done with. Crucially, I’ll also be able to devote more time to my creative writing, such as here on The Underwire and in essays and stories submitted for publication in literary journals.
I’ll also be keeping a window open in my calendar each week for one-on-one Wayfinder coaching sessions, which I’ll blend with publishing consultation to help purpose-driven individuals eradicate the blocks that stand in the way of bringing forth their book.
Thank you for following along on this exciting journey with me! Here’s to making bold strides in the direction of our heart’s compass and finding our way to the life we were born to live.
Maggie xo
All the links
Media coverage: You can read more about this new development on the Wonderwell blog and in this article in Publishers Weekly.
Wonderwell Press submissions: If you are a coach, healer, or therapist, and you are interested in learning how you can get published by Wonderwell Press, submit your project here.
Wayfinder Book Coaching: If you are craving soulful, publishing-savvy support for your writing practice and life, you can book a brief discovery call with me here.
The Selfish Gift podcast: Listen to the latest episode here.
The Big Leap: To apply for this one-of-a-kind book planning program and VIP retreat, go here.
Oh wow Maggie! This sounds great! I always admire women, and especially women in leadership who are willing to make big shifts for the betterment of themselves and their businesses--and who are also transparent about the process. It somehow gives permission for others to make these courageous transitions in their own lives and endeavors! Very inspirational- thanks for sharing!