Becoming a Writer Later in Life

You might be forgiven for thinking that writing is only the preserve of the young.

Those with enough stamina and steely determination to climb the 39 (or is it 139?) steps to dream fulfillment and the dizzy heights of book publication. It’s a lengthy and time-consuming business getting there, whether you’ve landed a traditional publishing contract, are taking the partnership route to publication (sharing the cost with a publisher also known as hybrid publishing) or are striding out on your own as an indie author.

And by the way, the journey doesn’t end at publication point whichever route you take. So yes, energy, self-belief and staying power are very necessary attributes for most writers aspiring to be published. But if you are not a ‘20-something’ writer but a mature one, fear not! It’s actually never too late to become a published writer. And even if your energy levels aren’t quite what they used to be, you will certainly hold other advantages in the writing and publishing arena. This is a lesson that I learned in retirement at the tender age of 64 when I wrote my first book.

I did not plan on beginning a totally new career as a writer when I retired. An early lust for travel and then my professional life took me all over the world and in retirement many years later, I simply wanted to re-live my adventures in some of those faraway places through writing about them. The result was a collection of travel memories or ‘Travel Mementos’ as my first book came to be called.

When I began this ‘small’ retirement project, I had no knowledge of how much the publishing world had changed in the last decade. It has seen a huge growth in author support services, providing editorial help, cover design, formatting and production. This has been partly fueled by the arrival on the scene of the independent publishing sector and the growth in e-book and audio book sales.

But book marketing if you are an indie author, and in particular book promotion have also become very important. Similarly, author websites and reader email lists to grow your readership and the work of maintaining an active author presence on social media have a role to play. For me at least, this has all been quite a steep learning curve but in the process of informing myself about them from blogposts, webinars and podcasts I have also realised what assets mature writers have at their disposal that they can use to their advantage…

Firstly, let’s consider the writing side. As a mature writer with a significant number of lived years under your belt, you will have a wealth of experiences from real life that you can draw on for your creative work. The people you have met, the situations you have encountered – if you are writing fiction and need initial ideas for characters, places, plots, you often don’t need to look very much further than your own life for inspiration.

Secondly, you are likely to have developed realistic expectations and have resilience on your side – life teaches us a bit about acquiring these to! Pitching to publishers requires skill and you may well find you have experience in composing an email or introductory letter that achieves the right tone for these. The resilience will come in useful for the sometimes lengthy wait for a response, for coping with rejection and helping you move swiftly on to the next publisher on your list.

As a mature writer new to the publishing arena even if very experienced in other walks of life, you may feel a bit like Daniel, stepping into the lion’s den. You will undoubtedly have questions: what’s the difference between a traditional contract and a so-called hybrid one? Should you always write a pitch letter or is it okay to send your manuscript directly to a publisher?

Whatever your question, a simple search of the internet will produce the answers, often from other more advanced writers or experts in the publishing business, using their experience in the industry to offer help and support either free or at a cost. Much of their advice is disseminated through blog posts, podcasts, webinars, and writer’s tips via their social media presence if you follow them, and offering useful advice about how to navigate the publishing field successfully. Seek the answers and you will find them out there.

If you are a mature writer reading this, I hope you do not feel too discouraged when you see the many younger faces adorning websites aimed at would-be authors and people in the publishing industry.

There is a place and a readership for us mature writers too and we may just have something different to offer the reading world. And I will now leave you with that thought as I need to get back to editing the eighteen draft stories in my next collection of travel mementos, which I hope to publish soon!

Julie Watson is a writer based on the Isle of Wight in the UK. Her first book, Travel Mementos: personal stories about faraway places, was published in March 2021 by Beachy Books. She has nearly completed her second book of travel memoirs and is also midway through writing a humorous book about living with a cat. More details can be found on her book and author page.

Would you like to write for us? We are currently accepting guest posts from authors, book editors and emerging writers who have the ability to craft engaging and informative articles relating to writing, getting published and everything in between. If that sounds like you; submit your guest post below.

Article: Writers Wanted! Get Interviewed and Boost Your Visibility