Why older people write books (and what they should know)

In my experience, people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s are more likely than younger authors to want to write a nonfiction book. In our business book ROI survey, 80% of the authors were 46 or older.

It’s no surprise why this happens. People in that age group:

• Feel they’ve gained enough experience to have insights worth sharing.
• Have often gained enough financial security to invest time and money in writing.
• May have fewer family obligations; if they have children, the children may be well on their way to independence.
• Want to establish their mark on the world.
• May want to transition into a thought leader role focused on speaking, consulting, or board participation, rather than being a corporate employee.

Advice for older nonfiction authors

If this is you, congratulations. You’re about to embark on an exciting journey at the peak of your knowledge and powers.

You’re also about to enter an uncharted territory you’ve never visited before. So here’s some advice just for you:

1. Define an objective. Why are you writing this book? Do you just want to get your ideas down where people can see them? (Often authors who have no objective beyond that find the level of effort out of proportion to the reward.) Do you want to change people’s minds? Establish a consulting business? Become a compensated public speaker? Unless you have a goal for your book, you won’t know what level of effort to invest, who to work with, and how ensure that the effort is worthwhile.
2. Beware the Curse of Knowledge. You now know a whole lot about your topic. Your reader doesn’t. Your biggest challenge may be writing to a naïve reader. Picture someone you’ve worked with who is smart, but lacks your experience. That’s your audience. Write to them.
3. Block off your time. Older authors often have the luxury of time. “I can spend all day on my book today,” you may think. But that’s not how time works. You’ll still have plenty of other responsibilities, and six hours of unencumbered time does not equal six hours of productive work. Instead, block off time for specific tasks, for example, two hours of research in the morning, an hour of outreach to useful contacts in the afternoon, and two hours of writing before dinner.
4. Enlist a posse of trusted advisors. The only way to know if your work in progress is any good is to put it in front of people you trust. So connect with former colleagues and trusted friends about your book. You might just get together with them to share recent insights and experiences, or you may find it useful for them to vet an idea you’ve outlined or a passage you’ve written. They’ll also keep you grounded and help you to avoid the otherwise inevitable “What the hell am I doing?” moments.
5. Hire helpers. These days, you can try to write and publish the whole book yourself, but that’s far less likely to make the impact you desire. Consider hiring a book coach or developmental editor to guide your efforts and provide professional feedback. Write a book proposal if you covet a traditional publishing contract, or reach out to hybrid publishes like Amplify, Greenleaf, Ideapress, or Page Two.
6. Plan before writing. New authors tend to start by writing. They then end up with a plate of spaghetti, tangled and chaotic with gaps and duplications. Start instead by mapping out your chapters using the reader question method, then do research and interviews to gather raw material. After that, your writing time will be more productive.
7. Prepare to promote. Line up your book promotion resources well ahead of when your book will be complete. This includes building up social media presence on sites like LinkedIn or Substack and hiring an author strategy firm like Monaco Associates and a publicist.
8. Think of yourself as an author. This is your new career. It helps to think professionally about it. What kind of office does an author work in? Who do they talk to all day and all week? What do they spend time on? How do they tell other people who they are? Until you embrace the mindset, you’ll be stuck on the old ways of thinking.

One last piece of advice. For most authors, their spouse is their main source of interaction and moral support. If you’re married, prepare your spouse for what you’re undertaking. Share your daily efforts, successes, and setbacks. But don’t assume your spouse is your primary reader and reviewer, or that they will share the same enthusiasm for the details of your project that you do. When you work in a company, it’s easier to draw the line between work and home life. When you’re an author, you have to put more effort into that boundary. A little conversation ahead of time about what you expect of each other will help you avoid awkward moments at the dinner table or hurt feelings at bedtime.