Too old to make it?

Tigercub · Dec 23, 2008

I was reading a book called Writer's Digest Guide to Making Money in Freelance Writing, published in 1997. The last article was by Russ Galen, and it was about how to get a career as a best-selling author. One thing he said stood out and absolutely shocked me.

He said that very few publishers and agents will even take a chance on a writer who's 50 or over because, frankly, "older" writers may not have enough time left to write very many books, and they certainly don't have enough time to develop a career as a best selling author.

Excuse me?? Hello?? Since when is 50 ancient and decrepit? Average lifespan is nearly 80, and many people live well beyond that, not as vegetables but as vital human beings.

I would be tempted to dismiss this, but this is Russ Galen for pete's sake, who certainly should know agents and publishers.

I belong to AARP. Am I simply too old to give this novel-writing thing a go? And why would an agent or a publisher even ask my age? Isn't this ageism?

Ellefire · Dec 23, 2008

Well, it's given me a bit of hope. I'm still in my thirties and it's crossed my mind more than once tht I'm too old already to be going down this path. I tell you, I look back at my teens and twenties and I could cry. All those years I could have been writing and building up a career. The fact that I was raising four kids and having multiple nervous breakdowns is small comfort. Still, if the bar is 50, then I can breathe a small sigh of relief.

I have no idea what AARP is, but I think even at 50, if it's good enough, it's good enough.

qwerty · Dec 23, 2008

Tigercub said:
He said that very few publishers and agents will even take a chance on a writer who's 50 or over because, frankly, "older" writers may not have enough time left to write very many books, and they certainly don't have enough time to develop a career as a best selling author.

British author, Mary Wesley, had her first novel published at 71. She wrote ten best-sellers, some of which were made into TV series, before she died in 2002 aged 90.

Tigercub said:
Excuse me?? Hello?? Since when is 50 ancient and decrepit? Average lifespan is nearly 80, and many people live well beyond that, not as vegetables but as vital human beings.

So true. Add to that the fact that someone who is retired tends to have more time to write - not to mention that they have experience of life to call on.

The sad fact is that some agents do discriminate in favour of young writers, but, happily, this is not the case with all agents.

sheadakota · Dec 23, 2008

I pity the fool who tells me I'm too old for anything! ( sorry for the lame A-team reference)

euclid · Dec 23, 2008

Case in point.

Annie Proulx is a case in point. She was born 1935 and her first novel was published 1992. She has won a Pulitzer and the O. Henry award (twice) as well as "Best short story of the year" at least twice. She wrote The Shipping News and Brokeback Mountain, both of which were made into films.

There must be other examples of late developers...

I can see how age could be a deal-breaker for some agents/publishers, but if the material is good enough, it shouldn't matter how old you are.

PS Forgive my iggorance, but who the heck is Russ Galen?

Virector · Dec 23, 2008

I am actually quite young, in theory, but I don't know-- I always feel like somehow, I'm running out of time. I feel like once I get to a certain age, it just won't work, which I'm aware is complete hogwash, but still, I wallow in the fear that at a certain age, I will NOT be able to make it. I don't really know why I have that conception, but... oh well. Never mind.

waylander · Dec 23, 2008

Russ Galen is a major NY agent. http://agentquery.com/agent.aspx?agentid=201
He is entitled to his view but many others, including my agent, don't share it

euclid · Dec 23, 2008

The Power of Positive Thinking.

Virector said:
I am actually quite young, in theory, but I don't know-- I always feel like somehow, I'm running out of time. I feel like once I get to a certain age, it just won't work, which I'm aware is complete hogwash, but still, I wallow in the fear that at a certain age, I will NOT be able to make it. I don't really know why I have that conception, but... oh well. Never mind.

Never forget the PPT
And never let the bu**ers get you down.

Marian Perera · Dec 23, 2008

I've seen one or two writers justify their decision to sign with PublishAmerica by saying they were too old to try commercial publication.

Mumut · Dec 23, 2008

I'm glad I didn't see that fourteen years ago when I turned 50. But I wasn't writing then, so it probably wouldn't have mattered.

narnia · Dec 23, 2008

I sincerely hope that if the next JKR or SM (for example) crossed an agent's desk he/she won't pass because the author is on the wrong side of 50.

donroc · Dec 23, 2008

The bias may well exist. I recall on one of Miss Snark's posts Rachael Vater admitting to something like that. However, no agent or publisher has said anything like that to me directly.

Not yet ready for an elephant's graveyard, I am 76.5 and still writing. My first published novel (not the first I wrote) came out last year, and another will be available any day now on line at Amazon, B&N, and the others as well as in Books in Print so it can be ordered from booksellers.

Do not give up.

DeleyanLee · Dec 23, 2008

Tigercub said:
I was reading a book called Writer's Digest Guide to Making Money in Freelance Writing, published in 1997.

That, to me, is the key. What Galen said was what he believed more than 10 years ago. My question is--what would he say now? Opinions change, after all. At that time, in that market with whoever was on the editorial staffs of the major publishers, it might have been true. Today, who knows if he'd say the same thing since the market and the editorial staffs have changed.

Cranky · Dec 23, 2008

I keep hearing people say this, and yet, I keep seeing first novels being published by people in their fifties, sixties, and later.

I wouldn't worry about anything except writing the best book you possibly can.

Wayne K · Dec 23, 2008

Didn't George Burns write a book?

JamieFord · Dec 23, 2008

Norman Maclean was 74 when A River Runs Through It was first published. There's always time.

Meerkat · Dec 23, 2008

Thank goodness you posted that "over 50 rule." For awhile there, I was worried the cause for my enduring failure was my...my writing.

euclid · Dec 23, 2008

Doesn't count

Wayne K said:
Didn't George Burns write a book?

Celebrities can write books anytime they like. For the purposes of this discussion, they don't count. (Sean Connery has a book out - I saw it in the bookshops yesterday)

Shadow_Ferret · Dec 23, 2008

Tigercub said:
I would be tempted to dismiss this, but this is Russ Galen for pete's sake, who certainly should know agents and publishers.

Who?

I also didn't know you had to reveal your age. How are they going to know you're 50?

euclid · Dec 23, 2008

Who?

narnia said:
I sincerely hope that if the next JKR or SM (for example) crossed an agent's desk he/she won't pass because the author is on the wrong side of 50.

Who's SM?

ChaosTitan · Dec 23, 2008

Stephanie Meyer, Twilight books author

Don · Dec 23, 2008

Where do I find this Russ Galen guy? I'm gonna whup on him with my cane. Whippersnapper!

euclid · Dec 23, 2008

Good question...

Shadow_Ferret said:
I also didn't know you had to reveal your age. How are they going to know you're 50?

...but I suppose they will find out sooner or later. They might want to meet you at some point...

DeleyanLee · Dec 23, 2008

euclid said:
...but I suppose they will find out sooner or later. They might want to meet you at some point...

But by then, it's usually after they've sold your book and are making money off you. At least, that's been what I've seen with various friends who have agents or gotten new ones.

euclid · Dec 23, 2008

Not what I heard...

DeleyanLee said:
But by then, it's usually after they've sold your book and are making money off you. At least, that's been what I've seen with various friends who have agents or gotten new ones.

I heard when Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl) first queried, an agent in London rang him and asked him to fly to London for a meeting immediately (before any contracts were signed or anything).

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