Writing, Marketing, and Finding My Voice: A Midlife Author’s Journey

Thirty years ago, I mailed query letters. Last May, I hit 'Post' on Facebook with shaky hands. I never expected the second one to feel scarier.

This summer has been busy, and it’s far from over. Between exploring San Diego and tackling some renovations at our house, I’ve been swamped writing, not only for this blog but also for my underwriting blog on Substack. Actually, I shouldn’t say just “writing.” There’s a whole world of marketing that comes with growing an audience, and I’ve spent the season learning that side too.

Learning to Market My Writing: The New Challenge for Content Creators

As a content creator (look at me using fancy words), learning how to market is just as essential, maybe even more challenging than writing.

From Query Letters to Trade Magazines: My Early Writing Career

I started writing ages ago. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t have a lot of time to write back then since I was raising my daughters and working hard on my underwriting career. Regardless, I liked to write, and marketing was a lot different back then.

Years ago, when I first started, I was published in trade magazines and would sell my articles via query letters. I would buy the “Writer’s Market” every year and create lists of potential markets for each article idea, all kept organized in labeled folders.

I’d send letters to periodicals, pitching my article idea and explaining why it would be a good fit. I got rejection after rejection, but just enough takers to keep my dream alive and make a little extra cash.

Retiring and Embracing Full-Time Writing and Travel

Fast forward to one year ago. I retired from a 30+ year career as a mortgage underwriter so my husband and I could travel as we pleased and I could pursue my writing dream full-time.

After traveling extensively for the past ten years, I had a lot of material to write about and hundreds of photos. And after my long career in the mortgage industry, I had a pool of knowledge to help consumers understand the mortgage process.

Discovering the Digital Marketing Landscape with Family Support

I had lengthy conversations with my daughter, Founder and CEO of a digital marketing company, Deviant Digital Services (DDS), about what I needed to do differently at this point in the game. Sometimes, during these talks, I would have no idea what she was talking about, but I listened, made notes, and tried to understand this strange new digital world.

After securing my domain names for writing and photos, I registered my trade name and started selling my photos on stock sites. (In case you didn’t know, I sell images from our travels on stock photo sites. You can see an extensive library of them here.)

Building My Website: From Content Focus to Going Live

At the end of 2024, I acquired a Squarespace account and began developing a website for my writing. I struggled to build it, and trying to create an expert site slowed my progress for a couple of months.

My primary focus in the beginning was content. Just write. I decided to publish a new article every week and, in my spare time, work on the site. That went on for a few months until my dear husband said, “Listen to your daughter and stop messing with the website. Start publishing and go live. You can always change your design later.”

So, I accepted my simple site and started publishing my articles.

I decided that by the end of the day, every Monday, I would have a new article published. It took a couple of months to nail that discipline. By April, I had found my rhythm and then wondered, Where is my audience?

Finding My Audience: Taking the Leap into Social Media

My husband encouraged me to take a leap of faith: “Go on Facebook and tell people about your website. You can’t find an audience if they don’t know you exist.” I kept saying, “I don’t have enough content yet.”

What I wasn’t saying was that I was terrified of rejection—especially from friends and family.

Facing Fear of Rejection from Those Closest to Me

It’s a funny feeling to realize you’re afraid the people closest to you will judge your work. In the past, I wrote without fear, sending query letters left and right. I received more rejection letters than I care to admit, but I never let it hinder me. I’d cross that publication off my list and move on. Onward!

The psychology isn’t complex: my Facebook is filled with people I know personally. Strangers can reject me all day long, but friends and family? 

Terrifying!

On May 27th, while home alone writing, I stopped. I went to my Facebook page, took a deep breath, and with shaky hands, typed out my announcement. Before I could chicken out, I hit post, turned my phone off, and went back to writing.

That night, I told my husband. He checked the post—nothing but support. Comments cheering me on, hearts, likes, and even shares.

Growing Confidence and Expanding My Reach

Two weeks later, I started posting a little ad for each week’s article. One month later, I launched a SubStack to share my underwriting knowledge with consumers.

I immediately announced that on Facebook—no shaky hands.

Leveraging Pinterest and Social Media to Market My Work

Around then, my digital-marketing-genius daughter suggested I create a Pinterest page for my articles. She explained how marketing creative content works today. Since she’s the expert, I took her advice.

Don’t get me wrong, I was skeptical, but I figured out how to make Pins and post them. I use our licensed travel photos and have started creating staged images for specific articles. Creativity flowing from all angles now!

Late one night, I talked with my youngest daughter and her husband. They advised me to leverage social media further, find collaborators, and interact with fellow content creators.

Building Consistency: Publishing, Scheduling, and Connecting

I set up business Instagram and Facebook accounts. I’ve learned to create posts in Canva and now schedule marketing two weeks ahead. I’m publishing two articles every Monday, one for Substack and one here.

Some days, the marketing feels overwhelming. Other days, I’m full of ideas for growing my audience.

Working in Canva to build marketing material / Photo by Whaldo Digital Content

Balancing Writing Passion with Marketing Realities

I’ve learned a whole new skill set and continue to learn. Marketing is essential, and I remind myself that I have something worth the effort.

Writing makes me happy, and I’m slowly finding my audience. The mortgage writing is taking flight quicker than my travel and personal writing, but I love both.

I’m getting faster at creating marketing material, and as my daughter says, “Just keep writing and posting. If you build it, they will come.”

Overcoming Fear and Embracing the Journey Ahead

Fear is no longer my obstacle.

I’ll keep writing. Maybe someday I’ll create something that resonates widely, and readers will sign up to follow me. Who knows where this journey will take me?

I’ll keep moving forward, listening to my daughters and my peers. The writing world has changed dramatically since I started 30 years ago, and it’s been fun to grow with it.

I’m 55 and living the second half of my life. Who knows? Maybe I’ll sell more photos. Perhaps I’ll write a book. Possibly, I’ll do a podcast.

Thanks, friends and family, for supporting me.

Join Me as My Writing Journey Continues

If you’d like to follow my journey or see more of my writing and photos, you’ll find all the links to connect just around this page.

I hope you’ll come with me as I continue my journey. After all, it’s just beginning.

—J.S. Whaldo