Depending on where you live, there are many calculations to make as you approach retirement at age 62 or age 65. Our life expectancy has increased a lot in the last few decades. So you need to make long-term financial plans.
You will need to calculate your anticipated pension and costs. It might be 401 k plans or superannuation. It could be savings or social security benefits.
Then there are health care costs and perhaps your income tax liabilities. For those in the US, you might even need to consider student loans.
Financial planning for your retirement account should start early. Check to see if you are setting aside enough in your nest egg. But have you considered writing for an income in your retirement?
Does your retirement planning include earning extra income?
Blogging, content writing, and self-publishing have all become popular pastimes.
They are all potential retirement income earners. All of them are perfectly suited to a retiree’s lifestyle.
So are you considering self-publishing in your retirement?
It doesn’t matter where you live. All you need is an Internet connection. Writing for an income in your retirement is an ideal and enjoyable home-based activity.
Some start writing after they retire. But I would suggest to those who may be approaching this stage of life to get a head start.
Start planning ahead and getting your writing or self-publishing ventures off the ground well before the time arrives.
For those totally new to writing and self-publishing, it can be a steep learning curve. So having a few years of experience under your belt is a positive advantage.
It will pay dividends when you have more time to invest.
Further reading: How To Make Money Writing And Self-Publishing
Writing and self-publishing are flexible retirement side businesses
Even for people a lot younger, writing as a hobby can always be ramped up if circumstances change.
For example, unemployment, illness, or perhaps for the luckier ones, a one-year sabbatical.
I started writing and then self-publishing a long time ago now. It has almost always been a hobby, or at most, a part-time side income activity for me.
But now I can see that it will be my part-time job during retirement, which is approaching very soon.
Over the years, I had a few times here and there when bad luck struck. I was unable to work full-time, and writing and self-publishing filled a void for me.
Not only as a productive activity but also as an income earner.
My most profitable period for writing output and book sales was a few years ago.
I was ill for an extended period of time, and I invested my time almost 100% in writing, publishing, and promoting.
And I made money too from my published books. I believe that my determination to keep active and working helped me get back on my feet much sooner.
Self-publishing and writing have become popular with people of all ages and from all walks of life. It can be adapted to the aspirations of almost anyone.
Perhaps you are thinking about writing or self-publishing as a small business.
You can derive a side income or simply write for pleasure. The most attractive benefit is that it can be slowed down, stopped, restarted, or ramped up at any time.
This makes it a great fallback plan for anyone with a love of writing.
Self-publishing in your retirement is an ideal way to enjoy and profit from writing.
Ways you can use writing to earn money
Your first thought might be that writing books when you retire is the best option.
For a lot of people who become new authors, it can prove to be successful.
But selling books needs a lot of work after writing, editing, and self-publishing.
If you have a flair for marketing and can leverage social media, you will have a big advantage.
Another option to become a professional writer is to write articles.
Freelance writing is quite lucrative if you have good writing skills and a little knowledge of content marketing.
You can also think about starting a blog and learning how to monetize it with advertising and affiliate links.
One great article can provide a monthly return for months or even years. You can also accept guest posts on your blog to help add more content.
There are many ways to turn writing and self-publishing in your retirement into an income. All you need to do is find a way that suits you and your lifestyle.
You can always learn something new
You are never too young or too old to learn how to master new skills.
Technology gives you so many opportunities. There are so many free writing tools and software now for new writers.
You can take online courses or take it upon yourself to learn.
In my case, I am learning how to code in CSS and PHP. It sounds complicated, but I am making great progress.
All you need to do is spend time on a project and be motivated. You can always extend and improve your knowledge and skills.
Then, anything is possible for you.
Related Reading: Make A Passive Income From Your Writing
As far as keeping the brain active goes, writing is top notch. And if you’re planning a short story or book, you’ll probably need to do some research, however minor. Curiosity and learning are therefore catered for and that keeps the brain young and nimble. As for earning money at the same time, that depends on how technical and dedicated you are. Publishing today is a far cry from the 80’s and 90’s…Mainstream publishers used to circulate and advertise for you and send regular royalties not to be sniffed at. Today, unless you have money to buy your own books to give away, travel and give talks (unless extremely gifted), it’s a hard slog to earn enough to see you through the week. Keen writers will, of course, plod on, like wot I do. in the hope of maybe selling a few more copies of the book they KNOW. is better than the experts think it is!
You’ve got a typo in your first line – it’s pastime, not pass time. In the age of the internet, typos have become a way to gauge professionalism and trustworthiness. Stopped me reading right there.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It has been corrected.
I would recommend writing and self publishing for retirees for one reason alone: it keeps the brain ticking over. I would not recommend it as a source of income because very few writers make money from their books, whether self- or traditionally published. And with a few exceptions they only manage that after years and several books. All that said, if you are lucky enough to have the time it is a brilliant way to spend it, especially if you are writing non fiction that requires research into a fascinating subject. I speak from personal experience of course! It’s hard work, but wonderful to meet new challenges in the latter years.
Happily, retirement has given me the time to write. After three decades of teaching in public schools, retirement to the Southwestern desert meant doing the things I was passionate about, including some teaching at the college level and publishing education related articles, chapters, and a book. But, mostly, it was about doing the research I needed for the novel I planned to write. The Clay Remembers (Book 1 in The Clay Series) is finally finished and self-published to good reviews. I’m finding marketing quite a challenge and very time consuming, while trying to get busy with books 2 and 3. I’ve learned some important lessons along the way. I find your blog very insightful, offering some great ideas and tips. Thanks.
Happy to hear you are enjoying being productive, Sharon. However, I empathise with you completely about the book marketing side of things. It’s not easy, and such a fine balance to find. All I can suggest is try many different ways, and keep a record of what works best. It can be very different for every author. Hopefully, some of my tips (directly from my own flops and partial successes) helps a little.