Patricia Sands took up writing at the age of 63. She has published 12 books, many of them set in the South of France.Supplied
Patricia Sands often writes about second chances. It’s a concept she knows well. Widowed at 43 with two children, she went back to school and became a teacher. She remarried a few years later and switched her focus again to take care of two young stepchildren.
At the age of 63, Ms. Sands entered a new chapter when she took up writing. Now based in Collingwood, Ont., she has published 12 books, most of which focus on older women and how they tackle life’s changes – loss, caregiving, new romances – often in the sunny South of France. Her work has found a loyal readership and won numerous awards.
In this series Reimagining Wealth, we explore the evolving definition of wealth in today’s world.
As Ms. Sands looks ahead to her 80th birthday and enjoying more time with her large, blended family, she still writes. It provides her with an income, but she says that’s not the point. She writes for joy.
How did you start writing?
My husband had just retired and had health issues, so we couldn’t spend as much time golfing and playing tennis as we used to. I had some time on my hands, so I started writing a story for my friends in my bridge club. I never thought anyone would want to read it. Then I started taking writing courses and going to writing workshops and I realized, ‘Gosh, maybe I’ll become serious about this.’
As I figured out how to publish my first book The Bridge Club, I learned about the publishing industry and how important it is to have your writing properly edited.
What kept you going in those early years?
After I self-published my first book in 2010, I began hearing from readers asking me what else I had written. They liked my writing and that I wrote about mature women. I knew that I wanted to continue writing in that vein, but that I wanted to set my books in the South of France. My husband and I were going there every year and that’s where my heart was.
You published some of your books under Amazon’s Lake Union Publishing. What was that like?
Being involved with a traditional publishing company means being faced with very strict deadlines. I have a busy personal life. My husband and I have seven children altogether, and the grandchildren started arriving. That’s when I opted back into indie publishing, because you can set your own schedule.
Is there a financial difference between doing it alone or with a publisher?
When you are a writer, there are times when you can live off it very well, and times when you are just covering expenses. In the years I published with Lake Union Publishing, I would earn six figures, or close to it. Self-publishing, I make half of that in a good year.
When I was with Amazon, I established a good readership; not all authors have that opportunity. When I talk about these things, I like to focus on every writer finding personal value in their work, not money.
You also ran tours to France for many years. What was that like?
About 12 years ago, I started working with a travel company to offer a trip with six days in Nice and six days in Arles, where my book Drawing Lessons is set. Everyone who has done these tours has loved them. The best part is that every year the group becomes good friends with each other and stay in touch afterwards.
I did my last one [this past] September. They’ve been so much fun and rewarding, but I’m going to be 80 next year and there are health issues in my family. I’ve decided that from now on I need to prioritize travel with my family and my close friends.
You’re still writing. Do you see yourself ever retiring from this second career?
Every once in a while, I’ve said to my husband, ‘Okay, that’s it. I’m not doing it any more.’ It’s hard, and it takes up time. And he says, ‘Are you kidding me? You can never give it up.’
He’s right. I’ve found a wonderful community of readers and other writers. It brings me joy and a lot of satisfaction. It’s a wonderful thing to write a book and have readers give you positive feedback. It makes you feel good about what you’re doing with your time, and it makes it worth it to spend all those days, weeks, months, years, writing a book.
