When I published my first book, Teaching the Video Production Class: Beyond the Morning Newscast back in 2014 to say I was thrilled would be an understatement. The following year, I left a nearly twenty year career as an educator to focus full-time on raising my autistic son and to work on my writing career.

I scored some freelance work with Playground Magazine and The Autism Helper. I published a picture book, Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the upcoming re-published It Takes a Village: How to Build a Support System for Your Exceptional Needs Family. The icing on my publishing cake came when Abigail Wild of Wild Ink Publishing offered to publish my young adult novel, Worth It which debuts in 2024.

And if that was where my writing community journey ended, I’d be fulfilled and honored. But, unbeknownst to me, it wasn’t the end, only the beginning!

A few years ago, I started working directly with emerging writers like me. We swapped queries and opening chapters. I formed real friendships with writers and we gobbled up every word of each other’s stories. I studied and studied craft so I could help them. I found myself writing less, and wanting to read and help elevate their words more.

Their publishing wins, felt like mine. They kept telling me, you should pursue becoming a literary agent. I shrugged it off. But they kept pushing, until eventually I went for it and cold-called my favorite literary agent to see if she was interested in an assistant. She asked for my resume. We virtually met and the rest will one day be history.

My official start date as a literary assistant for the fabulous literary agent Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong at The Purcell Agency is tomorrow. For the next 90 days, I’ll be learning from Cathie’s immense experience in the industry.

I’ll also have the privilege of assisting her as she helps her client’s publishing dreams come true.

The point of this post is this—it is never, my friend, too late in life for dreams to come true. Even dreams you didn’t even know were yours.

I’ll forever be grateful to all of the agents, editors, publishers, critique partners, and friends along my journey to this new-to-me destination. It is my hope that I’ve also given something back to you in return.

On the eve of my first official day at The Purcell Agency, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Develop an attitude of gratitude. Say thank you to everyone you meet for everything they do for you.

Brian Tracy