Paul Taylor, "This Is Getting Old"

Paul Taylor, why do you think your agent couldn't find a normal New York-based publisher to take this book?

Good question.

A couple of possible answers.

One is not good enough.

I hope that's not the answer.

I think it's pretty good.

I don't have a credential anymore.

This is something that happens when you get to be my age.

I used to be somebody, and I didn't used to be a famous person, so I don't have a platform.

And it's possible that in this day and age, I am not the world's most sympathetic figure.

I describe myself as an old white guy with an Ivy League degree, stale, male, pale, and Yale.

There are a lot of people my age.

I think the world has a little bit moved on from us.

It's ready to think about other things and other identities.

I don't mean to complain about that, but I suspect, listen, I've lived a life, and I say this at the opening chapter of my book, where the deck has been stacked in my favor in more ways than I can count because of who I am, because of how I've been raised, et cetera.

I think at this particular moment, the deck is not stacked in my favor, and I accept that.

When did you decide to self-publish?

Pretty late in the process, I started writing this book six years ago as my wife and I ran into some bumps after a very charmed life together.

And I said, maybe there's a story in this.

If fortunate people like us have a bumpy ride into old age, maybe I can write a relatable story about it.

I wrote it on spec.

I wrote it without having a publisher.

I had written two previous books that had traditional publishers.

And I said, look, come what may, I'm going to write this book anyway.

And if I get to the end of the process and get finished with it, let's see if I can find a publisher.