Online Publishing Options for Over 50’s at Melbourne City Library

Topic: Online Publishing Options for Over 50’s
Date: Saturday 10 January 2026 11:00am – 1:00pm AEDT UTC+11
Organisation: Sue Ellson
Venue: Majorca Room, Melbourne City Library (not the State Library) 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3000
Tickets: $39 include comprehensive written notes
Bookings: https://opo50.eventbrite.com.au
Description:

Would you like to publish your story, writing, poetry, musings, research, family history or something else online forever? Learn more now!

Join this interactive and informative session to find out how you can publish your story, writing, poetry, musings, research, family history or something else online forever at the Melbourne City Library (not the State Library), 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 on Saturday 10 January 2026 from 11am – 1pm.

Sue Ellson started publishing content online with her first website in 2001 and has tried and tested various forms of social media and other online publication sites ever since.

Sue publishes non-fiction content as well as poetry but has helped thousands of clients and students share their content online either free of charge or for a small yearly fee (if you publish on your own website and host it here in Melbourne).

However you choose to publish your content, Sue can also show you how to make sure your content is added to the Internet Archive so that it stays online forever!

Remember, it is never too late and no time is wasted!

It doesn’t require a huge amount of digital competency either, just basic digital literacy and you can start immediately with the best option for the content you have and who you would like to read it!

This will be a small group interactive session where you will also learn from the other participants but also receive comprehensive notes that you can review after the workshop.

Whilst it is designed for people over the age of 50, everyone is most welcome!

Supported by Seniors in Melbourne

Seniors in Melbourne - Sue Ellson — Quiet Changemaker & Champion for Lifelong Learning By Amy Gardner

Full copy of the Seniors in Melbourne article available on request or by clicking here https://seniorsinmelbourne.com.au/sue-ellson

Supported by The Senior Newspaper

The Senior Newspaper Writing a book. The scams to avoid and how to publish for free by Iqra Saeed

Full copy of The Senior Newspaper Article available on request or by creating a free account at The Senior and clicking here https://www.thesenior.com.au/story/9127547/how-over-50s-can-self-publish-for-free-in-australia

Some of the many benefits I have received from publishing online include:

⭐ sorting my thoughts

⭐ connecting with people worldwide

⭐ re-connecting with people I have known in the past

⭐ finding out that my words have made a difference

⭐ seeing my words shared by others

⭐ securing incredible opportunities to collaborate

⭐ learning and growing with each new piece

⭐ exploring concepts in more depth

⭐ sharing my lived experience with research

⭐ being invited to do really interesting things

⭐ receiving heartfelt and inspiring feedback

⭐ discovering my content in foreign countries

⭐ inspiring people with art, music and passion projects

⭐ making my content accessible 24/7/365 in an hour of need

⭐ not hearing from people but knowing I am sending out solutions

⭐ humble gratefulness and a commitment to continue

⭐ a desire to share this opportunity with others

I will admit, it hasn’t always been a ‘bed of roses’ and it has taken a bit of courage to:

🌱 overcome negative comments from people I know

🌱 deal with negative comments from people I don’t know

🌱 continue after dealing with negative feedback (not often but challenging)

🌱 overcome my own level of perfectionism (80% is good enough)

🌱 constantly look for better ways to do things and to reach aligned people

🌱 keep up to date with the systems and options available

🌱 enter competitions and never win

🌱 and other random things…on a zero budget

But it has all been so worth it – and I hope you can join us!

Slides

20260110-Online-Publishing-Options-for-Over-50s-with-Sue-Ellson Download

Photos

Online Publishing Options For Over 50's at Melbourne City Library with Sue Ellson — Online Publishing Options For Over 50’s at Melbourne City Library with Sue Ellson

Feedback

1. Did you enjoy the workshop overall?

16 said yes, one did not answer

2. What has been most helpful to you?

loved hearing everyone’s story
overall information – a lot new to me
update information re social media, online publishing and search engines
the tips and tricks in the last 45 minutes
opening of my mind to some of the author hiccups
presentation was professional and scope was wide
all gold, so kind, so wise, yes, all helpful
archiving work and your experience
everything!
information regarding publishing options
general discussion
contacts
information provided, tips and suggestions
complete rethink of what I have been doing
opening up possibilities, empowerment and skills
Google archive and local website information
the real life examples and discussion

3. What else would have been helpful?

from the ad, I expected more in-depth on self-publishing. Only really got started on it at 12pm
better acoustic quality of the venue
some more discussion and experiences – but time was full
more time, but I will do things smarter
longer session
many new tangents were opened. More in-depth opportunities overall
a microphone for participants contributions as acoustics not good
unsure

4. What will you do next?

read the notes
look at WordPress. Consider also linking to Instagram, Facebook consider consulting you
profiles on Bing
check my LinkedIn Profile
keep writing
pursue some of the options
create WordPress
research suggested options
read over your notes
try out some of the websites suggested
a plan!
write a review for Amy and Seniors in Melbourne
WordPress website
consider my options

5. Do you have any other feedback?

Thank you!
Myopic – text too pale to see well. Too fast (main content 12-1) Lots of generous helpful content. Thanks!
Time keeping at the start. Nearly half the time on introductions.
Acoustics in room was echo-ey – air conditioning was noisy in background
I would have liked a quicker start and a slower finish
Many thanks
Enjoyed the session very much
Keep doing it if it makes you happy
It was great and will recommend
Very informative, organised and enjoyable
Great! Lots of info to go through
Very interesting and informative
Nope
Great to know you’re available for consultations
An accessible and inclusive session
Very informative. Probably would have been better over three hours and more time for questions
It’s been great. You know your stuff Sue!
Good venue for transport
Resourceful leads – e.g. Prahran Archives (PMI Victorian History Library), Microphone, Acoustics, Substack, Memoir, Security