Scott published a collection of three religious poems entitled "I, Gerontius" in 1941, but his writing career began in earnest with his first novel "Johnny Sahib" in 1952. Despite 17 rejections from publishers, it met with modest success. He continued to work as a literary agent to support his family, but managed to publish regularly. "The Alien Sky" (US title, "Six Days in Marapore") appeared in 1953, and was followed by "A Male Child" (1956), "The Mark of the Warrior" (1958), and "The Chinese Love Pavilion" (1960). He also wrote two radio plays for the BBC: "Lines of Communication" (1952) and "Sahibs and Memsahibs" (1958). All the novels were respectfully received. Sales were moderate, but Scott decided in 1960 to try becoming a full-time author.