One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into adiner somewhere in the United Sates.
Slung over his shoulder was a kit-bag that containedeverything he owned. He was unshaven and needed ashower badly. He had very little money, but enough fora phone call.
He rang his bank and asked how much was in hisaccount. A woman's voice informed him - to hisamazement - that the balance in his account was fourmillion, three hundred thousand dollars.
His name was Richard Bach. Six months before, he hadsubmitted a short story, barely 10,000 words long, toa New York publisher.
For the last three months he had been living the lifeof a nomadic 'barnstormer', taking people on joy ridesfor $5 a flight and sleeping in fields under the wing ofhis bi-plane.
Hardly able to believe what he had just heard, he rangthe New York publisher to whom he had sent themanuscript.
"Where on earth are you?" asked a woman's voice."We've been looking for you for three months! Radioand TV want interviews with you, a publisher in Spainwants to buy the Spanish rights to your book..."
He had been completely unaware that his shortmanuscript, titled 'Jonathon Livingstone Seagull',had become a runaway best-seller.
Unfortunately, this success story had a sad sequel.Like many people who suddenly become wealthy, RichardBach knew very little about managing money. Heentrusted his new-found fortune to a financial advisorwho led him astray, to the tune of millions ofdollars.
Within a few years he was broke, and With the IRShounding him for unpaid taxes he was forced to declarehimself bankrupt. He signed away all future earningsfrom 'Jonathon Livingstone Seagull' to thegovernment, as well as the rights to any future books he might write, and began the arduous task ofrebuilding his life.
But there was a happy ending: he sacked his financialadvisor and wrote a string of new books that were alsobest-sellers: within a few years he was solventagain and able to buy back the rights to all hisbooks.
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------
I'm in the process of moving from one computer to... Read More
1. Remember publication is a business; writing is an art.... Read More
Good writing requires self-examination. Why is one writing? What part... Read More
Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer... Read More
Back in the mid to late 1980s I was a... Read More
How to get a lot of traffic to your website... Read More
IntroductionSince our early days of elementary education we have been... Read More
Most writers are familiar with first and third points of... Read More
Finding the time to write a novel is one of... Read More
Do you consider yourself a storyteller? Do you consider yourself... Read More
"If you're like me, than I'm sure you're pretty familiar... Read More
Rudolph Flesch, a pioneering advocate of readability, put great stock... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
In the current job market, many editorial freelancers have turned... Read More
What's the best way to plot?Quick answer: the best way... Read More
You've decided to write your very own Newsletter to promote... Read More
Writing is hard work, and like all hard work, one... Read More
Many of us have always wanted to write. We have... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
What do you mean, you don't have a website yet?... Read More
Effective screenwriting relies on the good understanding and use of... Read More
The greatest gift you have to give to yourself and... Read More
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of... Read More
Human beings seem to be born with a gene for... Read More
Writers are often are greatly surprised or disappointed by how... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..Everone knows that comedy is mostly about timing. If you... Read More
Every writer expends a great deal of creative energy developing... Read More
Over the past eight years or so, I have tutored... Read More
Golden Rules For New Writers - Things you need to... Read More
Rudolf Flesch, a specialist in writing skills, ran classes... Read More
Everybody knows writing a story is not easy. Like the... Read More
Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're... Read More
When you get stuck for ideas, and the words won't... Read More
In the words of Aristotle, "happiness is self contentedness helping... Read More
As a student of Spanish, my goal was to think... Read More
Griselda spent hours polishing up her resume. No detail was... Read More
Want to write an article or book, but are stuck... Read More
This is a tough question for every freelance writer. For... Read More
I am sure that at in some era, at some... Read More
Making Money from Freelance WritingIt's the question that every aspiring... Read More
Don't they drive you nuts?You can visit all the rules... Read More
FERRETING OUT WORK You keep hearing that there's work out... Read More
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published... Read More
1. What Is A Premise?A premise is the point you... Read More
Your struggling to sell just a few copies of your... Read More
1. No one else will do it for you.2. No... Read More
If you either want to write a book to help... Read More
Lately I've been noticing an odd trend amongst the freelance... Read More
"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote... Read More
Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.Writing requires the... Read More
Writing |