WRITER'S FORUM

Many readers will be old enough to remember Exchange & Mart and similar periodicals. They were handy publications when you wanted a new caravan, garden stuff - or wanted to get rich.

Get Rich? Well, we all want that. I recall browsing ‘Opportunities’ classifieds. Here could be found scores of titles such as ‘Learn How to Pick a Winner, ‘Make Money as a Casino Croupier’, ‘Travel the World as a Holiday Rep‘, ‘How to Make Money as a Writer,‘ ‘Manage Your Own B & B’, Money as a Photographer.’ Others might be ‘Make Money by Mail Order,’ ‘Be Your Own Travel Agent.’

These books, or to give them their proper title, booklets were cheap to produce but had a cover price double or treble the price of bigger paperbacks.

The mini-manuals were basically compact training courses in booklet form. The buyers were not buying books, they were purchasing information. With that information many carved new careers for themselves.

Each title would give key points in making money from home by knitting dolls, becoming a mobile hairdresser, or how to close a sale. They were useful as most were written by those who had made money in the way they describe and were selling their skills on.

If you have acquired skills in a trade useful to newcomers why not set it down for others to learn from? In that way you pass your expertise on and you supplement your income.

I am a little out of touch with UK printing prices. I imagine they have remained much as they were or lower because of advances in book printing.

You might typically purchase 1,000 copies of a 32-page book at €500 - €700. These can then be sold through free classified and online advertising. These are often free or of low price. Information booklets you paid 70c each for can be sold at €5 each or more.

Where do I fit in? You may need an editor to transform your written content to retail standards. My rates are reasonable so why not get in touch. - Mike Walsh

quite_write@yahoo.co.uk

You see a person, I see a fascinating book. Imagine the interesting lives many people have led. What stories they have to tell compared to the lives of many characters in blockbusters.

WERE YOU

Police Officer, Salesman, Health Service, Hotel or Leisure Industry, Schoolteacher, Seaman or Traveller, Sex Industry, Fire-fighters, Actors, Armed Forces, Social Worker, Entertainer, Criminal, Cab Driver, Flight Attendant or Ships Steward, Comedian, Builder, Fashion, Model, Hairdresser, a family history or saga perhaps.

DOABLE

Humour, personal trauma, pathos, fate and romance, tragedy, the human condition not to mention its diversity offer a rich seam of fascinating stories waiting to fascinate readers.

The best stories are about one-third of your average paperback. At about 25,000 words, think slim Mills and Boon. Perfect. Your ghost (writer) needs only 15k - 20k to bring it up to a good read. At a leisurely 1 - 2k a day, your book can be published in a few weeks. What a Christmas present.

TO ENCOURAGE YOU

I am offering to ghost your 25k novelette, biography, life experience, romance for 3 instalments of just €200. THE FEE WILL INCLUDE FREE AMAZON-KINDLE PUBLISHING. It cannot be a permanent offer and so November 1, 2013 is the buy-or-cry date.

DISCRETION

For good reason there are times when discretion is important. Your true-life experiences can easily be written as fiction (based on real life). You can change the names of the characters. You may use a pen name if you wish. It is all much easier than you think.

WHAT A GIFT

As the special offer fee is what you might pay for something of far less value grab the opportunity while you can. Perhaps you know someone who has led an interesting life. You can help them. Contact Michael Walsh on 662 067 490 if you have any queries.

If your writing leaves a little to be desired you are hardly alone. Many of the world’s most successful writers and authors are poorly skilled at the art. Their success is much more likely to be based on their imaginative storylines than their ability to write well.  For this reason as many as 40 per cent of writers, including famous ones like Stephen King and Jeffery Archer use ghost-writers.

What thousands of imaginative and inspired writers, many of them novices do is set out their story in rough form. It is then passed to the ghost-writer to bring it to retail standard. It is rather like giving someone a skeleton with the suggestion that they give it form and clothe it.

Think beyond the money your book might earn in royalties. Ponder instead the achievement of writing a book with your name on the cover. Your story may recount your life’s experiences, perhaps a family history or relate a unique experience. We all want to know about it. You can write under a pen name if you wish. Most writers do.

By writing your story you can involve future generations in your lifetime experiences. I took my seagoing experiences for granted.  It was real Coral Island stuff.  My sons are fascinated by my accounts of what it was like to be a sixties world-roving sailor. By the time I was twenty-one I had visited sixty countries.

If you have spent a lifetime in business you can re-live it and at the same time teach younger generations’ old tricks. As a business adviser I was constantly complimented on my business tips or when I was relating the methods used by others to achieve success. I finally sat down and poured twenty-years of business-to-business experiences, tips and business methodology into my Business Booster book. It gave me satisfaction as I know it helped many struggling businesses.

It is not true that everyone has a book in them. It is true that as many as 90 percent have a great story to tell. Your inability to write is irrelevant. Invite your ghost(writer) to partner you.  You do not have to be wealthy.  I have so far ghosted more than twenty novels and biographies.  I get to know my writing partners. None of them were financially well placed.

The outlay is not as expensive as purchasing a top of the range digital camera. You even pay by instalments as your book progresses. However, your book will be far easier to understand than the camera and the content will be enjoyed by more people. Furthermore it will last much longer and your self-worth will be much enhanced, especially when it is known that you are an author.

Do get in touch. I am always pleased to offer free advice. My guidance is confidential and I will be candid with you as to your story potential. The only hard bit is picking up the phone or dropping me a hello-email. Michael (Walsh). quite_write@yahoo.co.uk