This article is from www.GaryScott.com who teaches a class about writing and self-publishing ( plus other classes)
Writing and self publishing are good ways to earn in money. They are also good ways to become rich.
Here are seven lessons about how to earn in writing and publishing gained from Felix Dennis, a successful print and online publisher.
Image from Felix Dennis Heart of Forest website (1) (click on image to enlarge)
Dennis recently passed, leaving an estimated estate of more than $800 million including a 16th-century thatched manor near Stratford-upon-Avon, a London house, a Manhattan apartment, houses in Connecticut and a house on the Caribbean island of Mustique. Last year his company was publishing more than 50 magazines with revenues over $100 million.
The first lesson is that publishers can come from humble beginnings. Abandoned by his father, Dennis’s grandparent’s home, where he was reared, had no electricity or indoor bathroom.
His education lasted only to age 15 and he survived on various and sundry jobs-gravedigger, sign painter, blues drummer.
The second lesson is that one can start in a small way. Dennis’s first job in publishing was selling copies of Oz Magazine on the street. He worked hard and became advertising manager within a year and before he turned 21 he was an editor with Oz.
The third lesson is that you are allowed to make mistakes along the way. The editors of one issue of Oz allowed teenagers to choose the content. One cartoon chosen showed a bear’s genitalia that caused Mr. Dennis to be charged and convicted of corrupting public morals.
The fourth lesson is that mistakes are not always bad. Many protesters including John Lennon and Yoko Ono organized protests about Dennis’s conviction which was reversed by an appeals court. This undoubtedly garnered a lot of publicity for Oz which was a counter cultural magazine. How much was John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s support worth?
The fifth lesson is go try things. This may be the most important of the seven. Huge publishing profits can be earned with a very tight niche, seemingly obscure focus. Dennis built his career around the martial art titan, Bruce Lee. Dennis had unsuccessfully tried publishing underground comics after Oz failed. He saw how teenagers lined up early morning to see Bruce Lee martial movies so he flew to Hong Kong to get materials so he could start the Kung-Fu Monthly. When Lee died, Dennis had enough material to publish the magazine for ten years. Kung-Fu Monthly sold millions of copies in more than a dozen countries and was the foundation of his publishing success.
He had many failures but some great successes due to his continual search and willingness to try new trends in publishing.
His publications included Blender Magazine, the fashion magazine Maxim, gambling magazines, Men’s Fitness, Computer Shopper and The Week, a news compendium that built a worldwide circulation exceeding 700,000.
The sixth lesson is that as a publisher you can be as unique as you desire. Dennis had a reputation for spending over $100 million to support drugs and mistresses. Then he quit his addiction cold turkey and spent even more millions on a forestry project he started in England. Over the next decade he planted over a million hardwoods on 2,200+ acres of estate he purchased. This has become the world’s largest privately planted forest. He left the bulk of his $800 million to the charity he created for this project. It is estimated that planting could eventually cover up to 120 square miles making it the largest deciduous forest in England.
The final and seventh lesson is that publishing can lead you to your greatest heart’s desire. In Dennis’s case this desire was writing poetry. In the last decade of his life he wrote and published more than 1,500 poems that became widely acknowledged. You can see Felix Dennis reading some of his poetry at Ted.com.
Felix Dennis reading poetry at Ted.com (2)
Dennis also wrote “How to Get Rich,” which is available at Amazon.com. A key message in this book is that having a great idea is overrated. Dennis says “You need great execution.”
With this in mind here are excerpts from the Felix Dennis poem that is at the beginning of “How to Get Rich”.
Good fortune?
The fact is
The more that you practise,
The harder you sweat,
The luckier you get.
Ideas?
We’ve had’em
Since Eve deceived Adam,
But take it from me
Execution’s the key.
Good timing?
To win it
You gotta be in it.
Just never be late
To quit or cut bait.
The first step?
Just do it
And bluff your way through it.
Remember to duck!
God speed …
and Good Luck!
I hope these seven lessons are helpful to you.
Gary
Writing and self publishing are good ways to earn in money. They are also good ways to become rich.
Here are seven lessons about how to earn in writing and publishing gained from Felix Dennis, a successful print and online publisher.
Image from Felix Dennis Heart of Forest website (1) (click on image to enlarge)
Dennis recently passed, leaving an estimated estate of more than $800 million including a 16th-century thatched manor near Stratford-upon-Avon, a London house, a Manhattan apartment, houses in Connecticut and a house on the Caribbean island of Mustique. Last year his company was publishing more than 50 magazines with revenues over $100 million.
The first lesson is that publishers can come from humble beginnings. Abandoned by his father, Dennis’s grandparent’s home, where he was reared, had no electricity or indoor bathroom.
His education lasted only to age 15 and he survived on various and sundry jobs-gravedigger, sign painter, blues drummer.
The second lesson is that one can start in a small way. Dennis’s first job in publishing was selling copies of Oz Magazine on the street. He worked hard and became advertising manager within a year and before he turned 21 he was an editor with Oz.
The third lesson is that you are allowed to make mistakes along the way. The editors of one issue of Oz allowed teenagers to choose the content. One cartoon chosen showed a bear’s genitalia that caused Mr. Dennis to be charged and convicted of corrupting public morals.
The fourth lesson is that mistakes are not always bad. Many protesters including John Lennon and Yoko Ono organized protests about Dennis’s conviction which was reversed by an appeals court. This undoubtedly garnered a lot of publicity for Oz which was a counter cultural magazine. How much was John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s support worth?
The fifth lesson is go try things. This may be the most important of the seven. Huge publishing profits can be earned with a very tight niche, seemingly obscure focus. Dennis built his career around the martial art titan, Bruce Lee. Dennis had unsuccessfully tried publishing underground comics after Oz failed. He saw how teenagers lined up early morning to see Bruce Lee martial movies so he flew to Hong Kong to get materials so he could start the Kung-Fu Monthly. When Lee died, Dennis had enough material to publish the magazine for ten years. Kung-Fu Monthly sold millions of copies in more than a dozen countries and was the foundation of his publishing success.
He had many failures but some great successes due to his continual search and willingness to try new trends in publishing.
His publications included Blender Magazine, the fashion magazine Maxim, gambling magazines, Men’s Fitness, Computer Shopper and The Week, a news compendium that built a worldwide circulation exceeding 700,000.
The sixth lesson is that as a publisher you can be as unique as you desire. Dennis had a reputation for spending over $100 million to support drugs and mistresses. Then he quit his addiction cold turkey and spent even more millions on a forestry project he started in England. Over the next decade he planted over a million hardwoods on 2,200+ acres of estate he purchased. This has become the world’s largest privately planted forest. He left the bulk of his $800 million to the charity he created for this project. It is estimated that planting could eventually cover up to 120 square miles making it the largest deciduous forest in England.
The final and seventh lesson is that publishing can lead you to your greatest heart’s desire. In Dennis’s case this desire was writing poetry. In the last decade of his life he wrote and published more than 1,500 poems that became widely acknowledged. You can see Felix Dennis reading some of his poetry at Ted.com.
Felix Dennis reading poetry at Ted.com (2)
Dennis also wrote “How to Get Rich,” which is available at Amazon.com. A key message in this book is that having a great idea is overrated. Dennis says “You need great execution.”
With this in mind here are excerpts from the Felix Dennis poem that is at the beginning of “How to Get Rich”.
Good fortune?
The fact is
The more that you practise,
The harder you sweat,
The luckier you get.
Ideas?
We’ve had’em
Since Eve deceived Adam,
But take it from me
Execution’s the key.
Good timing?
To win it
You gotta be in it.
Just never be late
To quit or cut bait.
The first step?
Just do it
And bluff your way through it.
Remember to duck!
God speed …
and Good Luck!
I hope these seven lessons are helpful to you.
Gary
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