Writing Made Them Rich #3: Richard Bach

One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into a
diner somewhere in the United Sates.

Slung over his shoulder was a kit-bag that contained
everything he owned. He was unshaven and needed a
shower badly. He had very little money, but enough for
a phone call.

He rang his bank and asked how much was in his
account. A woman's voice informed him - to his
amazement - that the balance in his account was four
million, three hundred thousand dollars.

His name was Richard Bach. Six months before, he had
submitted a short story, barely 10,000 words long, to
a New York publisher.

For the last three months he had been living the life
of a nomadic 'barnstormer', taking people on joy rides
for $5 a flight and sleeping in fields under the wing of
his bi-plane.

Hardly able to believe what he had just heard, he rang
the New York publisher to whom he had sent the
manuscript.

"Where on earth are you?" asked a woman's voice.
"We've been looking for you for three months! Radio
and TV want interviews with you, a publisher in Spain
wants to buy the Spanish rights to your book..."

He had been completely unaware that his short
manuscript, 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, Richard
Bach knew very little about managing money. He
entrusted his new-found fortune to a financial advisor
who led him astray, to the tune of millions of
dollars.

Within a few years he was broke, and With the IRS
hounding him for unpaid taxes he was forced to declare
himself bankrupt. He signed away all future earnings
from 'Jonathon Livingstone Seagull' to the
government, as well as the rights to any future
books he might write, and began the arduous task of
rebuilding his life.

But there was a happy ending: he sacked his financial
advisor and wrote a string of new books that were also
best-sellers: within a few years he was solvent
again and able to buy back the rights to all his
books.

(c) 2002 by Michael Southon