Back in 1988 I was still struggling.
Oh, I had had some successes along the way.
My first published writing was in the 1960s, for a magic trick I invented. I’m still proud of it. Wasn’t paid for it, though.
A one-act play I wrote was produced and performed in Houston in 1979. It even won an award. But I was broke before it and after it.
I saw my first book published in 1984. It was a moment of celebration. But I never made a dime from it.
But 1988 was to become a different story.
I was married, broke, desperate, striving and trying. I was teaching adult education classes on writing and publishing and making gas money. I did well enough at it to be able to pay $200 a month for the one room we occupied in a run-down home in Houston. The toilet was in the same room. So was the television set. So was my typewriter.
I did my best to hide my struggle as I pursued my career as a writer.
My writing classes were becoming popular and more folks were attracted to them. I would often get clients from them who wanted consulting about writing and publishing their own book, or to hire me for writing sales letters and news releases. I met a lot of wonderful people this way, and did it for years.
Click on image to read it free
One of the people who attended my talks became a dear friend. He was a wealthy man who owned an oil company. He took a liking to me. He never gave me money, even when he saw me struggling first hand, but offered encouragement and resources.
I helped him with a little booklet he wanted to write. He paid me with my first computer, which was his old one that he was tossing away. I wrote a little booklet on it, called Turbocharge Your Writing, which became a big seller for me and led to a lot of national publicity.
But that’s another story.
This new friend also introduced me to a wealthy businessman who wanted to write a book. More accurately, he wanted to be an author without the work of actually writing. So he met with me to see if I would write his book for him as a ghostwriter.
Over the course of a few weeks, I negotiated the best deal of my entire life at that time. It was a defining moment for me. I managed to sign a deal where I would equally own the copyright to the book, would get my name on the cover as coauthor, and I would be paid, too.
Now here comes the staggering part:
How much do you think I was paid to write that book?
Think about it. It’s 1988. I’m unknown. I have no major writing or publishing bragging rights. I’m struggling. I’m desperate. My rent is two hundred bucks a month. My car broke down regularly. I need a break.
I asked one friend and he said I was probably paid five hundred dollars.
Another friend said I was probably paid two grand.
What was I paid?
Twenty-one thousand dollars.
You read it right.
$21,000.
I took the down payment I received (about six grand) and went and bought a laptop computer, a suit, and gas for my car. Back then laptops didn’t have hard drives. You used one disk for the word processing program. You used another disk to save your work. I wrote the entire book on that laptop. I loved it.
This raises an interesting question, though: How did I close a deal for $21,000?
And here’s the eye-opening answer: I read books.
I read books on negotiating. I didn’t know how to negotiate. Who’s born knowing that? I had to learn. The best way for me to learn negotiating, or most anything else, then and now, is through books. I learned it so well at least one client said, “You’re probably a better negotiator than most writers.” He may have been right. But I also learned how to write from books, too. Books rule.
My research revealed many professional ghostwriters at the time were asking for $50,000 and up to write a book. I figured I was worth about half that.
No doubt I got some coaching and encouragement from my wealthy friend on how to deal with his wealthy friend. I had also been working on my beliefs about money at the time, slowly erasing limiting ones as I also built up my self-esteem.
But that’s certainly not the whole secret.
I hope you grasp at least one of the main lessons here: Whatever you want to learn, the answer is probably in books.
Books! So simple. So obvious. Yes, you still have to apply what you learn. But it all begins with reaching out to fill your mind with what might not yet be in it.
Obviously, it helped to have someone introduce me to a person who needed and could afford my services. But that’s another lesson: I was taking action. I was doing public speaking when I was basically shy and terrified. I did it anyway. As a result, I became a more confident speaker, and I met people who could help me.
Recently I found a 1989 copy of the book I wrote for that client. It’s titled The Joy of Service. A few copies were listed on Amazon. One copy was selling for a penny. Another copy was offered for a thousand dollars. I bought the penny one.
But you don’t have to buy anything. I had the book typed up and turned into a PDF which you can read online right now. For free. Just click right here. Or go to http://www.thejoyofservice.com
The book is all about service. It’s a quick read and contains stories you’ll love.
But the best story of all is the one you just read: How I attracted $21,000 when I was broke — but knew where the library was.
Ao Akua,
PS – Just in case you missed the exciting news, you can now order my first singer-songwriter album, Strut! You can hear excerpts from my healing music albums at either Strut! or Blue Healer. The direct links are: http://www.HealingMojoMusic.com and http://www.GetUpandStrut.com
Member BBB 2003 - 2012
34 Comments
español – inglés
Dear Mr. Joe Vitale:
This past summer I wrote a book, and it was thanks to you. Long ago I was around her head, but not until I read it I realized where my destiny … Thanks for sharing your wisdom with the rest of us … And if possible, I would love to hear from you, for me would be a miracle more … Thanks for existing and the Infinite Universe protect you always, with love … Maria A. Servian
Thank you 🙂
Greetings from Greece!
Another inspiring story by Joe.. Here in Greece we could use more of those, given our current fiscal condition…
Keep on doing what yo do best! You are a source of inspiration and courage for all of us who are struggling in different levels and aspects of our lives.
God bless you!
K
Thank you. 🙂
I put in my info to get to download and got the aweber error that I was already subscribed 🙁 And the right click to download isn’t directly to the book.
Can you please let me know how I can access it in another way? I so appreciate all of your words of wisdom, and I always learn something that helps me along my path.
warmest regards,
Lara
Hi Lara. I’m sorry for any snags in getting the book. I just double-checked the download link and it works fine. It lets you either open the book online and read it, or download it to your computer and then open it from there. Enjoy.
Joe, thank you for sharing this crucial message about the value of reading books. My wife and I stayed at a beautiful resort in Costa Rica last November, and one of our favorite parts — besides the people, the nature, and the architecture — was that the resort had NO television sets except for one tucked away near the restaurant. As a result, we read four books in just a few days. One of the books that we read was one that we downloaded to my Kindle from the Wi-Fi connection in the resort’s restaurant. It’s titled “The Dumbest Generation”. It’s key message is that children today would be a lot smarter by spending less time in front of screens (TV, computer, and gaming-device) and more time reading — you guessed it! — BOOKS.
I love it! 🙂
Thanks Joe for you excellent book on Attract money now and Thanks Kirk for the name of the book you are reading. Will talk to my daughters aged 12 & 10 about this.
Nice story, very inspiring. I have many books from you Dr. and i admire your story. Thank you for all you share with us.
My Story Is
I am grateful for all the things I have now.
see Back in 2007 I lost my step father,2008 I lost my Grand mother.
2009 I lost my son and girlfriend. from 2009 to 2011 I was homeless
And I am all grateful for all that it made me Thing more about who I am
and at the mid of 2011 I was working getting back on my feet, it is not much of what I got but I am thankful to all thing and to all people that came in and gone out of my life. for all this I am steal thankful and grateful.
Hi Joe –
You are SO right about books, I devour them like mad! I picked up my older brother’s murder mystery while in the 3rd grade (highly inappropriate reading for a child!) & read it from cover to cover – been hooked ever since.
My problem was being in a perpetual learning cycle, always feeling like I had to learn more. Notice I say “was” because I finally decided to start taking action, ANY action, as I was good & fed up with getting nowhere.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, I find them motivating 🙂
While I have spent a great deal of time reading as much of your material as I could get my hands on, I’ve always had a few questions about just how things happened for you in the beginning. I greatly appreciate this post as it answers on of my biggest questions for me. As always, thanks for all you do Joe.
Bubbadave
Wow Dr Joe. It’s inspiring to read you stories. Many of us look at successful people and assume they were just lucky or something. You have shown that by preparing ourselves through learning and getting through personal limitations we can achieve greatness.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Joe! Right on!
Love, John Anthony
Hi Joe,
KUDOS!
Greetings,
Claus 😀
Hi Joe,
KUDOS!
Greetings,
Claus 😀
thanks for revealing most of your personal experience’s, it gives me a great joy to think ahead about what we can offer in life.
Hi Joe,
I’ve always wanted to know how you went from living on the street to being one of the richest men in America and now I do!
Ella
ps You inspired me to produce my own bilingual audio book called Pela the Class Pet!
Hi Joe,
I´m sorry to say that, but I have got the same kind of problem as Lara.
I got the notice that I was already subscribed, too. I tried it several times yesterday and now. Always the result was the same one.
Please help me. I´m eager to read the book.
Greetings from Germany
With love
Peter
I’m sorry, Peter, I will email you the download link myself.
Great story, Joe. Inspiring and full of tips. You know? this is the kind of stories that people wants to know. Those magic moments and actions that were the breaking point and mark the beginning of the rise of a succesful writer, like you. Please share more chapters of your life like these. It helps us to know how to attract the wealth we all are looking for.
Thanks Joe! You inspired me to be currently writing my first book to go up on kindle!
Joe – what a great story. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Thank you so much,
Angela Artemis
I’m inspired by your books and to fully believe in the Law of Attraction I need this thing:
Could you please write a book or an article on how the quantum mechanics and the Law of Attraction correlate. For me and all the people would be easier to believe in the Law of attraction, if we see that such proved and usual things as the laws of physics underlie the basics of the Secret.
thanks for answers
Several books already do just that. For example, see http://blog.mrfire.com/scientific-evidence-for-the-secrets-law-of-attraction/
You are awesome as always!
Only 2% of the population read books regularly.
98% will be broke or in debt on the day they reach retirement age.
Interesting to think about.
BTW, Service itself is a great topic for how to break out of poverty mindset.
Your friend always,
James D. Brausch
Great story! When you keep plugging away, the universe lines up great opportunities like that.
Thank you for sharing!
Stacey
joe, l need you to be my mentor. i live in TEXAS also so i can visit in person, by phone, or email. thanks, jerry.
Joe, you have lots of fans in Russia. Do you know§ that people there is one of the most reading public still. Just i am so sorry no have yours new books translated in Russian! Thank you and hope to get your new books soon! Love you 🙂
Over half a dozen of my books are in Russian. I have been there and done book signings and speeches and workshops there, too.
Hi Joe, now I am at the first step of your “awakening course”. (I think my english is a little funny, I’m italian!) and sincerely I don’t know where I’ll be in one year but it’s a little bit of time that I was thinking to change my life. My story (like all stories 🙂 !) it’s a little long but I would like to tell it.
I have a bachelor degree of music in piano and a master in musictherapy and one day I woke up and I felt that I had a story that walking around my head and i needed to write it immediately. I spoke about this with my brother, because I thought it was strange since I never liked writing and he encouraged me to start! For two years I worked like always but in the free time I writed without telling nobody my secret (only my mom and my brother knew). One month ago I was near the end with my book but there was something that worried me. I didn’t feel the energy. “Mmmh, bad problem”, i thought. Any day later my boyfriend told me that he wasn’t happy with his job (he earns little money) and he wanted to change something. “Well, so we are in two”, I thought. He suggested me to go to Canada for six months. “Do you like Canada?” told me. “Yes, I believe… I never went there before!” “Well, this is the moment”, he told him to me. So, I put my book aside( 🙁 ) and I started looking for a job there . Three days ago I felt sick to my stomach, an influenza virus. I felt sick for 24 hours, then I felt too well. I was full of energy and reborn. Yesterday I have bought your “awakening course” and I have started reading it. It was green and nice and I have thought: “Oh, It’s beautiful… what is it?” This morning I wake up and I tell to myself: Well… I am a little afraid, everything’s gonna be alright? But now, 2 hours ago i have told “yes, sure, everything is there, I only must go there.” Now I’m at the first step, I’ll write you early to say you my progress. Thank you to exist,
Helena Sofia
Joe
What an inspiration!
I have had the CD,s for some time the downloads that are listened irregular!
Then when things could not get worse! BANG! It all clicks!
What has happened is my doing what position I am in is my making ! Am I clear yes now Was I clear! No Way!
Is the Law working you bet!
What stopped it working previously? Me
Why did it take so long?
Acceptance!
Have things changed?
Yes they are and are they continuing to get better? Yes there is light at the end of the tunnel!
Listening to the CD in the car for “one more time!” made the difference! Is making the difference!
Cheers Joe
Thanks
Mike McGarr