I am illiterate.

I have two university degrees, am an avid reader, have been writing fiction, novels, and blog posts for years, but when it comes to money . . .

I am financially illiterate.

Other writers probably feel the same way. We focus on our craft and our daily lives. Money doesn’t seem to be all that important. And yet, we chase the dream of becoming best-selling authors.

I am currently reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki because I want to get in better control of my finances.

Poor Writer

I almost put the book down though. The opening paragraph was so bad that I laughed out loud. I swore and got ready to throw the book across the room. For some reason I didn’t.

I stuck with the book and laughed again when the author admitted to being a poor author.

He was talking with an newspaper columnist at the time as he was being interviewed for an article. The columnist wanted to branch out into fiction, but hadn’t been able to crack into that industry. She kept her day job at the newspaper but still had her eyes set on becoming a best-selling author just like Kiyosaki.

That’s when, Kiyosaki simply replied, “I’m a terrible writer, you’re a great writer.”

Rich Writer

So why did he succeed and she did not? He suggested that it all boiled down to the concept of sales. She just needed to become a better sales person to take her work to the next level.

Perhaps that is true. Maybe it’s more complicated than that. All I know is that, Kiyosaki has made an interesting observation . . .

Got Talent?

I’m constantly shocked by how little talented people earn.

Talent isn’t enough. I know some amazing musicians and artists who can’t seem to make their art marketable. Why is that?

One Skill Away From Great Wealth

Most people only need to learn and master one more skill and their income would jump exponentially.

That skill could be salesmanship. It could be marketing. It could be learning about how money works and becoming financially literate.

Be a Life-long Learner

Whatever that skill is that you are lacking, educate yourself.

Learning is a life-long journey and I’m still learning. Are you?