I was sacked for making too much money: Sir Jeffrey Archer

Famous British author Sir Jeffrey Archer said he will continue to write even in his grave, but he is currently driven by a cause to survive till the age of 77 and complete writing seven books in the Clifton Chronicles series that he signed at the age of 70.

Four books in the series are already published and he has to publish the last three series including Mightier than Sword, which he will first launch in India in February 2015 by handing over a copy to his fans Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali, his great fans, according to the British politician turned author.

One day before the book is launched in India on February, 2015, a copy of the book, Mightier than the Sword, will be given to the Sachin Tendulkar and his family. Last year he went on a literary tour of India, covering many major cities and he realised that more Jeffry Archer books are read in India, than in the USA.

The first three book in the Clifton series, Only Time Will Tell, (published in 2011), The Sins of the Father (March 2012), and Best Kept Secret (March 2013), were all in the best seller series. The fourth book in the series, Be Careful What You Wish For, came out in hardback in March 2014 and the author said he spends about eight hours a day to write a book.

British author Sir Jeffrey Archer (SUPPLIED)

His first book, Not a Penny Less, Not a Penny More, which was initially rejected by 16 publishers has been reprinted 57 times, and each time he has to remind the publisher to go for the next edition of 25,000 books because the previous volume of 25,000 has been sold out.

Speaking to the budding Omani entrepreneurs and youngsters about how to succeed in business, he said he was a big dreamer even at the age of three or four when he wanted to be the Prime Minister of Britain or the Captain of British Cricket Team or Prince Charles and he used several tricks to make money during the school days, but he was sacked for making more money than what was allowed.

Now published in 97 countries and more than 37 languages, Jeffrey Archer is firmly established, with international sales passing 270 million copies. He said as a master story teller he has been impressed by the worldwide enthusiasm about his books and he is no more interested in the amount of money that his books generate than knowing the number of people reading the books.

“As a young boy, I had only two shillings as pocket money, while my richer friends had two pounds. I had to use several ways to make money but my mother punished me for making more money,” the author told audience at the Open Minds Forum for Encouraging Young Entrepreneurs in Oman.

"At a young age, I already wanted to be an entrepreneur but I had to discover what was realistic to achieve," he explained. Young Jaffrey wanted to be an entrepreneur but was punished for using unapproved sales tactics and raising the prices of things without his employer's permission. “I was sacked for making too much money.”

A British Member of Parliament who became bankrupt after making bad investments in a company called Acquablast, he had to spend time in jail and decided to “write a book” to come out of bankruptcy, a plan which ultimately succeeded. “Out of 1,000 books published, only one gets in the best seller category. Out of several books that enter the best seller series, only one becomes the best seller. There is no substitute for hard work,” he told the Open Minds Forum, organized by Black and White Magazine in Muscat.

His God gifted talent as a story teller is coupled with dedication and hard work to reach the top slot.

“At the age of 70, I took up the biggest challenge of writing seven books in the Clifton Chronicles series. I get up at 6 am for a cause because I have to complete writing 7 books by the time I reach 77. While writing a book, I spend 8 hours per day on writing,” he said, adding that there is no short cut to success.”

Advising young writers and entrepreneurs attending the Open Minds Forum, he said every aspiring writer has to practice their skills by using pen and paper. Jaffrey said he continues to write every day of his life and he will be writing even in his grave.

He has also said how difficult it was in the initial days to get the media attention as he had to compete with stalwarts like Walt Disney and Billy Carter for a six minute in the morning show of a leading American channel, and it was a TV interview hitting 21 million people in the USA and around the world that made life easier for him as an author. He was given a standing ovation from the audience of Open Minds Forum.