A Novel Approach!

Hello, Mike Bodnar here.

I am, among other things, a writer. Over the past four decades I have written countless magazine articles, scripts, news features, manuals and handbooks, but have only ever been 'properly' published twice. Both books were self-help type manuals - slim volumes not likely to ever become blockbuster films.

In 2015 I self-published a travel adventure memoir called Against The Current, which sold enough copies to cover the cost of publication and promotion, but again, there's no queue of production companies wanting to buy the film rights, and anyway the book is now out of print.

However, in early 2023 I am self-publishing my first novel. Called Unity, it's a spy thriller set in 1960s Britain. But there's a catch: my storyline, although original, piggy-backs off a late 1960s British television series called The Prisoner, and although I've tried to buy the rights to it I cannot get them. Therefore, since this is what's called a 'tie-in' novel, I am having to publish the book as 'fan fiction,' which means I am unable to make any profit from it. It doesn't matter how successful it is, I can make nothing from it. So far, so frustrating.

But the initial feedback I've had from the 'focus group' I have given the Unity draft to has been overwhelmingly positive, and I am now keen to start on my next novel. Which is where you come in.

If you'd like to support a struggling writer (who, by the way, tutors other nascent authors for free) then I would be very grateful. An accumulation of even small donations can make the difference between achievement and despair, and will also enable me to continue to assist other emerging writers, both in person and in a YouTube video or podcast. And if you're wondering why I would write a book that I can't make any money from, please go here for an explanation.

Thanks for your time.

Big hugs,

Mike