Interview with Financial Expert James Burns, author of THE 3 SECRET PILLARS OF WEALTH

James is a tax attorney who served honorably in the United States Marine Corps’ Force Reconnaissance (akin to Navy SEAL program). James brings the same commitment and loyalty to his clients that he exhibited when he served our country. He is also CEO of White Diamond Properties, Inc. a real property investment acquisition firm and is on the Advisory Board of Wave Uranium Holdings (WAVU.OB), a development stage company that engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of uranium properties in the United States.

James is on the Advisory Board of Sognari International www.sognari.com/james which is an entrepreneur platform that has famed Michael Gerber involved and they are creating opportunities that are discussed in the book.

You can visit his website at www.3pillarsofwealth.com.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, James. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published? Can you give us the title(s) of your book(s)?

I am published for the first time in a book and I have had published articles before so this is exciting.

My book is the “The 3 Secret Pillars of Wealth.”

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

“The 3 Secret Pillars of Wealth” is my first significant published work and hopeful to do more under the same brand.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

After hearing many stories of perseverance in finding a publisher after 23 or more rejections, I determined I would be better served to self-publish and save time. In addition, several of my colleagues that had a major publisher do their book had not control over their book or the ideas that were in them…the publisher retained proprietary control over everything.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

I didn’t get rejected because I just went forward as a self-published author. The only rejections I have experienced were from publicists stating it was not a right fit or that they like to get started way before the published date which I didn’t really agree with.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

I published it in league with Arbor Books who has an incredible package to get it done and many luminary authors did their first book with Arbor.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

It made me feel accomplished and that if I never sold my first run, at least I had accomplished something I set out to do and so many say they would like to do but never get started.

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I aligned with a company called Sognari International which is a seminar and entrepreneurial platform company. They had done a book singing for Michael Gerber and offered me the opportunity to hold a book signing in their Irvine, California facility. I think I had 150 attendees of which almost all of them purchased a book and the event was taped and broadcasted live on the internet.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

This is hard to say. I think I have the credentials and the idea is unique enough where I could have attracted a major publisher and had them foot the bill but at the end I would have no control and if the book does well, I will be able to control a future deal.

I think I would have to say no, I wouldn’t choose another route.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

Again, this is my first outing so stay tuned as I would love to answer this a year from now.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

I could have probably put away a marketing budget but it has to actually be quite large and then hire a great publicist to orchestrate some cross selling with others and get the word out prior to book delivery. However, this might not prove to be worth a lot so I don’t really regret anything.

Can you always avoid disease by having the ounce of prevention? Not always so you have to make sure you have the pound of cure and that’s where I’m at.

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

Attracting the right type of client and being able to just say no to the type of client that is not a good fit for me, my practice and the direction I want to take things.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

This questions relies on my being able to look for where the grass would be greener and we all know how that works out. I think I am satisfied with my profession and being an entrepreneur allows you to be visionary in order to create value for the public and to continuously morph yourself and become what you want to be.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I’ve combined the best of both worlds because I could not have authored this book without having been an estate attorney and seen the flaws and difficulties that clients bring to the table as well as the triumphs and then search for that missing denominator that separates the two.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Optionally retired and continuing work that inspires, educates and improves the lives of people.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Just member the Nike slogan and just do it. If you allow self-doubt to swallow you up and your inner perfectionist to talk you out of it or fail to release it, you have another form of procrastination which is a disease. I’m out to eradicate this disease since medical science can’t come up with a immunization for it.

ATTENTION: This interview is being brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion. As a special promotion for James Burns’ book, THE 3 SECRET PILLARS OF WEALTH, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour or $25 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky person who comments. Leave a comment below to have a chance to win one of these prizes! For more stops on James’ blog trail, visit www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com.