Mark M. Ford

Mark Morgan Ford a.k.a. Michael Masterson, is an American author, entrepreneur, publisher, real estate investor, filmmaker, art collector, and consultant to the direct marketing and publishing industries.

Ford is the author of more than 2 dozen books and hundreds of essays on entrepreneurship, wealth-building, economics, and copywriting. He has also written 4 books of poetry, a collection of short stories (Dreaming of Tigers), and a book on word use titled Words that Work.

Much of Ford's business writing is published under the pen name Michael Masterson. His books, Automatic Wealth and Ready, Fire, Aim, were recognized on the Wall Street Journal and New York Times Best Sellers lists.

Ford is active in real estate development both in the United States and abroad.

Since 1993, he has been the chief growth strategist for Agora, Inc., a publisher of newsletters and books.

Early life and education Ford was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, Frank Ford and Joan O'Byrne Ford, were professors of literature and communications, respectively, at Molloy College in Rockville Centre.

In 1962, at the age of 12, Ford launched his first business, a kitchen-table publishing company that produced and sold satirical pamphlets, titled as Excuses for the Amateur. He sold these for a nickel to his classmates. Also in 1962, Ford wrote his first poem.

He graduated from South Side High School in 1968 and earned his Bachelor of Arts from Queens College (CUNY) in 1973. In 1975, he received a Master of Arts from the University of Michigan. He completed his PhD coursework at Catholic University in 1977, but never finished his thesis.

In 1976, Ford enlisted in the Peace Corps and spent two years in Africa teaching English literature and philosophy at the University of Chad in Ndjamena. He authored a book about Chadian culture and a newsletter for Peace Corps volunteers. In 1977, he married Kathryn Fitzgerald.

In 1983 Ford was promoted to vice president in charge of marketing and product development. He executed a campaign to launch a new line of newsletter companies targeted to consumers, covering topics from health to travel to investing to astrology and gambling.

In the early 1990s, several of Ford's protégés created a correspondence school to teach the fundamentals of writing for the direct marketing industry called American Writers and Artists, Inc.

Aside from courses on writing advertising copy, AWAI also offers self-study programs on web marketing, resume writing, graphic design, publishing, travel, and photography. Ford, under the pen name Michael Masterson, created the Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. His other business ventures include: Lion's Kill LLC, Ford Fine Art LLC, and Paradise Palms of Delray Beach.

Published books Mark Ford, (also identified as Mark Morgan Ford or Michael Masterson) has authored and co-authored books on marketing, copy-writing, and entrepreneurship. Some of these books include:

Automatic Wealth: The Six Steps to Financial Independence (John Wiley & Sons) Seven Years to Seven Figures: The Fast-Track Plan to Becoming a Millionaire (John Wiley & Sons) Automatic Wealth for Grads and Anyone Else Just Starting Out (John Wiley & Sons) Confessions of a Self-Made Millionaire (Early to Rise) (ASIN B001PIRVPI) Changing the Channel (John Wiley & Sons with MaryEllen Tribby) The Architecture of Persuasion (American Writers & Artists, Inc.) Power and Persuasion: How to Command Success in Business and Your Personal Life (John Wiley & Sons) Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat (John Wiley & Sons) Copy Logic (American Writers & Artists, Inc. with Mike Palmer) The Pledge: Your Master Plan for an Abundant Life (John Wiley & Sons) The Reluctant Entrepreneur (John Wiley & Sons) Words That Work (American Writers & Artists, Inc.) Persuasion: The Subtle Art of Getting What You Want (American Writers & Artists Inc.) The Big Book of Wealth Creation: From Your First Penny to Your First Million in 7 Years or Less (Mark Ford with Special Contributions from the Palm Beach Research Group) Living Rich: How to Live as well as a Billionaire on a Middle Class Budget (Mark Morgan Form) Wealth Planning for Freelancers: How to Parley your Freelance Income into a Multi-Million Dollar Retirement (Mark Morgan Ford) Making the Most of Your Time (Mark Morgan Ford) Your Best Holiday Season Ever (Michael Masterson, Presented by Early to Rise)

In 2012 Ford published a poetry collection called Back and Out Again (Cap & Bells Press) under his full name, Mark Morgan Ford, so as to distinguish his poetry from Mark Ford, a better-known poet.

Back and Out Again (Mark Morgan Ford) Lexis in Wolf’s Clothing (Mark Morgan Ford) It is Raining Lovely, Raining (Mark Morgan Ford)

Controversy In 1991 the U.S. Postal Inspection Service seized $6.6 million in bank accounts held by Ford and his partner, Joel Nadel, for allegedly violating civil mail-fraud and money-laundering statutes. The case was eventually settled in November 1993 without Ford and Nadel admitting or agreeing to wrongdoing. The government repaid Ford and Nadel more than $3 million, plus interest, and a compensation fund was established.