Karen Cole Interview…

Please welcome Karen Cole to the blog! 🙂

 

Karen Cole is a Ghost Writer and was kind enough to let us put some questions to her. So kick back, relax and join us today!

 

 THE INTERVIEW

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself. Where you come from, what do you do when you are not ghost writing, any hobbies?

 

Well, I tend to go out on long car drives. This last weekend, we went on a camping trip out in the boonies, and I really enjoyed that. We saw animals on a farm, traveled around, and ate out at plenty of restaurants.

 

2. How long have you been ghost writing and how did you become a ghost writer?

 

I’ve been freelance writing since before 1980, and ghost writing steadily since early 2003. I became a ghost writer after working as a copy editor, due to there being more money, writing experience and prestige in ghost writing. I put up a website, search engine optimized it, and started handling incoming leads. In two years, I began sending out excess work to a team I began accumulating of other ghost writers, editors, marketers and promoters. Now I have scads of contacts in the book and screenplay industries.

 

3. I know you can’t give specific details but can you tell us what you ghost write – fiction or non-fiction?

 

I personally don’t specialize, except I do specialize somewhat in memoir writing. I handle both fiction and nonfiction writing equally well, and I’ve helped out on some 250+ books in some capacity over the past ten years.

 

 4. What advice would you give to writers that are thinking of becoming ghost writers?

 

Get plenty of writing experience, and try to get your own work published first before becoming a ghost writer. You can get your articles published on the Internet, and that helps. You can also take low-paying but experience-generating jobs through Internet services such as Guru.com and Frelancer.com, where you bid for the work, and it will help you establish your presence as an Internet ghost writer.

 

5. Do you ever get annoyed that you can’t openly claim the work as your own?

 

No, the high pay more than makes up for that. I am a little frustrated that right now, I don’t have any work published under my own name for sale currently, but that will change when I get my book “The Rainbow Horizon” out later this year or sometime next year. When I work as a ghost writer, I ask for some small credit, such as putting “This would not be possible without my Editor, Karen Cole” inside on the acknowledgments page, or sometimes I have an “As told to Karen Cole” credit on a book’s cover.

 

 6. Have you written anything under your own name?

 

I’ve written hundreds of published articles under my own name, but as I said above I don’t currently have anything out under my name. I have been either an article writer or a ghost writer during most of my career.

 

7. What is your fuel to keep you going on a typical writing day?

 

I live in the Seattle area, the Starbucks capitol of the world, so of course I drink lots of good, strong coffee. I overeat, and need to go on a diet. But I also read plenty of good books, reviewing them for people as requested, and I read the local paper and watch the news on TV to keep up on current events. I try also to get out as often as possible, going to the store or out to eat, and I work out three times a week at the local gym too.

 

8. If you could live and write anywhere in the world, where would it be?

 

We almost bought a house in Saskatchewan recently, but in the end I prefer living in the Puget Sound region and wouldn’t trade living here for anywhere else in the world. I like New Zealand and have checked out the Philippines, but here is where my heart is.

 

Okay, quick-fire round!

 

Email or letter?

 

Email, as it’s so much easier to send than a letter.

 

Coffee or tea?

 

Coffee, as I’m addicted to it now.

 

Pepsi or Coke?

 

Either, but I tend to prefer Coke.

 

Stephen King or Dean Koontz?

 

I’m a King fan from all the way back to Carrie.

 

Edward Cullen or Lestat?

 

Probably Edward, as Lestat was so frigging evil.

 

Vampire or werewolf?

 

I dig vampires, as werewolves tend to smell doggy bad.

 

Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins?

 

I’m a Lord of the Rings fan, and prefer Bilbo really.

 

Cool! That was fun! Thanks so much for stopping by, Karen! 🙂 Check out some more info on Karen below:

 

Karen Cole has been a book ghost writer for more than ten years now. What she doesn’t work on herself, she sends out to her team of over 100 book and screenplay ghost writers and editors, as well as running a literary agent finder service, book marketing and promotions, and full self and commercial publishing services. She will handle all of your book and screenplay needs from start to finish, and has recently begun music and lyrics ghost writing services too.

 

Website:  http://www.rainbowriting.com