“Interview with Karen Cioffi-Ventrice – Writing and Marketing Guru” by Joan Y. Edwards
Welcome, Karen. It is good to have you here as a guest on my blog. Thank you for coming.
It’s a pleasure to be here.

Let’s get started.
1.  How did you do in English as a kid?
I actually did pretty well in English as a kid. I loved to write stories, but it’s been quite a while and don’t really remember how well they were received.

2.  When did you decide to become an author?
I’ve written since I was in grade school. In high school and through my twenties I wrote poems. I didn’t think about becoming an author until my daughter was pregnant with my first grandchild. I had a poem I wrote for my firstborn and my children felt it was a good time to turn it into a bedtime picture book. That’s when I decided to become an author.

3.  What’s your favorite book? Why?
Oh, boy, that’s a tough one. I’ll have to say my all-time favorite is the J.R. Tolkien series, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I read these stories in my late teens and they took me to a new world – I was completely engrossed. I loved them. I don’t think I’ve read anything since then that has transported me that way.

4.  Are your characters based on real people?
No, my characters are not based on real people. Although, I do use my grandsons for motivation, language, behaviors, actions, and mannerisms.

5.   Did you outline and plan your books before you wrote them or did these stories flow on its own?

My first book Day’s End Lullaby was a product of a poem I wrote years earlier, so I guess you can say there was an outline.
My second book, Walking Through Walls, a middle grade fantasy adventure, was created from an outline of an ancient Chinese tale. So, again, there was a sort of outline involved.
My children’s picture book series that is currently in contract was written completely on the fly. The characters and stories were created from my imagination. But, because of the subject matter, the environment, I did do research to add a bit of realism to the otherwise sci-fi genre.

6.  How much research did you have to do for writing and/or publishing your books or manuscript in progress? What helped you in doing your research that others could benefit by your experience?
I did research on all my books, except Day’s End Lullaby. For Walking Through Walls, I had to research lots of things relevant to 16^th century China, since that is the setting for the story. I used the internet for all the information I gathered. I discovered facts about the agriculture and food, the clothing, the family structure, and what type of jobs they worked at. I also researched the Chinese dragon, another element of the story.
For the picture book series in contract, I also used the internet to find facts on environmental issues, geographical locations, animals, and so on.
If my books were nonfiction, I would have also used primary sources for my research.

7.  Do you have trouble saying goodbye to your characters when the book is finished?
I don’t have any trouble saying goodbye to characters. I think I’m ‘moving’ too fast to linger on what I’ve done already.

8.  What’s your favorite book you’ve written?

My favorite book is Walking Through Walls. It’s a middle-grade fantasy adventure set in 16th century China. It is a story with a positive, yet subtle, message for children and adults. This is the theme for most ancient tales. It won the Children’s Literary Classics 2012 Silver Award.

9.  What is your favorite genre?
For children’s books, I love writing fantasy. It takes children to other worlds and on fantastic adventures. And, it a very entertaining and subtle method of relaying important messages without hitting children over the head.

10.  How do you choose a unique setting that heightens the suspense of the plot and the problems of the main character?

The story’s setting is a vital part of your story. It can set the mood and theme of the story and becomes an integral part of the story and how the characters react.
An example of this is Walking Through Walls. The story is set in 16^th century China. It was a time of respect and honor. This sets the tone and of the story and the attitude and actions of its characters. The time period warranted children to honor their elders and to follow in the footsteps of their parents. The story would not be the same without this particular setting.

 11.  What is it about marketing that excites you and makes you want to learn and share more about it?
I think because I have an accounting background marketing feels comfortable to me. And, because of its necessity to promote books, other products, and services, it’s essential to success.
Along with this, it’s always changing, so continued learning is a must. What worked yesterday may not work today.
As someone who teaches authors and writers to build their online platform, I come across a number of people who are completely baffled by the marketing process, who are struggling to move forward but don’t know how. This makes me want to help guide them. So, I continually create eBooks and courses to inform writers/authors of marketing strategies they should know about and how to actually put them into action.

12.  Who or what has been the most help and inspiration to you as a writer?
My first critique groups, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the writing groups I belong to now, and my writing coach have been helpful to me as a writer.  My children, when they were babies, were my inspiration for writing poems, songs, and stories; now, my grandsons are.

13.  What are you writing now?
I finished and submitted three children’s picture books for publishing. They’re in the editor’s hands now.
I’m have a business and health writing eCourse for small businesses, solopreneurs, and freelance writers at http://articlewritingdoctor.com.

14. What is one of your favorite articles you’ve written?

• “Creating Your Freelance Writer’s Client List and Lassoing Them In with 3 Super-Simple Steps”
  http://inkwelleditorial.com/how-to-find-freelance-writing-clients-in-3-easy-steps

A short bio:
In 2000, Karen was an accountant for a manufacturing company and switched her gears to writing. She is an award-winning author, freelance writer, and ghostwriter.  She is an book marketing instructor and presenter of webinars.  She is founder and manager of a marketing blog, Writers on the Move.
Websites
Karen Cioffi  – http://www.karencioffiwritingforchildren.com

The Article Writing Doctor – http://articlewritingdoctor.com. She offers content training for small businesses, solopreneurs, and freelance writers.
Writers on the Move – http://www.writersonthemove.com
Connect with Karen:

• Pinterest
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Linkedin

It was fun having you as my guest, Karen. Thanks again for coming.

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Thank you for reading this interview with Karen. Please feel free to ask her questions in the comments area. She’d love to hear from you.

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