Today we’d like to introduce you to Loren Stephens.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been a ghostwriter for more than 20 years with a select group of journalists working with me at my company Write Wisdom. My first project was writing my mother’s life story, “I Turned A Key and the Birds Began to Sing.” An opera singer, collector of art, and world traveler, she read her book saying “I haven’t had a happy life but I have had a fascinating one.” Readers agreed. I realized that there might be a business here and put the word out to potential clients who were donors to an international humanitarian organization that I worked for. Everyone has a story to tell but not necessarily the skill set or patience to turn it into a book. Before I knew it my donors were asking me to help them since we had a high level of trust and knew one another. Today, Write Wisdom has written over 40 books in various genres. Each book is a legacy for future generations and is a valuable resource that contain lessons learned.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Finding clients is always the biggest challenge, I have been fortunate to have an agent and I belong to an organization that announces projects for assistance, but the competition is very stiff since so many journalists are no longer working for newspapers and magazines. It is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I find that the most successful way to acquire clients is through word of mouth, our newsletter, and social media. It’s important to assess if we are a good match for a potential client, or if a referral may be the best service we can provide. It’s important to know if the client is really committed to the project. The biggest enemy of a book is the stops and starts. Momentum is a valuable resource to getting across the finish line.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
i am a ghostwriter, writer and novelist. The project I am most proud of is my debut novel,”All Sorrows Can Be Borne,” based upon my Japanese husband’s family story. I interviewed members of his family, and went to Japan so that my descriptions would be more authentic. I also did an enormous amount of research which is something I love to do. The novel begins in World War II with the bombing of Hiroshima and ends with my main character enlisting in the US Navy, and being reunited with his mother who gave him up for adoption. My husband and i are currently doing numerous podcasts on the subjects of immigration, adoption and suicide.
Separate from this, i am passionate about helping my clients write the books they have been thinking about. In the past two years, I have been asked to write historical novels in addition to life stories, which engages my imagination. Being a ghostwriter is incredibly gratifying. Some of my clients tell me, “I learned so much about my life; I gained perspective on the events of my life; or I shared stories with you that would otherwise have disappeared when I am gone. What can be better than that?
I have twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize; my collaboration, “Paris Nights: My Year at the Moulin Rouge,” with Cliff Simon was named by Kirkus Reviews as one of the best memoirs published by a small press.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
i was born in New York City, went to a public school, PS 6, and then moved to the suburbs with my family. i had a hard time fitting in because was intellectual and reading was my passion. My happiest times were going to an art camp in Colorado (To be or not to be) and traveling through Europe with a group of teenagers. I skied and played tennis but didn’t have aptitude in either which frustrated me. I have a low tolerance for failure. I also skated both indoors and outside. As soon as I was away from home I was very gregarious and had a good sense of humor, but at home, I was not very happy, dealing with a chaotic family and competing with a sister, whom I dearly love. I could never have imagined the incredible life i lead today, with the little girl who read the Oz books, Sarah Barton, The Secret Garden, and Nancy Drew. I was an excellent student and earned my way into Cornell University where I double majored in English and political science, and then went to Columbia University’s School of International Affairs and Public Policy where I was an Alice Stetton Fellow.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.writewisdom.com and lorenmstephens.com
