Today we’d like to introduce you to Pat Kramer.
Hi Pat, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always loved to write, but I didn’t know it was something I would want to do for a living until I was 15 and I got a job “hawking” the Real Paper, which was Boston’s underground newspaper in the 1970s. I loved reading the stories and as a result, I enrolled in Emerson College in Boston as a Mass Communications major. In 1979, I graduated on the Honor Society with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Public Relations and I began looking for my first job.
I sent out 50 applications to radio stations to work as a news broadcaster and 50 to newspapers to work as a news journalists. I was hired as a news broadcaster shortly after at a little radio station in Newport, Rhode Island and that is where I began my career as a writer, reporter, and news journalist.
Fast forward to 1988 when, after working in the news business for 11 years, I decided to move to Los Angeles to help my Aunt Ronnie Kramer, who was in the last stages of cancer. Ronnie and I had always been close. She was my dad’s younger sister, and she had worked for many years in the entertainment business. At that point in her life, in 1988, she was running her own agency managing technical people who worked in the business.
So, I joyfully packed my bags and moved to Los Angeles with stars in my eyes – I thought I might get a job writing for Rolling Stone magazine or maybe working at a record labels writing liner notes. In reality, I realized that I would have to start at the bottom again because I was in a new market, much different from New England where I had acquired my experience. Thus, I took whatever jobs I could find over the next few years: writing for music and film magazines, working as an intern for an independent record label, writing news and feature stories for weekly news publications, and eventually, working full-time for an ad agency so I could pay my bills.
Those years weren’t easy but they gave me a lot of experience, self-discipline, and stamina to succeed, no matter what!
In January 1990, I officially launched my writing practice, Writer For Hire TM and over the past 32 years, I have built a strong customer base of business professionals and companies that regularly call on me to provide them with written content for their marketing, promotions and public relations efforts (i.e., LinkedIn profiles, bios, resumes, press releases, web content, and ghostwriting books and memoirs).
My memoir writing practice has really picked up over the past few years, as many of my clients are the children of aging parents and want their stories recorded and told. I love this part of my business because I get to hear the histories of people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and learn how they survived different hardships to become the people they are today.
My business has taken a lot of dedication, commitment and blood, sweat and tears, but I have enjoyed my work through and through, and today I am known for what I do and for the quality of my work.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As I said before, there were always challenges. In the beginning, after my Aunt Ronnie died in 1989, I lost my support system and felt very alone living here in Los Angeles with no family around. So, I had to meet new people and begin to form new relationships. They weren’t the same as the ones I had back in New England, but they got me through the day.
At first, when I started my business, I was pretty broke. So, I took a lot of freelance writing jobs – which didn’t pay much but they gave me some income. I also worked for a short time as a temp for an agency and worked for many different companies for short assignments while I also wrote content for my new Writer For Hire clients.
I joined a networking group, right away, and printed up business cards and I began promoting my writing business at Chamber of Commerce events, LeTip, NAWBO, Women’s Referral Service, and other associations. I believe in the power of networking. I have always been very active in networking organizations and it has kept me going through slow times.
I also joined the Independent Writers of Southern California so that I could continue learning new skills. IWOSC has been very instrumental to keeping me up-to-date with changes in my industry and learning about tools that can help my business stay competitive and also help my clients.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a “generalist,” which means that I work with many different kinds of businesses in describing the products or services that they offer. I do a lot of work in the real estate industry, I frequently work with financial firms, law firms and legal practices, and largely with business professionals who offer services of one kind or another.
I am also a ghostwriter, so I write books for people who have a message to share but don’t have the writing skills to make that happen. I’ve worked on a dozen or more books ranging from motivational to instructional and have several I’m now negotiating to write.
I also write memoirs for senior members of families to ensure that their unique stories, histories, hardships and the values they have learned are recorded in a story form so that they can be passed down to future generations. From having done this for all four of my grandparents’ families, I know how important it is to learn where you come from. Often, people wait too long to ask for those stories and the seniors pass on and with them goes their history.
Similarly, I write business histories for family-owned companies that have been around for 30 or more years and want a book that describes their founders, their formation and growth, and the changes they have made over time to stay relevant in their market. I love writing these stories, and I believe that of all the work I do, they provide the greatest value.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a kind and sensitive kid – always loved spending time with my grandparents, who I greatly respected and adored. I also always loved animals. My family had several cats as I was growing up, but only one dog. Since I really loved dogs, I would spend time with my neighbors’ dogs as I walked to and from school every day. They were my closest friends and I still love to surround myself with dogs (I’m now allergic to cats though).
I was artistic, creative, and loved to read books. I always liked participating in spelling bees and did very well at it. And I loved giving book reports – or at least writing them. I was pretty shy as a kid and even as a young adult. I had to learn how to speak in front of audiences, but that happened much later.
I had an older sister who taught me about life, music, what to wear, how to put on makeup, and how to deal with boys. I also had an older brother who also taught me about music and introduced me to a wider circle of friends. When my younger sister, who is 9 years younger than me, was born. I tried to pass on my life skills and I continue to share my experience as a writer with young high school students seeking a career in journalism.
Today, my interests are in gardening, community involvement, animal issues, and supporting our natural environment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.writerpatkramer.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostwriterpublicityandmarketingwriter/
Image Credits
In 2019, I was selected as Woman of the Year, Sunland-Tujunga, for the 28th Congressional District. I am honored to be representing my area for this amazing Congressional Award!
