For business inquiries and similar correspondence, please contact me at steven.romano88@gmail.com

Most people can recall that single, influential moment when they set off on the path toward their chosen career, and while I’ve always been creatively inclined—and guilty of a harmless daydream or two . . . or a thousand—inspiration didn’t truly present itself until I began attending St. Francis College and registered for a course in journalism; if there was a muse above my head that day, then she no doubt delivered a Mt. Olympus-shattering, slide-on-your-knees-to-the-edge-of-the-stage lyre solo (and I thank her for that).

From the first class it was clear that news writing went further than routine lessons on journalistic integrity and getting one’s facts straight—it was a plunge into the very mechanics of the written word, the English language itself. I was adamant about learning all that I possibly could, eager to apply this knowledge to my regular writing, including personal projects, correspondence, and assignments from other courses. Granted, it was also a period of strenuous creative experimentation, going through constant trial and error until I struck upon a signature voice, a style, that I was confident enough to deem my own, which is still evolving to this day.

Joining my college’s student paper was my gateway into the wider world of letters, introducing me to fellow prospective writer-editors and forging connections that led to spectacular opportunities, such as collaborating with my journalism professor to co-found the independent local news venture Brooklyn Today. I later graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Communications—and was inducted into the Communications Honor Society, Lambda Pi Eta. Internships at Howcast Media and AOL soon followed before securing full-time editorship at COED Media Group and, afterward, Abrams Media’s The Mary Sue. In between those positions and beyond I contributed articles to PopMatters and StarWars.com, promotional material to Barnes & Noble’s family of sites, and provided editorial assistance on Lucasfilm and 10TenMedia’s all-ages poster book Star Wars: Creatures, Ships & Droids.

If I had to distill all that I’ve learned over the course of my experience into one sentence, it would be this: great copy is far more than a message—you’re telling a story. It doesn’t matter if what you’re penning is a piece of escapist fiction or a marketing campaign designed to drive consumers to take action, you have to capture the audience’s attention, plant the seed of an idea that will, among other positive outcomes that are far too numerous to list, speak to the mind, the heart, or a combination of both. But the duty is on the writer to ensure that their work is compelling, clear, and demonstrates an intuitive, empathetic understanding of how the public’s mind works. (It’s starting to lean a little on the psychological side, no? Well, it’s partly what drew me into the business.)

Now we’ve reached the end of my condensed professional history, the part where we head back home and keep the conversation cordial—talk about what I do when I’m not churning out copy or wielding the proverbial, dreaded red editor’s pen. To start, I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, and aside from working on personal creative projects—novels, short stories, scripts, etc.—I enjoy venturing outside with my film camera, taking photos of my neighborhood, street art, and whatever else happens to strike my fancy. Though to clarify, this leisure activity is rivaled only by my affinity for books and classic films (particularly from the French school).